Monday night at The Joint Next Door in Fairview, which is a solid low-key spot for an early show. The 7pm start makes it doable for a weeknight if you want to get out but still make it home at a reasonable hour.

Shows here run on a simple door cover system, so just roll up and pay when you arrive. The spot sits about 20 minutes from downtown Asheville in a Fairview plaza, pouring 11 local craft beers on tap alongside a dozen wines by the glass while the kitchen slings Southern comfort food and breakfast until close.

The Joint Next Door is a neighborhood bar at 1185 Charlotte Highway in Fairview, about 20 minutes east of Asheville, sharing a parking lot with The Local Joint restaurant. It has a small-town bar feel and nightly live music, mostly rock, country, blues and Americana, with no cover for most shows, and an open jam night with the King Street House Band. After 4 pm it serves the full Local Joint menu, with burgers and pub food alongside beer and drinks. There's room for dogs, and shows usually run from about 7 to 10 pm.

Fairview regulars come for the dancing and the sing-alongs, and neighbors like that live music is free most nights.

The Joint Next Door

Looking for live music in Asheville tonight? Find venues and show schedules downtown, on the South Slope, in West Asheville and the River Arts District. Almost all post shows as Scoops on Dig Local, so check a profile before you go. Downtown, The Orange Peel on Biltmore Avenue and Asheville Music Hall on Patton Avenue book touring bands, Jack of the Wood has hosted Celtic and bluegrass nights since 1997, and Hotel Eve does live jazz on Lexington Avenue. The South Slope has Eulogy on Buxton Avenue, Revival on Asheland Avenue and outdoor concerts at Asheville Yards on Coxe Avenue. Along Haywood Road in West Asheville, catch a set at The Odd, Fleetwood's or The Double Crown, or a quieter show at AyurPrana Listening Room and Story Parlor. The River Arts District has The Grey Eagle on Clingman Avenue and full album sides on vinyl at Joyful Noise. Hellbender by The Orange Peel puts outdoor shows on the Swannanoa River. Head east to Black Mountain for White Horse, Town Pump Tavern and Pisgah Brewing's outdoor stage, or north to JuneBug Retro Resort in Weaverville. For theater and orchestra, see the Wortham Center, the Asheville Symphony and free Shakespeare from Montford Park Players.

Live Music in Asheville, NC: Venues, Shows and Events

Asheville's food scene is mostly local, and this guide walks it neighborhood by neighborhood. Many of these spots post their daily specials, happy hours and events on Dig Local, so check a profile before you go. Downtown, Posana on Biltmore Avenue builds its menu around local farms, The Rhu on South Lexington Avenue is known for its cruffin, Old Europe Pastries has made Hungarian pastries since 1994 and now sits on Broadway, and Capella on 9 serves tapas on the roof of the AC Hotel. On the South Slope, Tiger Bay Cafe cooks Latin and West Indian food inside Ben's Tune Up, and the Funkatorium on Coxe Avenue pours sour beer. Haywood Road in West Asheville has Biscuit Head, Thai Pearl, Finest and Westville Pub. Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville has plant, Mountain Madre, Mother Ocean Seafood Market and 828 Family Pizzeria. In East Asheville, RendezVous serves French bistro food on New Haw Creek Road, and Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack fries Nashville-style hot chicken on Patton Avenue and in Arden.

Asheville Food and Drink: Restaurants, Specials and Happy Hours

Looking for the best bars in Asheville? Find cocktail lounges, dive bars, rooftops and live music spots downtown, on the South Slope and in West Asheville. Downtown, Little Jumbo pours cocktails in an old grocery on Broadway, The Crow and Quill stocks more than 800 whiskeys behind an easy-to-miss door on Lexington Avenue, and The Workshop Lounge has jazz inside The Foundry Hotel. Capella on 9 serves drinks with mountain views atop the AC Hotel, District 42 sits on Pack Square, and Cork & Keg pours wine inside The Weinhaus on Patton Avenue. 5 Walnut Wine Bar has live jazz and acoustic sets most nights, and Fitz and the Wolfe runs three rooms on Battery Park Avenue. On the South Slope, Banks Ave. hosts drag shows and DJ nights, and Sovereign Kava pours kava on Biltmore Avenue. Haywood Road in West Asheville has The Low Down under The Hop, wine and vinyl at Potential New Boyfriend, and late shows at The Odd and Fleetwood's. Out east, The Social is a neighborhood pub on Tunnel Road, and Town Pump Tavern and White Horse anchor downtown Black Mountain. When the night's over, call AVL Ride for the trip home.

Hunter & Co. Acoustic Three-o

The Scoop