Charlotte, North Carolina
Four hours from Atlanta and then under three to get to North Carolina's Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), Charlotte sits in between the two major music scenes of the aforementioned Southeast cities. Though the city has a vibrant college scene thanks to the University of North Carolina, don't count on the kids to fill your audience - they're more likely to be hopping bars and clubs than checking out a show. But the music scene is still vibrant, with a strong representation in indie and punk rock, and a good dose of acoustic singer/songwriters driven along by a plethora of open mics hosted throughout the city. A homegrown hip-hop scene, helped by its series of open mic nights, is also growing, threatening to overtake the jazz scene in popularity.
Guide to Gigging in New Haven
Book a Gig: Venues
The Milestone Club
3400 Tuckaseegee Rd
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 398-0472
www.themilestoneclub.com
A veritable institution, this 250-capicty venue is like the CBGBs of the South. Founded in 1969 and run by musicians since 2004, Milestone welcomes all rock-related with open arms every night, sending bands home with a hefty 80 percent of the door. If you haven't played the venue before, the booking folks request that you fill out the form on the Booking page of the website so as to avoid confusing and get all your details correct. Once you're more familiar with the club, email both Philip Shive at afterbirthcasserole@gmail.com and Neal at neal@solidgoldempire.com.
The Evening Muse
3227 N Davidson St
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 376-3737
www.theeveningmuse.com
The quieter of the Charlotte venues, this all-ages club has intimate listening rooms styled for the attentive audience and mellower genres like singer/songwriter, jazz, pop and blues. The Evening Muse packs a modest 120, ensuring that the quieter of artists are adequately heard. All the booking is done through email, and the club prefers requests at least 10 weeks in advance.
Email Lea Kuhlmann at lea@eveningmuse.com for booking information.
The Visulite Theatre
1615 Elizabeth Ave
Charlotte, NC 28204
(704) 358-9250
www.visulite.com
With a capacity of 540, The Visulite Theatre is one of Charlotte's larger venues for an independent touring act, and the folks doing the booking want to know that you can comfortably fill out the room. The more you can show about your draw and promotion the better. Email Bernie Brown at booking@visulite.com two to three months before your preferred date with links and info - the venue prefers not to get physical press kits.
Snug Harbor
1228 Gordon St
Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 333-9799
www.snugrock.com
Snug Harbor came on the scene earlier this year, filling the void in the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood left by the demise of Fat City. Since then the club has been picking up speed booking more bands through the week while filling in off nights with DJs. while The venue's capacity is just under 150, making it a perfect stop for indie rockers starting to gather speed, like Morning State and The Booze. Daylon Brumfield, the owner and booking agent, prefers emails sent to snugharborcharlotte@gmail.com, but the venue also answers messages left at the MySpace page (www.myspace.com/snugharbor).
Promote a Gig: Media
Charlotte Creative Loafing
6112 Old Pineville Rd
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 522-8334
www.charlotte.creativeloafing.com
Clocking in at a mature 20-years-old, this alt weekly was started by the familiar folks at the Atlanta Creative Loafing. Today it's the city's most-used source for arts and entertainment listings. Editor Carlton Hargro (carlton.hargo@creativeloafing.com) hosts his own podcast, Audiofloss, geared towards the more soulful of sounds, featuring regional acts like Waterseed and Soulganic. To be featured in the music section email Music Editor Jeff Hahne at jeff.hahne@creativeloafing.com, or to get your gig listed email details to Branna Calloway at branna.calloway@creativeloafing.com
Gear/Repairs
Howren Music & Sound
4209 Prk Rd
Charlotte, NC 28209
(704) 525-5073
www.myspace.com/howrenmusic
A mainstay on the Charlotte scene for over 50 years, Howren Music & Sound is a music store for musicians by musicians - and those who love them. Local acts like Soulganic have even had band members work there, and the store's ties to Charlotte's music community are strong. Howren has a great repair staff as well, for any mishaps that might have happened on the road. The company also has locations in Huntersville, Pineville, and Gastonia.
Sam Ash
5533 Westpark Dr
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 522-9253
www.samashmusic.com
Reliable and known across the country, Sam Ash's location in Charlotte has a knowledgeable staff for repairs and sales alike. If budget allows, take a look at the custom-built options, as well as the swanky recording devices and lighting equipment. If you're lucky, you might be able to catch the one-off instrument clinics the store holds, with professionals like Queensryche, Donald "Duck" Dunn, George Lynch and Rick Derringer (Warrior) sharing their tricks of axe.
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