You don’t need to travel far for live music.

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Chapel Hill/Carrboro

Cat’s Cradle

Located on Main Street in Carrboro, this small venue attracts much larger acts than you might think.  Just these past few years they have hosted Of Montreal and Ingrid Michaelson.  These are big acts for such a tiny place.

Watch out for Brendan Benson (formerly of Jack White’s band, The Raconteurs) on December 10th.

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Local 506

Located on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, this is my favorite venue of all.  The acoustics aren’t great, but small size creates an intimate atmosphere where concert goers can mingle with musicians.

December 11th is promising.  Having seen both The Love Language and Max Indian live before, I can say they definitely put on a good show.
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Winston-Salem

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The Werehouse

We all know about this one but it should still be mentioned.  Coffee, drinks, food, music, art…WIN.

Check out Terrance and the Tall Boys on November 21st; you won’t be disappointed.

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The Garage

The Garage generally hosts a less impressive line-up but you should keep an eye on it.  Occasionally, they will host a band you recognize.

Also, a great way to find new music is to just show up, regardless of whether you know of the band playing.  Tickets are usually under ten dollars, so no great risk is involved.
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Asheville

Asheville offers so much more than music.  If you have the means, I would suggest making a weekend of your trip: catch a concert, go out to eat, and go shopping in this gloriously hip mountain city.

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The Orange Peel

Of the aforementioned locations, The Orange Peel consistently offers the best acoustics and musicians.

Rather than point out a few suggested concerts, I recommend you look at the calender.  The lineup for the next few months is far too diverse for me to persuade you with one or two bands.