Five Great Kingsport, Tennessee Spots for Live Music

Kingsport may not be the biggest city in the world, but it sits in the perfect spot in Tennessee to draw from all kinds of musical traditions. It’s just across the border from Virginia and a short drive away from Kentucky and North Carolina. Between the four states, live bands who play all kinds of music are always stopping by.

Twilight Alive Summer Concert Series

Throughout June and July, you can go to the corner of Broad Street and Market Street at 7 p.m. on Thursdays to enjoy Bluegrass on Broad, and you can stop by on Fridays to listen to Twilight Alive. The Thursday night events are obviously geared towards bluegrass bands and bluegrass lovers, but the Friday night bands come from a few different genres. Guest bands have included ’80s tributes, country bands, and a few local acts.

The Carter Family Fold

The Carter Family Fold is a musical venue which sits about a half-hour north of Kingsport on the other side of the Virginia border. It’s a venue that focuses first and foremost on traditional and folk music, particularly the kind of music that evolved out of the Appalachian Mountains that surround Kingsport and the Family Fold on every side. The Carter family takes pride in being the foundation of the American country music industry, since they sold the very first country records in 1927, and you can catch a live show every Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Niswonger Performing Arts Center

If you head south of Kingsport for most of an hour, you’ll reach the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, a large performance venue that happens to be a part of Greeneville High School. Niswonger hosts concerts from a variety of surprisingly major bands, such as ZZ Top, and the musical acts that show up play genres like classic rock, country, jazz, and traditional.

Sleepy Owl Brewery

Just head up East Main Street along the railroad tracks and you’ll come across the Sleepy Owl Brewery. Like the name implies, you can find all sorts of unique beers for tasting and enjoying, and they host live bands every now and again who play styles like rockabilly, old-fashioned country, blues, bluegrass, and rock.

O’Mainnin’s Pub & Grill

O’Mainnin’s is over in Bristol, on State Street, which means you can see Virginia if you take a seat by the front windows. On most weekends, you can hear local bands playing, and no matter what day you stop by, you’ll be sure to find some fine company and a good drink.

There’s always plenty of music to find when you live in the Appalachians. From the traditional styles that grew up right here in the mountains to the country acts fresh from Nashville and the bluegrass sounds that took their name from the fields of western Kentucky, Kingsport has a lot to offer a music lover. Just make sure you grab your ID before you head out, because most of these music venues know that good music goes great with a good beer in your hand.

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