Mountain Music On Tap

For many folks, beer and music go together like banjo and fiddle. All of the above find a warm reception here in Southern Appalachia—often at the same spot. Many of the region’s craft breweries regularly welcome bluegrass, old-time, and Americana musicians to their stages and tasting rooms. What’s more, some of those breweries host acoustic jams for all comers, convening musicians young and old to form a circle and follow the music, whether an Irish reel or old-time folk tune. Veterans call out chords to newcomers, singers compare lyrics, and instrumentalists trade a mandolin for a fiddle, or a banjo for a guitar. All the while, pitchers of beer are passed around and energy levels stay high. The gatherings listed here all carve out their own niches, but one thing’s a constant: The spirit of the porch jam lives on.

Monday nights at 8 p.m. in West Asheville, Altamont Brewing Company’s stage gets turned over to the John Hardy Party with banjoist Mitch McConnell, who leads a fast-and-loose old-time jam for a next-generation crowd.

Starting at 6 p.m., Mountain Music Mondays take over a corner of the tasting room at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, N.C. All ages are welcome to this genteel old-time jam; many of these musicians have been playing for decades. 

Local pubs get in the action, too: Jack of the Wood in downtown Asheville runs two long-running weekly jams: old-time on Wednesdays and bluegrass on Thursdays (both starting around 6 p.m.). Mondays at 7:30 p.m., the Big Deal Band leads a bluegrass session at Black Mountain Ale House in Black Mountain, N.C. 

Jamming 101

Informality is the hallmark of any music jam, but the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina outlines a few rules of etiquette to keep everyone playing in harmony:

Follow cues: Public jams often have designated tune leaders, an agreed-upon speed (slow for beginners, full-speed for experienced players), and customary ways of beginning and ending songs. Whoever starts a tune is responsible for ending it—whether by raising one foot in the air as the end approaches, calling out “one more,” “last time,” or “going out,” or a simple head nod or change in volume or tempo.

Know the hierarchy: Beginners are wise to observe the circle for a bit to figure out how a particular jam is structured, whether by round robin, in which each musician takes a turn as the caller, or by ringleaders who choose all the tunes. In old-time music the lead fiddler typically takes charge; in bluegrass jams, a guitarist or mandolin player who also sings may call the shots.

Tune up: Some musicians play by ear instead of tuning to standard pitch, so be sure to follow suit. And pay attention to keys, too, even if that means retuning your instrument to play with the group.

Keep up: If you lose your place, hang back and play quietly until you catch up. The rest of the time, play at a similar volume to your fellow musicians, taking care not to overpower your neighbors.

Know the customs: When playing bluegrass, musicians “take breaks”—aka they improvise a solo for a few bars. (Whoever is leading the song will usually indicate whose turn it is to take a turn.) Old-time musicians, on the other hand, play in unison throughout, with subtle interwoven improvisations. 

Learn more at blueridgemusicnc.com.

More Pickin’

Old-time and bluegrass musicians jam pretty much anywhere that will have them. Even fast-food restaurants play a part: An open group has been gathering for almost 15 years at the Hardee’s Red Burrito in Lenoir, N.C., every Wednesday starting around 6 a.m. for “bluegrass and a biscuit.” 

Bluegrass jams also take place on Tuesdays at West Asheville’s ISIS Restaurant & Music Hall (a host band starts at 7:30 p.m., followed by an open jam at 9:30 p.m.), Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Zuma Coffee in Marshall, N.C., and Fridays at 6 p.m. at Rocky Branch Community Club in Walland, Tenn. 

Both old-time and bluegrass musicians jam on Friday nights at 7 p.m. at the Phipps General Store in Lansing, N.C., while country and bluegrass rule on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. at the Feed & Seed in Fletcher, N.C. 

Old-time jams enliven the Silvermont Mansion in Brevard, N.C., at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, the Jones House Community Center in Boone, N.C., at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Clay’s Corner in Brasstown, N.C., at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, and the Barber Shop in Drexel, N.C., at 11 a.m. Saturdays. 

For more shows and jams, BlueRidgeMusicNC.com offers an extensive calendar for Western North Carolina.