Best area for Live music and bars? (Knoxville, Chattanooga: for sale, rent)

[flamadiddle]

Which Tri city would you say has the best live music/bar scene? Considering a Relo but as an active Drummer, I need to land in an area with a vibrant music and nightlife scene or I'll go nuts.

[Serious Conversation]

Bristol has the birthplace of country music distinction, but has had several bars that catered to the local music scene close in the past few months. A combination of downtown crime/homelessness, rent increases, and aggressive law enforcement are killing the nightlife scene.

Otherwise, it’s definitely Johnson City, but the area doesn’t have a good music scene. You’d be better off trying to find people to play with in Asheville, especially if you’re not into Southern rock or country.

[flamadiddle]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

Bristol has the birthplace of country music distinction, but has had several bars that catered to the local music scene close in the past few months. A combination of downtown crime/homelessness, rent increases, and aggressive law enforcement are killing the nightlife scene.

Otherwise, it’s definitely Johnson City, but the area doesn’t have a good music scene. You’d be better off trying to find people to play with in Asheville, especially if you’re not into Southern rock or country.

Thanks, I like all music, with the exception of punk and death metal. Modern Country is high on my list of favorites. Looking at Craigslist I see there's not much activity in the Tri city area, which is a bummer. Asheville is too lefty for my tastes. May have to revisit Chattanooga, Knoxville, or possibly Nashville.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by flamadiddle

Thanks, I like all music, with the exception of punk and death metal. Modern Country is high on my list of favorites. Looking at Craigslist I see there's not much activity in the Tri city area, which is a bummer. Asheville is too lefty for my tastes. May have to revisit Chattanooga, Knoxville, or possibly Nashville.

Also, the Cameo Theater in Bristol, which recently reopened a year or so ago, closed abruptly a few months back as well. They did host some national touring acts.

A lot of folks think the area is some small town, but if you combine the Johnson and Kingsport-Bristol metropolitan areas, the population comes out to about 500,000. It's really disappointing that the music scene is as bad as it is.

Downtown JC to downtown Asheville is an hour. It would be very doable to live in JC and play at gigs in Asheville on the weekends.

[md21722]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

Bristol has the birthplace of country music distinction, but has had several bars that catered to the local music scene close in the past few months. A combination of downtown crime/homelessness, rent increases, and aggressive law enforcement are killing the nightlife scene.

Otherwise, it’s definitely Johnson City, but the area doesn’t have a good music scene. You’d be better off trying to find people to play with in Asheville, especially if you’re not into Southern rock or country.

Which bars closed?

I’m only away of Quaker State. My understand is the space was bought by The Corner.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by md21722

Which bars closed?

I’m only away of Quaker State. My understand is the space was bought by The Corner.

Quaker Steak and Sidetracks. Sidetracks has been many different things over the years, but has booked some national touring acts recently.

I wouldn't be surprised if that building opens up as another bar/club in the future, but for now, the building is closed and is up for sale.

The Angry Italian downtown also recently closed, though they never had live music.

[md21722]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

Quaker Steak and Sidetracks. Sidetracks has been many different things over the years, but has booked some national touring acts recently.

I wouldn't be surprised if that building opens up as another bar/club in the future, but for now, the building is closed and is up for sale.

The Angry Italian downtown also recently closed, though they never had live music.

I forgot about Sidetracks closing. I think you're right. I think its always been that kind of place.

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

Quaker Steak and Sidetracks. Sidetracks has been many different things over the years, but has booked some national touring acts recently.

I wouldn't be surprised if that building opens up as another bar/club in the future, but for now, the building is closed and is up for sale.

The Angry Italian downtown also recently closed, though they never had live music.

Oh wow, really? All of those have closed?

I was in Bristol in Christmas of 2022, and we went to all of those you listed. What a shame!

What is behind the closures, do you think?

It's like the city is taking 2 steps forward, 1 step backward.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

Oh wow, really? All of those have closed?

I was in Bristol in Christmas of 2022, and we went to all of those you listed. What a shame!

What is behind the closures, do you think?

It's like the city is taking 2 steps forward, 1 step backward.

Quaker Steak catered to the biker crowd. They had some kind of incident late last year, and prohibited club colors. That probably sealed their fate.

It’s hard to tell with Sidetracks. That place has changed hands and opened under different names several times.

The Angry Italian was a big rent increase. I guess the landlord would rather leave the building vacant and run out a successful place.

Cameo closed in the summer. I have no idea why. They were getting some fairly well-known acts, but I have no idea how well the shows were attended.

I think part of the issues downtown are a combination of homeless/addicts and very aggressive law enforcement. No one wants to be around homeless or addicts, then also having to worry about the police looking for anyone coming out of a restaurant or bar for a public intoxication or a DUI pickup.

A friend of mine owns a bar downtown. The only regular Uber driver in Bristol was falsely arrested twice for DUI between late 2022 and mid 2023. Each time, the toxicology came back clean, but the DA still wanted to press the case. That scared off part-time Uber drivers. With no Uber, his bar business has declined.

Word on stuff like this gets around and locals stay away.

[Serious Conversation]

FWIW, another brewery that did small local bands, State Street Brewing, also announced their closure today.