Rocky Mount has a storied legacy of live music and visiting big name musicians. While most are familiar with Rocky Mount being the birthplace of jazz legend Thelonius Monk and bandleader Kay Kyser, the multitude of famous musical acts that performed in Rocky Mount through the years is impressive.

In the 1900s, Rocky Mount saw the likes of Louis Armstrong, Count Bassie, Kay Kyser, B.B. King, Jerry Butler and Ella Fitzgerald, among others, come through the town to perform. Yet the legacy of live music in Rocky Mount is not just defined by the big names of the past but increasingly for what the present provides and the future holds.

With the revitalization of the Rocky Mount Mills campus, an influx of entrepreneurs investing downtown and the city’s continued focus on seasonal events, Rocky Mount has continued the city’s legacy of music into the twenty-first century with a more local focus. The growth of local venues and artists has culminated in a constant flow of live music and events in the city.

On the campus of Rocky Mount Mills live music is a constant. Rocky Mount Mills hosts a regular concert series in the campus beer garden and the Power House on the Mills campus hosts concerts with big name artists such as Nashville recording artist and Nash County native Chandler James.

The restaurants, craft breweries and bars on the Mills campus also offer live music almost every day of the week. Prime Smokehouse is not only a phenomenal spot for barbecue but the jazz themed restaurant regularly hosts musicians and bands.

On the brewery front, Koi Pond Brewing Company hosts local musicians weekly such as Meredith Davis, Story Charlemagne, Gypsy Railroad, Will West and Stuart Stroud, just to name a few. Koi Pond also hosts two annual music festivals in the spring and fall, aptly titled Pondapalooza and Koichella, respectively.

Similarly, Bright Penny Brewing Company and Hopfly Brewing Company at the Mills often feature live performances by musicians such as Tony Jonez and Lipbone Redding, among others. One of the newest additions to the Mills campus, Larema Beverage Company, also features local live acts and a regular open mic night.

In downtown Rocky Mount, Larema Beverage Company’s sister restaurant, Larema Coffee House, hosts regular live music and has embraced the City of Rocky Mount’s annual Juneteenth Community Empowerment Festival downtown with multiple live performances. In addition to the Juneteenth Festival, the City of Rocky Mount hosts the Downtown Live concert series and the famous Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down which features two days of live music.

The Rocky Mount event center this September hosted its annual DownEast Classic Concert featuring multiple big name artists and this year began the “Downtown Date Night” series with themed live music, food and drinks. This September the Downtown Date Night at the Event Center featured two big name performances by the band Niito of Raleigh-Durham and New Orleans natives the Brass-A-Holics.

Additionally, the Dunn Center on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan University this fall hosted two of the nation’s most renowned Journey and Nirvana cover bands. Upcoming shows at the Dunn Center include the folk duo of Larry and Joe, Damn Tall Buildings from Brooklyn New York, and one of the most preeminent Prince cover bands, Purple Xperience, among many others.

Whatever one’s musical preference, the legacy of live music in Rocky Mount is alive and well, and increasing as more and more residents look right in their own backyard for entertainment. This increasing appreciation from locals for what the city currently offers heralds an expanding recognition for Rocky Mount and the city’s ever growing role as a venue for live music in North Carolina.

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