Why we’re on The Scene Wilmington

WILMINGTON, N.C. – It’s an exciting time to live in the Cape Fear region. If you can’t feel it yet, you can definitely hear it when you’re out and about.

For years, we’ve had some very cool local venues to catch a show and perhaps witness the infancy of an act that is about to get national attention.  But in 2021, Live Oak Bank Pavilion opened downtown and suddenly Wilmington, NC found itself listed on the backs of band t-shirts and the fronts of concert posters as a stop for larger and more established acts. On any given night from early Spring to Fall, downtown buzzes with concertgoers on the way to catch names we’ve heard for years.

But it’s not just Live Oak. You can go a little high class with a visit to the Wilson Center to hear legacy musicians or catch a show fresh from Broadway. You can swing over to the Brooklyn Arts Center for a truly unique experience inside the historic church landmark.

And you can indulge your need for live music with a trip to the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater (a location I like to call “my happy place.”)

This doesn’t even include the dozens of bars, restaurants and local parks that host live music throughout the year.

If you have an itch for live music, you don’t have to go far anymore to scratch it.  But you might spend some time trying to weigh your options.  With concert announcements coming in faster than the waves at Wrightsville Beach, I have personally missed some cool potential concerts because they just passed under my radar.  I googled, but couldn’t find a central location to keep up with it all. (I did some find some great locally run Facebook sites where musicians share their gigs!  Check out “Talking Tunes in Wilmington” and “Live & Local Music – Wilmington, NC.”)

I’m hoping “The Scene: Wilmington” is the solution to the constant searching. We’re aggregating the local concert scene as much as possible here with the plans to become a one stop shop for you when considering evening entertainment. But beyond that, we plan to feature stories on some of the talented women and men who may spend their 9-5 working a regular gig, before they hit the stage to keep all of us entertained.

Music creates community and improves our lives. I admire those who are gifted with the ability to play an instrument or use their voice in a way that allows an escape for those of us in the crowd.

We’re on the Scene, Wilmington.