There are two new venues just getting finding their legs east of Asheville, and they’re likely indicators of the future growth we’ll see on the east side of Buncombe County. (Think “the Cliffs at High Carolina,” the biggest residential development in Buncombe County history.)
There are several large projects coming to finality in south Asheville, which is the hot spot right now for residential growth and retail activity. But eastern Buncombe County’s growth is fast on the horizon.
Anyway, the first venue to note is the Beacon Pub and Grille in Swannanoa. It’s in a remodeled building across the street from the former Beacon textile mill, which is a pile of rubble now after a massive fire a few years ago. (Ingles grocery store chain bought that property for a song, but has yet to clean it up. Word is that the company plans to build a frozen foods warehouse there.)
The pub is a weird conglomeration of style and identity. It’s called a “pub” and has a pub-like decor with natural wood finishes. But there are flat screen televisions all around, and the ambience just isn’t working from the pub point of view. The place allows smoking. And the kitchen’s not up and running yet.
Judging by the clientele, the place is more like a working man’s corner bar. Lots of camouflage hats and Joe-the-Plumber types.
Over in Black Mountain, a new music hall has opened up. White Horse Black Mountain promises to bring top-notch musical acts to Black Mountain’s musical map, which was forever changed when the Grey Eagle moved out and came to Asheville 10 years ago.
The joint opened on Saturday with Larry Keel playing. Did anybody attend? How did the opening go? It sounds like it could be a great new place to hear and see live music. Will it be on par with, say, the Orange Peel? Only time will tell, but one of the owners of White Horse has serious connections to the music industry.
9 Comments
Beacon Pub is for sure my new hang-out. I am home grown in swannanoa and have wanted a local ‘Cheers’ type place for years. thanks for the Pisgah Porter! I love this bar!
Well, its Swannanoa and NOT Ashevegas for a reason. We wear camo and we’re country. We are Joe the Plumber types. Cheers to that!
You asked about White Horse – wow!
article about White Horse Black Mountain, written by Crystal Bray
Dec. 20 – Multi-Band Winter Solstice Celebration & DVD recording! : Kellin Watson, Fox Watson (with members of Donna the Buffalo and the Duhks), Woody Wood & Hollywood Red, Velvet Truckstop ( w/ Sons of Ralph), and The Artemis Pyle Band!
Advance tix: $12 • Day of show: $15, 8 pm show
White Horse Rocks Black Mountain
The newest live music venue in Black Mountain has been ringing in their first holiday season in festive style, with a series of great shows that have put the venue on the radar of music lovers from here to Brevard. Their latest concert offering was no exception. On Saturday, December 20th, music lovers from all over WNC descended upon Black Mountain to attend the Winter Solstice Celebration at White Horse Black Mountain. The roster boasted a slew of talent, both local and visiting. Thankfully, the spacious venue (300+ capacity) was able to comfortably accommodate the huge crowd, and it was standing room only from the opening strum until the last chord rang out (I have it on good authority that the place was so packed that they were forced to turn people away at the door. I’m glad I showed up early).
The appreciative and varied crowd arrived ready to have some holiday fun, and the performers did not disappoint. Talented father and daughter, Fox and Kellin Watson, kicked off the night with a wonderful band of friends. Their upbeat, down-home, zydeco-tinged sound got the crowd moving and set the bar high for the rest of the evening’s talent. If there’s any fairness in the world, it should be only a matter of time before Kellin’s is a household name.
Precedent set, Woody Wood & Hollywood Red took the stage and wasted no time, diving into a rocking set that further ignited the growing audience. Dancers hit the floor and shook their stuff, while friends gathered at cozy tables to listen, talk and laugh and onlookers stood with smiles, tapping their toes, sipping their brews and soaking up the good vibes. Local favorites Sons of Ralph took the stage with Velvet Truckstop and hit the crowd with a rockabilly monsoon, and Artemis Pyle Band cranked out the tunes until the wee hours. It was a holiday feast of music, and the crowd gorged.
If you missed out on this musical celebration, then keep your eyes peeled for the DVD recording of the evening and be sure to add White Horse Black Mountain to your short list of places to go to check out great live music. They’ve got a list of upcoming events that you won’t want to miss! Even on a regular night, this is a nice place to hang out and grab a draft beer. The staff is friendly and there’s plenty of room to spread out and soak up the low-key, small town vibes of Black Mountain. If you call BMT home, then you’ve got a great new local hangout to include in your weekend outings, and if you don’t, it’s worth the drive to find a new “Cheers” (you know: the kind of place where everybody knows your name…). Clearly, White Horse Black Mountain has been discovered and embraced by the music lovers of Western North Carolina. Here’s hoping they keep up the good work and continue to support the local musicians that make this area a Mecca for creative talent!
http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com
I too like this pub, although I could do without the TV’s. I find that when a bar doesn’t have TV’s people tend to talk to each other more, Easier to meet people.
The place looks great, the music has been fantastic.
Jealous that I don’t own it!
I don’t care what the article has to say about being a working man’s bar or the Joe plumber type. Last time I checked we were in the south, camouflage hats come with the territory. This pub is awesome. I like the plasma TV’s everywhere. What bar doesn’t have TV’s? The bartender is hot!!! That is the main reason I go there. Just to get a look at that!! Swanna-nowhere needed this bar. Who cares that the kitchen is not up and running until March…they have FREE pretzels and chips & salsa to snack on. Who doesn’t like going to a place with FREE snacks, FREE live music and Nintendo Wii? What bar even comes close to a comparison? None…I think this pub ROCKS!!!!
I agree with Michelle this is what swannanoa needed great young owners with great Ideas. Can’t wait for the darts to show up. come here me sing Friday at karaoke that will be funny. Thanks Beacon Pub
Your Customer,
Jennifer
Ingles is building the warehouse in Black Mountain. It’s under construction. The old Beacon site is up for sale. Again. We’ll see how that goes…
great, Michelle! thanks for the update!
I went to the Beacon Pub and had a great time with my girlfriends. The place was really cool and had the nicest bathrooms of any bar around the Asheville area. The music was fun and they had my favorite local beers. It is definitely a cool place to hang. The people were nice and seemed to be having a lot of fun. Both bartenders male and female were hot which is always a plus. Trying Karaoke on Friday at the Beacon…