Across the state, the second half of July offers a packed lineup of live music. The legendary Bob Dylan, our nation’s poet laureate, joins country icon Willie Nelson to bring the Outlaw Music Festival to Charlotte and Raleigh with a rotating cast of standout performers. Ryan Adams, the often-controversial singer-songwriter and founder of Raleigh’s Whiskeytown, plays an intimate show in Charlotte. Les Claypool’s genre-defying trio, Primus, brings its eccentric blend of prog, thrash, metal and funk to stages in both Raleigh and Wilmington. And ‘80s pop queen Cyndi Lauper and rock legend Rod Stewart are also making stops.
One to watch is Asheville’s MJ Lenderman, a rising alt-rock voice gaining national attention. Pitchfork awarded his 2022 album “Boat Songs” its coveted “Best New Music” label, while Stereogum ran a feature under the headline “MJ Lenderman Is Knockin’ on Rock Stardom’s Door.”
Follow this map for the best and brightest in live music around the state for July.
Raleigh
July 22 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour
The pop icon bids farewell with a hit-packed celebration of her decades-spanning career.
July 23 – Red Hat Amphitheater
Primus – Onward & Upward Summer Tour
Les Claypool leads the band’s funky, bizarre rock show with virtuosic bass playing and surreal visuals.
Also making a stop in Wilmington on July 26 at Live Oak Bank Pavilion.
July 24 – Red Hat Amphitheater
Weird Al Yankovic
The comedy music veteran brings his witty parodies and accordion-powered energy to downtown Raleigh.
July 26 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Wiz Khalifa and Sean Paul
A star-studded showcase blending laid-back flows and lyrical firepower across generations.
July 27 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Outlaw Music Festival (Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and more)
A celebration of roots music featuring icons Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan alongside Americana stars.
July 29 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Mumford & Sons
The British folk-rock band brings stomping choruses and soaring singalongs to the Triangle.
Durham
July 19 – The Carolina Theater
The Wallflowers
A night of emotional rock anthems from a ’90s alt-rock favorite.
July 23 – Durham Performing Arts Center
MJ Lenderman and the Wind
July 29 – Durham Performing Arts Center
Foreigner
The classic rock hitmakers bring decades of arena anthems like “Cold as Ice” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
Carrboro
July 22 – Cat’s Cradle
Rose City Band
Led by Ripley Johnson, this cosmic country outfit delivers reverb-drenched pedal steel and mellow psych-folk vibes.
July 25 – Cat’s Cradle
MJ Lenderman and the Wind
Asheville’s rising indie star mixes fuzzy guitars, heartfelt songwriting and alt-country twang.
July 26 – Cat’s Cradle
Chuck Prophet and His Cumbria Shoes
The San Francisco rocker delivers tight, soulful Americana laced with wit and political edge.
Charlotte
July 23 – Knight Theatre (Editor’s Pick)
Ryan Adams
The prolific singer-songwriter from Jacksonville blends rock, country and folk.
July 25 – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
Goo Goo Dolls with Dashboard Confessional
July 29 – PNC Music Pavilion
Rod Stewart with Cheap Trick
The iconic singer delivers a night of hits with raspy vocals and timeless showmanship.
Wilmington
July 21 – Wilson Center, CFCC
Jason Isbell
The Grammy-winning Americana artist brings heartfelt storytelling and masterful guitar work to Wilmington.
July 22 – Wilson Center, CFCC
Todd Rundgren
The rock innovator and multi-instrumentalist delivers a genre-spanning set from his decades-long career.
July 26 – Live Oak Bank Pavilion
Primus
The trio returns with their genre-bending fusion of funk, prog and musical weirdness.
Asheville
July 17 – Asheville Yards
Greensky Bluegrass
The progressive string band blends traditional bluegrass with rock energy and jam-band improvisation.
July 19 – Hatch Amphitheater
Budos Band
Instrumental funk juggernaut mixes Afrobeat, soul and hard rock in a horn-heavy, danceable set.
July 24–26 – Harrah’s Cherokee Center
Widespread Panic
Southern jam legends return for a three-night run of improvisational grooves and deep catalog cuts.
July 29 – The Orange Peel
Silversun Pickups
The alt-rock veterans bring shoegaze textures, fuzzed-out riffs and moody anthems to Asheville’s iconic venue.
Beech Mountain
July 18–19 – Beech Mountain Resort
Party on the Mountain Weekend
Live music across several resort stages, including the outdoor main stage. Enjoy scenic lift rides, mountain biking, disc golf and local craft and food vendors.
· Friday: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit with Grace Bowers and the Hodge Podge
· Saturday: Lake Street Dive with the 502’s
· Additional Acts: Boy Named Banjo, Susto Stringband, Holler Choir, Ashes & Arrows, Adrien + Meredith, The Wilder Blue, John Stickley Trio, The Wildmans, If Birds Could Fly, Goldpine, Taylor Winchester, David LaMotte, Adam Bolt
