The Guide to Outside: Listen

The Avett Brothers
Morrison, CO

Sure you can see the Avett Brothers at a number of Southern locations during the summer, but we suggest you attend what will surely prove a memorable tour-closing stop at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 9. This open-air performance venue is surrounded by three-hundred-foot sandstone monoliths and sports a stunning view of Denver, which lies just twenty minutes east. Red Rocks is a singular live-music experience. theavettbrothers.com

Mountain Song Festival
Brevard, NC

A celebration of strings, the Mountain Song Festival (September 9–10) will play host to the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, and Tim O’Brien this year. A two-day family-friendly event, Mountain Song contributes a portion of its proceeds to the Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County. Meanwhile, the Whittington-Pfohl auditorium is a covered outdoor space, which means its 1,800 denizens needn’t worry about inclement weather. mountainsongfestival.com

Randy’s Pickin’ Parlor
Bloomingdale, GA

One of the country’s most gifted luthiers, Randy Wood has worked for everyone from Eric Clapton to Bill Monroe to Elvis. But after a stint in Nashville, he moved back to his native Georgia coast and opened Randy Wood’s Guitars, setting aside part of his shop as a small, hundred-seat venue for his friends to stop in and play on the way to their next gig. If you’re sitting in the front row, says Wood, “you can reach out and tune the musicians’ guitars for them.” Several shows are lined up for this summer, including the Boxcars, Jack Williams, and a performance by Ed Bruce, who wrote a string of chart toppers, including “Mommas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” Did we mention there’s even a barbecue joint on the premises? randywoodguitars.com