The 5 best places to watch live music this summer

1. Fridays, May 8 - July 31: TGIF

MAY 8

Who plays: Sweet Revenge

What they play: Rock

MAY 15

Who plays: Continental Divide

What they play:Oldies, beach, Motown

MAY 22

Who plays: Delta Moon

What they play: Blues

MAY 29

Who plays:Geoff Achison and The Soul Diggers

What they play: Blues

JUNE 5
Who plays: Shaggie Maggie

What they play: Beach, R&B

JUNE 12

Who plays: Gwen Hughes and The Retro Jazz Kats

What they play: Jazz, swing, rock

JUNE 19

Who plays: Scott Davis Band

What they play: Country

JUNE 26

Who plays: Michelle Malone

What she plays: Southern rock, blues

JULY 10

Who plays: Big Daddy Love

What they play: Bluegrass, alternative country, rock

JULY 17

Who plays: Webb Wilder and The Beatnecks

What they play: Rockabilly, country, blues

JULY 24

Who plays: The Fab Beat Band

What they play: Beatles covers

JULY 31

Who plays: Mark Roberts and The Breeze

What they play: Beach

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Historic Burke County Courthouse, downtown Morganton

Cost: Free

Why you care: You won't find a better spot than the grassy courthouse lawn for live music on warm summer evenings.

2. June 5 - July 31: Hickory Alive

JUNE 5

Who plays: Diamond Back

What they play: Classic and Southern Rock

JUNE 12

Who plays: Baby Black

What they play: Funk, R&B and hip hop

JUNE 19

Who plays: Throwdown Jones

What they play: Rock

JUNE 26

Who plays: Chrome

What they play: Classic and Southern rock and alternative

JULY 3

Who plays: Social Contraband

What they play: Rock

JULY 10

Who plays:The Extraordinaires

What they play: Beach, R&B and rock classics

JULY 17

Who plays: the Logic

What they play: Rock, alternative and pop

July 24

Who plays: Johnny on the Spot

What they play: Rock and alternative

JULY 31

Who plays: The Newz

What they play: Rock, classic rock and alternative

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Union Square, downtown Hickory

Cost: Free

Why you care: You don't want to go home and sit around on Friday nights this spring and summer. Thanks to Hickory Alive, you don't have to.

3. July 1 - 4: Red, White & Bluegrass

Who's playing: Dailey and Vincent, The Grascals, IIIrd Tyme Out, Mountain Heart, Marty Raybon, Blue Highway, Cherryholmes, The Dan Tyminski Band and many more

What they're playing: All bluegrass, all the time

When: First band starts at noon and last band starts at 10

p.m. Wednesday, July 1 and Thursday, July 2. First band starts at 2 p.m. and last band starts at 10

p.m. Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4

Where: Catawba Meadows Park, 701 Sanford Drive, Morganton

Cost: $25 for all four days in advance and $40 at the gate. Daily admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Children 12 and younger get in free with one adult.

Why you care: The Red, White and Bluegrass Festival is family friendly in every aspect. There's no drinking, the singing is clean and the venue, near the Catawba River Greenway, can't be beat.

Fireworks wrap up the evening July 4.

4. Sept. 4 - 6: Happy Valley Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention

Who's playing: It depends on who signs up to compete. One thing's for sure: Your toes will tap.

What they're playing: Old-time music, which isn't strictly bluegrass but bears a resemblance. For the competitions, you won't hear any electric instruments

Where: Jones Farm, northeast of Lenoir on N.C. 268

Cost: Free on Friday; $10 on Saturday and donations on Sunday

Why you care: This festival celebrates not only the music of the Yadkin River Valley but also

its legends, stories and traditions. Laura Foster is buried there. She's the woman who, legend has it, was killed by Tom Dooley, the Civil War veteran who inspired North Carolina's best-known murder ballad.

5. Whippoorwill MusicFest

When: Friday, Aug. 21, Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23

Where: Whippoorwill Farm, 6793 N.C. 126, Nebo (in Burke County)

Who plays: The headliner is yet to be determined but acts will include Blake Wise, Bill Reep, Bobby Denton, Renee Williams, Marlo Tackett, The Silver Travis Band, Wild Bill Emerson, Michelle Cupit, Juleigh Ed and more

Cost: Donate what you can

For more: 433-1234 or www.whippoorwillmusicfest.com