Venue Name: U.S. Cellular Center
City: Asheville
State/Province: NC
Street Address: 87 Haywood St
Neighborhood: Downtown

Website: https://www.uscellularcenterasheville.com/
Phone Number: (828) 259-5743

Box Office Hours: MON-FRI - Event Days: 10:00 AM until 30 minutes after event start or 5:00 PM, whichever is later / Non Event Days: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; SAT & SUN – Event Days: 3:00pm until 30 minutes after event start / Non Event Days: Closed

Public Transit Nearby: ART (Bus) - N & N3 to US Cellular Center/Haywood St

Ticketing: Ticketmaster

Year Opened: 1975

Brief History: 

Genre(s)/Musical Niche: Theatre, Rock, Soul, Hip-Hop, Country

# of Stages/Performance Spaces: 2 - ExploreAsheville.com Arena, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Capacity: 7700 (ExploreAsheville.com Arena), 2400 (Thomas Wolfe Auditorium)

# of Levels: 2

Seating: EAA: 100/200 levels located on the balcony are always seated, arena floor is sometimes seated; TWA: All seated.

Standing Room/GA:  EAA: Arena floor is usually GA, balcony seats are sometimes GA as well; TWA: no GA.

Floorplan: Upper levels are constructed of sloped rows of seats separated by aisles of stairs.  Bottom floor is tiered into four levels that descend towards the stage.

Accessibility/ADA: 100% accessible (including chair lift in the orchestra), special tickets can be acquired via Ticketmaster or the box office.

Onsite Medical: No

Indoor/Outdoor?: Indoor

Open Season: Open Year-Round

Age Restriction: All Ages (events may change policy at their discretion)

Average Ticket Price: $35-40

Frequency of Shows: Every few weeks

Sound System/Acoustic Quality: EAA: SoundCraft Console/Electro Voice VF Speakers, Acoustics not optimal due to shape and space; TWA: SoundCraft mixer/Frazier & JBL speakers, acoustics are wonderful.

Notable View Obstruction(s): EAA: Only obstruction is the sound booth in the rear of the arena floor, but even during a sold out show there is more than enough room to not feel forced to stand there (though the sound is great there)

Aesthetic/Style (Architecture, Atmosphere, Décor): Art Deco with inspiration derived from Middle Eastern/Indian styles.

Average Temperature: A little warm in the arena, chilly in the auditorium

Average Hours Open (Doors to Curfew): 7pm - 11:30pm

Usual Time Headliners Go On (on average): 9:30

# of Bars: Numerous, at least ten are open for arena events (less so for Thomas Wolfe)

     Avg. Drink Price: $8

     Last Call: 11pm

*Food For Sale: Yes - concessions located throughout

     Avg. Food Price: $7

Water Fountains/Coolers/Refill Stations: Yes (fountains)

Dress Code: Casual

Coat Check: Only for select events / seasonal

Smoking Area: Smoking patio on the bottom floor

*Restrooms - Quantity & Quality: Mens and womens restrooms on both floors, clean and spacious and numerous

Credit Cards Accepted: Yes

Phone Payments: No

Wi-Fi: No

ATM Onsite: Yes

Merchandise: Artist merchandise is usually available.

VIP/Upgrades Available: Yes (including occasional meet & greets)

Lounge Area: Seating located throughout the concourse

Available For Private Events? Yes

Parking: Street parking, garages nearby

Security Check (1-10, 1 being lowest, 10 being extreme): 7

Metal Detectors?: No

Bags Allowed?: Yes (no large backpacks) 12"  by 12" maximum

Restricted Items:  Weapons of any kind, including guns, knives, pepper spray/mace, flares, and fireworks; Drugs and other illegal substances; outside food and beverage, including cans, bottles, flasks, and coolers; video or audio recording devices; laptops/computers; noise making devices (i.e. air horns, drums, whistles, etc.); Flashlights, laser pointers, and other distracting light-producing objects; Unapproved promotional pamphlets and/or product samples; Wheeled conveyances other than wheelchairs and strollers (i.e. skateboards, rollerblades, bicycles, etc.); strollers are not permitted in seating areas; Signs, banners, posters, flags, etc. may not be larger than 11”x17” and may not be attached to a stick; these items also may not be hung or attached to any part of the building, display obscene/offensive language and/or images, or obstruct the view of other guests; chairs, umbrellas, two-way radios, beach balls, balloons, permanent markers, and spray paint

Other Amenities/Activities: Not much in the "activity" department, but the center also features a 25000 sq foot exhibition hall, a banquet hall, and numerous meeting rooms./breakout rooms.

Favorite Nearby Spots (food, drinks, shopping, lodging, etc.):

• Zambra - Asheville is a city that has warmly embraced the tenacious trend of tapas and small plates, as is evident with the booming popularity of places like Curaté and En La Calle thrusting them to the top of several "Best of" lists.  And while both of those options are great - as is the brilliant twist on tapas, Red Ginger, right down the road on Patton Ave - the tucked away Zambra is literally right around the corner from the USCC and is a nice escape from the lengthy wait times and tourist population that can dominate the more popular eateries.  Zambra has a gorgeous interior, friendly and knowledgable bar and waitstaff, and a wine list that would make any Europhile blush.  Plus their small plates are perfect to share as a group or as a decent pre-show snack at the bar if you're flying solo for the evening.  Open Mon-Fri 5:30pm-9:30pm
  
• Hemingway's Cuba - For some people who live in or visit Asheville, being just shy of a half mile above sea level just isn't quite high enough: they need another forty feet or so to really appreciate the mountain lifestyle.  And as luck would have it, many of these people have a strong inkling for frozen fruit-laced libations when taking in gorgeous panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  What an interesting combination of very specific desires, one might say... Ok, so maybe that was some wild speculation, but it sounds pretty great doesn't it?  Daiquiris on the roof at sunset?  I'm in!  Throw in a couple of tapas and a Cuban sandwich or some pork sliders and you'll be chachacha-ing down the road to the USCC with lifted spirits and happy tummies. 15 Page Ave, 4th Floor at the Cambria Hotel. Open Mon-Thurs 4:30pm-10pm, Fri 4:30pm-11pm, Sat 3:30pm-11pm, Sun 3:30pm-9pm.  Also open for breakfast/brunch daily.
• Moog Music Factory - Right down the hill and under the bridge is a must-see for every music lover (and chances are you can identify as such, seeing as you are headed to a live music event): a legacy left behind by a legend that changed the world of music forever. Robert Moog is credited as the inventor of the synthesizer, and over most of his life not only developed the original groundwork but revolutionized its technology many times over, transforming a unit from a massive, closet-sized behemoth of a machine to the more portable models that range in size from that of a suitcase all the way down to the famed "key-tar."  The factory itself is located in Asheville, and welcomes visitors daily to shop, take a tour of the facility (where they still make every single Moog synthesizer by hand), and play around with a dozen or so current models of synthesizers that are available for purchase...all for free! (Unless, of course, you buy something).  The staff will even help coach you if you have absolutely no idea what you're doing, and they are super nice about it.  This is a daytime place though, so plan accordingly. 160 Broadway St. Call 828-239-0123 to reserve a spot on their free tour that happens Mon-Fri at 10:30am & 3:30pm.  Moog Store is open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 12pm-5pm, closed Sundays.
• Static Age Records - This trifecta of a bar, music venue, and record shop is literally a music lover's dream come true.  The modest space offers a ton of used vinyl for very fair prices, local Asheville beers by the bottle and can, and a pocket-sized performance space in the rear that hosts all sorts of local and travelling artists.  Its hours are odd and unpredictable (I've gone by there at 4pm and its closed and driven by at 1130 and its open), but if you can catch it, take a seat at the bar, have a brew and strike up a conversation with the first person wearing a shirt with a band you've heard of (which, depending on the person - or night - could take a looooong time). 110 N Lexington Ave.  Open daily from 12pm-7pm (or so they say).

Notes/Insights/Opinions/Tips:

Just a couple of things to remember if seeing a show here:

• There are more than one stage here, so be sure you know which one your event is at (although I don't believe the two ever overlap)
• Security can be kind of a hassle and sticklers about the size of your bag.
• If you bring a camera to a non-camera friendly show, or any professional equipment (detachable lenses, etc.), they will NOT hold it for you during they event.  They WILL send you back to your vehicle/hotel room/yurt/etc/.
• If going to the arena, be prepared to make some sacrifices when it comes to the acoustical quality of the show (at the Thomas Wolfe, it is just the opposite).
• Events adhere to a strict NO RE-ENTRY policy, meaning once you're out, you're out.  So pay attention to the signage and dont accidentally run out the front door to get your nicotine fix - they have designated smoking areas within the concourse.
• The doors open one hour prior to posted showtime.
• If you want to drink alcohol, you will have to purchase a $2 wristband initially before buying any alcoholic beverages.
• The signs say that the workers don't get tipped, but they will accept them - so please, TIP YOUR BARTENDERS.
• Parking isn't awful but can get a bit hairy.  If you don't want to pay for it, be prepared to make a few loops through the neighborhood.

The US Cellular Center has been good to me the few times i have been there, dating all the way back to 2010 when I drove eleven hours from New Orleans just to see Sufjan Stevens in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.  It was one of the best concert experiences of my life, as was Moogfest 2012 two years later, also held here.  Part of the reason that this larger scale venue has been elevated from "tolerable" to "enjoyable" is mostly due to its dedicated and friendly staff, who give the place a small-venue feel in their attention to the patrons themselves.