Venue Name: Salvage Station
City: Asheville
State/Province: NC
Street Address: 466 Riverside Drive
Neighborhood: River Arts District

Website: https://www.salvagestation.com/
Phone Number: 828-407-0521

Box Office Hours/Location: Open during regular business hours

Public Transit Nearby: None, unfortunately

Ticketing: Eventbrite

Year Opened: 2016

Brief History:  Opened in 2016, this venue occupies a space nestled between the French Broad River and US Routes 19, 23, and 70.  It is a sprawling property peppered with reclaimed relics gathered from the area’s rich history of antiques, forestry, and trade along the river and via the Norfolk Southern railroad. 

Genre(s)/Musical Niche: Jam band, rock, funk

# of Stages/Performance Spaces: 2 – one indoor (year-round) and one oudoor (summer)

Capacity: 2500

# of Levels: 1

Seating: Plentiful seating at bars, benches and picnic tables around the property

Standing Room/GA:  Every event is General Admission standing.

Floorplan: There are several buildings that make up the Salvage Station, including the main venue/bar building (where indoor shows are held) whose bar can be accessed from the interior as well as from the outside patio.  Flanking the patio is a food stand to the north and the PBR beer bar to the west, which serves only beer and is in fact shaped like a lopsided can of the famous Wisconsin-based brewery.  There are more buildings to the north along the edge of the parking area used for administrative purposes, as well as others during larger outdoor shows.  In between everything are smaller alcohol and food stands and plentiful open tracts of grass.

Accessibility/ADA Info: Venue itself is accessible, though some limitations may apply for outdoor shows.  Contact the venue for more details.

Onsite Medical: Not for regular hours, but perhaps for larger outdoor concerts.

Indoor/Outdoor: Both

Open Season: Year-round

Age Restriction: All ages, kid friendly

Average Ticket Price: $20-40

Frequency of Shows: Live music almost nightly, ticketed shows every week or so (more frequent in the summer

Sound System/Acoustic Quality: Acoustics are debatable due to the concrete/metal nature of the indoor space

Notable View Obstruction(s)/Prime Viewing Areas: During indoor shows, best to watch from the bar, either inside the venue or on the outdoor side facing in (basically a giant window with bar service)

Aesthetic/Style (Architecture, Atmosphere, Décor): Junkyard-chic

Average Temperature: Perfect, especially during summer nights.

Average Hours Open (Doors to Curfew): Mon/Tues/Thurs 4pm-12am, Fri 4pm-2am, Sat 12pm-2am, Sun 12pm-12am

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

# of Bars: 3

     Avg. Drink Price: $8

     Last Call: Half hour before closing

Food For Sale: Yes, BBQ/southern

     Avg. Food Price: $10

Water Fountains/Coolers/Refill Stations: Several very large water coolers with multiple spigots

Dress Code: Casual

Coat Check: N/A, coat rack near entrance

Smoking Area: Outdoors

Restrooms - Quantity & Quality: Only one restroom for each (M/W) for indoor shows (inside; small yet clean), more so for outdoors (portable)

Credit Cards Accepted: Yes

Phone Payments: No

Wi-Fi: Yes

ATM Onsite: Yes

Merchandise: Venue merchandise is always available.  Artist merchandise is sometimes available.

VIP/Upgrades Available: Depends on the show, see website/Eventbrite for details

Lounge Area: Basically the whole place is one giant indoor/outdoor lounge

Available For Private Events: Yes

Parking: Free large on-site parking lot

Security Check (1-10; 1 being lowest, 10 being extreme): Depends on the night.  I’ve experienced probably a 5 at the highest, though I’ve read it can get pretty extreme on weekends/for larger events

Metal Detectors: No

Bags Allowed: Yes (small)

Restricted Items:  No outside food or beverages, no pets (service animals only), no bare feet, no unsupervised children, no fireworks or weapons.

Other Amenities/Activities: Lawn games galore! Cornhole, giant connect 4, etc.  Also just a lot of space outside to explore or just to stretch out and chill.

Recurring Events: Trivia every Tuesday

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

• New Belgium Brewing Company – The famous Fort Collins brewery – known for its Fat Tire beer – set up their east coast headquarters in Asheville just a few years ago. Come here for riverside samples of their many many beers – some of which cannot be found in stores – as well as New Belgium merch and the culinary offerings of whichever food truck (or trucks) have set up shop in their parking lot that day.  Self-guided tours are also on the menu, as well as tours with actual guides in case you want that extra personal touch. 21 Craven St. Open Daily 11am-8pm
• White Duck Taco Shop – Asheville’s famed taco shop – winner of the Best of WNC award for best tacos a seemingly countless number of times – has three locations, and this one is perhaps the farthest off the beaten path. But that says nothing for its delicious offerings served street-meat style with all the fixins.  Great service, appropriate pricing and its proximity to the Salvage Station make this a great stop before hitting the lawn over at SS. 388 Riverside Dr. Open Daily 11:30am-9pm
• Burger Bar – Beers and board games are the main draw for this neighborhood hole in the wall watering hole. Stop in and pet the dogs while sipping on a cold brew or stay a while and play some Parcheesi with some new friends.  Pizza available sometimes, good times available always…especially when its karaoke night.  1 Craven St.  Open daily 3pm-2am.

 

Notes/Insights/Opinions/Tips:

            Great place to spend some time with the family, with friends old and new, or just a solo sunny afternoon.  Plenty of space to kick back and relax, though be sure to leave your furry friends at home (unless they are certified service animals), as they have a no-budge policy on their no pets policy.  Indoor shows are relaxed and easy to see, outdoor shows are a bit more intense when it comes to security and other regulations.  Get some snacks, explore the grounds, groove to the tunes, and drink all the delicious varieties of beer that they offer.