Female artist plays banjo on stage with two male musicians
Carolina Chocolate Drops, Biscuits + Banjos Festival

A Duet with Durham

Durham is a medium-sized city that has made outsized contributions to the musical life of North Carolina, the United States, and the world. Once an epicenter of the Piedmont blues, Durham’s record labels, rockers, funkers, and jazz musicians continue to reshape genres long after Blind Boy Fuller’s heyday.

Home to both Duke University and HBCU North Carolina Central University, Durham has long been a nexus for creative types, both homegrown and transplanted. The town’s musical range past and present will disabuse any cliches about Durham as some sleepy Southern town. Durham is a hospitable place for folks looking to stay creatively stimulated but not overwhelmed by an overcrowded metropolis.

From Donald Byrd to Branford Marsalis, Superchunk to Sylvan Esso, Betty Davis to Communicators and Black Experience Band, Durham not only sustains musical breadth, it also goes deep. Perhaps just behind ACC basketball in terms of interest, people take music seriously in the Bull City – it’s treated self-evidently as a vital part of the everyday life of the city, and it shows in its wide array of festivals, record stores, concert venues, bands, and labels.  

Suggested Music-Themed Day Trip Itinerary*

Morning

Throw on some local Durham radio in the car or on your headphones—WXDU 88.7 FM from Duke University or WNCU 90.7 FM from North Carolina Central University. Both stations welcome student and community DJ volunteers, offering exposure to new North Carolina music you won’t hear anywhere else.

In Durham, musical history can be found everywhere. On, say, Trinity Avenue, you can see the apartment where members of Blind Melon lived before recording No Rain. Nearby, the former home of Riot Grrl Kaia Wilson of Team Dresch/The Butchies—shared with artist Tammy Rae Carland while they ran Mr. Lady Records—adds another layer to the city's musical legacy.

For your morning destination, we recommend visiting artist Scott Nurkin’s mural of Betty Davis, part of the North Carolina Musicians Mural Trail. Though once written off as a footnote to ex-husband Miles Davis’s career, the Durham native is now rightly recognized for the bold, feminist funk records she made in the 1970s—Betty Davis (1973), They Say I’m Different (1974), and Nasty Gal (1975). Nurkin’s mural captures Davis in a characteristically flamboyant pose, reflecting her fearless approach to life.

Bonus: Just around the corner is a mural by graffiti artist JEKS featuring North Carolina rapper J. Cole.

Website and Address: Betty Davis Mural, 3806 University Dr, Durham, NC 27707

Midday & Afternoon

Durham has become a bustling food city—whether you're craving a specialty sandwich in East Durham, Vietnamese cuisine on Ninth Street, wood-fired pizza downtown, or classic bar fare in the DIY District, you'll find a fantastic spot to satisfy your hunger.

After lunch, take a stroll through the city’s vibrant musical past and present. On Main Street alone, you’ll find two record stores: Carolina Soul Records and Bull City Records. Also nearby are the jazz club Missy Lane’s Assembly Room, experimental music space The Fruit, and DIY, queer-owned/forward club The Pinhook. Just around the corner are the offices of long-running and influential indie rock label Merge Records.

Nearby, two iconic venues have hosted legendary shows for decades—the Carolina Theatre and the Durham Armory. The ballroom of the Armory served as inspiration for The Sugar Shack, the famous artwork by Durham-raised visual artist Ernie Barnes used for the album cover for Marvin Gaye’s I Want You (1976).

Websites and Addresses:

Evening

What’s a music lover to do with their night in Durham? Go to a show, of course! Your options are plentiful.

  • For jazz: Missy Lane’s Assembly Room has you covered.
  • For rising talent: Motorco has hosted artists on the brink of superstardom—Mk.gee just played there before blowing up.
  • For experimental and DIY shows: Check out The Pinhook, The Fruit, or Shadowbox Studios.
  • For a student-run indie scene: Duke Coffeehouse has transformed over the years but remains a beloved venue since its indie rock heyday in the 1990s.
  • For major tours and musicals: On any given night, both the Durham Performing Arts Center or the Carolina Theatre will have marquee acts on the stage.

Websites and Addresses:

Music

*There are many wonderful things to see and do in and around Durham; this is simply a sample. When you visit, tag us from where you are so we can share what you found in Durham! @ComeHearNC

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