There is a growing trend in Dalton that has everyone whistling while they work. It is the Dalton live music scene, and it is hot, hot, hot right now. The trend started a few years back, when the Downtown Dalton Summer Music Series first started in 2016. Four months of live music every Friday night brought the community downtown, and it has grown tremendously since it began. With the opening of several live music venues downtown, the music scene has exploded, and Dalton boasts numerous live music events almost every day of the week. Dalton may be the Carpet Capital of the World, but if this trend continues, we could be called the Live Music Capital of the World.
No matter what kind of music you are into, there is usually live music performing somewhere in Dalton that is right up your alley. With eight live music venues around town, and the soon to be Burr Park Amphitheater, you are sure to find something that you like. “That is the beauty of the trend,” said Anthony Luke, Marketing Manager for the Dalton Visitors Bureau. “It is not limited to one or two genres; there’s Country, Blues, Gospel, Rock-n-Roll, Hip Hop, Jazz, Heavy Metal, Reggae, and sometimes a mixture of all of these, which is popularly called Americana.” With so many genres of music to choose from, there is literally something for everyone, and a reason to get out on the weekend and take in some live music.
There are roughly eight live music venues around town and most feature live music every weekend in some form or fashion. That is more than any other smaller town in the North Georgia region. They are; The Blues Street Café, Creative Arts Guild, Cherokee Brewing & Pizza Company, Conductors Bar and Grill, Crescent City Tavern, Hamilton’s Food & Spirits Pizzeria, Planet of the Grapes, and The Oyster Pub. In addition, other venues have come on the scene since 2016. The Downtown Dalton Music Series begins in June of each year and lasts until September. As stated above, this is four months of Live Music every Friday night. Last year’s Music Series was a huge success with bands such as Blackbird Revival, The Dead Trees, Ginny and the Tonics, and Zion performing. Now, with the building of Burr Performing Arts Park, which will be centrally located downtown, more and more live music events will take place in Dalton; perhaps even some big names. Burr Park is set to open at the end of May, just in time for the Dalton Music Series.
Numerous bands and performers have come out of the region over the past several years. Most remain in the area, 
and have large local followings. Others have made a name for themselves elsewhere, but come back from time to time to rock their hometown. “It’s interesting to see how much local talent Dalton and the surrounding areas have.” Said Amanda Brown, Executive Director of the Creative Arts Guild in Dalton. “There are just so many good musicians in this region.” Charlsey Etheridge is one such talented musician. Etheridge, who is originally from Dalton moved to Nashville to pursue a career. After performing on the Nashville circuit for a while, she came back to her hometown, and now serves as the Concert Director for the Creative Arts Guild. “The Appalachian region has deep musical roots,” said Etheridge, “some of the best musicians have come from this area. I imagine that is why we see such a large talent pool here.”
The live music trend in Dalton is just beginning. More and more people are getting out and enjoying the live performances. Having many different kinds of music genres, numerous live music event venues, and a large pool of talent in this area to choose from, expect the live music scene to continue to explode. Watch out Nashville, Dalton is on the rise. If you would like more information on live music events and venues, check out www.DaltonEvents.com.