The Avett Brothers Return to Charlotte for Annual NYE Show
...with The Castellows & other special guests
Continuing their tradition of ringing in the new year with a concert held somewhere in their home state of North Carolina, a tradition that began at Neighborhood Theatre two decades ago, The Avett Brothers returned to Charlotte’s Bojangles Coliseum for the 2024-25 edition on Tuesday night.
The show was the third time the Concord-based band performed in Charlotte in the year, having also played the Lovin’ Life Music Fest in Uptown in April and the Concert for Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in October. The performance at the Bo-Round, however, centered the folk-rock outfit in all its glory.
The band has these shows down to a science, from the inclusion of Father Time before a performance of Auld Lang Syne to the showcasing of special guests — Mickey Raphael played harmonica, Adrian from the cast of Swept Away helped out on “Murder in the City,” father Jim Avett joined for “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” and even some puppets jumped onstage to jam — with a few choice covers sprinkled throughout and the dropping of countless balloons at midnight.
This year’s post-countdown cover song was Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” The encore kicked off with a cover of local music icon David Childers’ “The Prettiest Thing.”
If you missed any or all of the band’s homecoming performances in 2024, they’ll return to the Tar Heel State in 2025 with a headlining spot at Merlefest, held annually in April at Wilkes Community College.
The Avetts’ setlist always includes a blend of fan favorites, rarities and new songs. It’s listed below.
Setlist
Never Apart
Bleeding White
Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
February Seven
Orion’s Belt
Forever Now
Black Mountain Rag
Love of a Girl
Murder in the City
Take My Hand, Previous Lord
I Wish I Was
Hard Worker
November Blue
The Traveling Song
Distraction #74
Will You Return?
Laundry Room
Talk on Indolence
Cheap Coffee
I and Love and You
Country Kid
Live and Die
Morning Song
Auld Land Syne
Sweet Caroline
Ain’t No Man
Encore
The Prettiest Thing
No Hard Feelings
Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.
