Great local places to enjoy the sounds of (live) music

In the past 15 years, Charlotte has gone from a town with a handful of music venues to a city with a pulsating live music scene that offers something for virtually everyone - from intimate theaters and noisy clubs to arenas and amphitheaters.

Here are eight of our favorite places to enjoy live music:

Symphony Park at SouthPark (4400 Sharon Road): Hidden behind South Park Mall, this outdoor amphitheatre is set on a pond and features an island stage for performers and a pretty greenspace for spectators.

Best known as the home to Charlotte Symphony's Summer Pops series, the setting is perfect for festivals of many kinds. For example, AWOL - an all-day benefit featuring rock, hip-hop and electronic acts - brought a party atmosphere to its inaugural concert in April 2010; October's Latin American Festival, which features well-known Spanish-language acts, is fit for families seeking a multicultural experience.

The Milestone (3400 Tuckaseegee Road): The caliber of acts that have passed through the 42-year-old venue's nearly-hanging-off-the-hinges doors is more than a little impressive: the Go-Go's, Nirvana, R.E.M., Black Flag, Flaming Lips, the Bangles and the Replacements, to name a few. Since its revitalization in 2004, the Milestone has continued that tradition by welcoming rising cutting-edge artists. Even after the hefty makeover, it's still a rickety, graffiti-covered West Side legend.

Visulite Theatre (1615 Elizabeth Ave.): Once an art-house movie theater (in the '60s and '70s), this 400-plus capacity Elizabeth club has retained a classic feel, with loose red velvet curtains, candlelit pub tables and an ornate backdrop framing the stage. Patrons have watched artists like singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson or YouTube sensation OK Go from three levels: nestled near the bar, relaxing at a stage level table or hanging on every word in the pit.

Knight Theater (430 S. Tryon St.): Uptown's newest addition is flanked by the mirrored Firebird statue and shares its lobby with the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Although not as ornate as the larger Belk Theater, the Knight is aurally and architecturally captivating.

It's still finding its niche stylistically - having hosted everything from actor-turned-bluegrass musician Steve Martin to jazz darling Esperanza Spalding - but the Americana of Neko Case and Gillian Welch have gone over beautifully there.

Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre (1000 Seaboard St.): A neighbor to its Live Nation-operated cousin The Fillmore, the outdoor amphitheatre is big (capacity: 5,000) but still manages to keep even those on the lawn close to the national acts that perform here. Parking, access, and ticket lines aren't nearly as much of a hassle as they are at larger venues. Plus, the peaks of the Charlotte skyline make a scenic backdrop and give the proceedings a big-city feel.

Coyote Joe's (4621 Wilkinson Blvd.): This massive country bar only books a handful of national acts each month, but offers a chance to see fast-rising stars before they hit the arena circuit. Miranda Lambert, the Dixie Chicks and Dierks Bentley all played here.

On lower-key nights, house band Out of the Blue plays country, '80s, and classic rock covers, and there are copious opportunities to show off your line-dancing skills. Oh, and there's a mechanical bull ready to be tamed in the corner.

Evening Muse (3227 N. Davidson St.): Nestled between galleries, bars and vintage shops in North Davidson's arts district, this longtime fixture feels like a coffee house. But the caliber of talent on its stage is usually much more impressive than you'd find at an average open mic.

Although it occasionally dips into hip-hop, soul and jazz, the space best serves folk singer-songwriters. Veteran artists, second-generation songwriters and buzz acts including Kim Richey, William Fitzsimmons, Michael Penn, and Alice Smith have all graced the stage.

Snug Harbor (1228 Gordon St.): Like a hipster "Cheers," this Plaza-Midwood spot is the place where local musicians, DJs, and tattoo artists know your name. Its clientele, nautical décor, and dim lighting create a sort of dive-bar atmosphere, while local artists play everything from country and rockabilly to metal.