Why it matters
Haw River Ballroom makes the old mill part of the concert. Opened in 2011 in Saxapahaw's former Dye House, it spreads across three floors beside the river, with a deck and courtyard outside. Solar and geothermal systems sit behind the industrial setting. The room has hosted artists from Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings to Big Thief and Sylvan Esso, and the latter's WITH LOVE sessions give the building a recorded life as well as a touring one.