Raleigh is getting a new live music venue. Here’s what to know about it
In his decades as a musician, James McMillian has played in a variety of bands — metal, blues, alternative and even a brief stint in Russian pop.
One constant throughout the years has been a struggle to find places to rehearse and perform.
In 2021, amid what his wife, Cassie Frye, called a “post-pandemic funk,” the couple asked themselves how they wanted to spend their time. Opening a music venue was the answer — a safe place, centrally located, where bands and musicians could practice and play to an audience.
“We’re just trying to cater to local bands who really don’t have a following yet, and just trying to get in front of a crowd, maybe for the first time,” McMillian told The News & Observer in an interview.
In coming months, McMillian and Frye plan to open their new business, Cannonball Music Hall, at Salvage Yard at Raleigh Iron Works. (An exact opening date has not been announced, as it depends on construction.)
The Raleigh development checked off several items on their wish list: It’s in Raleigh (but not downtown), has plenty of parking and is close to restaurants.
“We’re not planning on serving food, and we want to make sure that everybody can get what they need without having to go too far,” Frye said.
Here’s what to know about the venue.
What is Cannonball Music Hall?
Located in a 2,800-square-foot space at 2304 Atlantic Ave., next to Tilden Car Care Center, Cannonball features five rehearsal rooms of varying sizes and a performance space, complete with a stage and bar and room for about 140 people.
The practice spaces will be available for musicians to reserve and can accommodate different uses. Instructors could book a room for a private lesson in one of the smaller spaces, for example. But a band with multiple members could reserve one of the larger rooms for a month, allowing them to leave their equipment on site.
Cannonball may eventually provide equipment such as a drum kit for the rooms, but for now, the spaces just contain electrical outlets — and plenty of them.
Frye and McMillian are also looking into installing an access control system that would allow people who book a practice room to enter the venue as they please.
For the performance space, Cannonball’s owners hope to have some kind of event five days a week. Nightly shows will be scheduled for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while Sunday performances will be earlier in the day and “low key,” and Wednesday events will be more interactive — like a trivia night or live band karaoke.
“We want local music. We want to have local beer,” Frye said. “We just want this to be a local spot.”
Visitors can learn about upcoming shows on Cannonball’s website and social media pages and should expect to find many genres represented — jazz, folk and metal among them.
What else is planned for Raleigh Iron Works?
- Fare&Fellow, a local cafe with locations in Durham and Morrisville, is opening at Raleigh Iron Works near YoBa Studio and Solidcore.
- Noco Brews & Bites is expected to open this summer at Salvage Yard.
- St. Pierre Wine Bar, a new wine bar from the team behind Oakwood Pizza Box, is coming to the development this year.
- Mami Nora’s, the Peruvian chicken restaurant, is moving to Salvage Yard.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Raleigh is getting a new live music venue. Here’s what to know about it."
