We recently moved closer to Gastonia so we've been looking for places to kick back in the neighborhood. Zoe's fits the bill.
During the day, it's a pretty good coffee shop. You're not going to get third-wave coffee here - it's no Not Just Coffee or Amelie's - but it's a decent environment in which to work or hang out.
At night, they have live music on Wed, Fri, and Saturday. The Wednesday open mics are hit-or-miss... we've seen some decent performances there, but we've also heard improvised preaching and a couple of guys literally just blasting feedback with mics against speakers. It's no Neighborhood Theater but... well at least it's something.
If you're in Gastonia and don't feel like driving to Charlotte, there's basically not a better place to be.