Calendar

February 2012

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  OUTRAGED! presents ... DJ HEAVYGRINDER and TOTAL RECALL with special guests DJ FWB and DOUBLE STANDARD, SCARLETT and TONYK
  
  Today, 9:00pm
  
  America's No. 1 female DJ headlines bass, dub, electro party
  
  DJ Heavygrinder makes her return to Greenville with an exclusive bass music set. A native of Seattle, Heavygrinder currently lives in LA, where she is a full-time professional celebrity DJ. The accomplished … (click for more information) 24-year-old model and performer has toured Spain, China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico and performed at notable clubs such as Century Club, Avalon, Sunset Room and more. Dubbed the “No. 1 female DJ in America” (DreadMusicReview), Heavygrinder has released five top Beatport Singles, including the hit, “Bass Is My Boyfriend,” and her fans now number more than 1 million on social networks. Total Recall joins the bill as they pierce the dubstep sphere. Their machine-gun bass and power-drill journey is winning the attention major DJs and producers. Also on the bill: One of the Carolinas’ top female DJs, DJ Scarlett, kicks out breakbeat, electro, dubstep and hip-hop. The night’s filled out with Karma and Outraged.
  
  Links: Heavygrinder on Facebook, Total Recall on Facebook, FWB on Facebook, DJ Skarlett
  
  $8 in advance; $12 day of show ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 2/6
  
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  Bad Blood Productions presents: HENRY'S RIFLE and SLAUGHTERHOUSE CHORUS
  
  Monday, February 06, 2012, 5:00pm
  
  Imports from New York's Upstate bring punk, Americana, country, blues
  
  Henry’s Rifle is one guy from Albany, NY, who performs like several guys. He plays folk, country and blues the way the old troubadours used to play it, traveling all over the place and jamming on banjo, … (click for more information) guitar, stomp box and granddad’s harmonica, the while singing about the Devil, rain, hard work and other woes – the kind of music that has always made American music the best in the world. Slaughterhouse Chorus, .another Upstate band – yes, Upstate New York – plays punk the way you’d think you’d hear it here in this Upstate. The power trio rocks out on dueling guitars, drums and the occasional Dobro, not the customary instrument you’d see in a punk-rock outfit. And their songs speak to God and country, to peas and beans, to guns and cattle and to having a stompin’ good time. As always, click on the links below to listen to some great, fresh, new music, the c’mon out and see some killer imports from the Empire State.
  
  Links: Henry's Rifle, Slaughterhouse Chorus
  
  $5 - in the bar
- 2/6
  
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  GREENVILLE TRACK CLUB MEETING
  
  Monday, February 06, 2012, 6:30pm
  
  Join other runners and walkers (or those simply interested in being part of a healthy lifestyle) to discuss a variety of topics and enjoy each other’s fellowship! The Greenville Track Club, established … (click for more information) in 1972, includes athletes of every ability level and age group, from casual walkers to premier runners and track & field athletes. The common thread among the membership is a desire to stay fit and informed.
  
  Links: Greenville Track Club
- 2/8
  
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  SIX MILE SONIC, with HANNAH BAKER, ANNIE ELIE and FREE! In the bar!
  
  Wednesday, February 08, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  Major showcase highlights some of the Upstate's most accomplished musicians
  
  Six Mile Sonic includes some of the best musicians in the Upstate, and here’s something you’d know only if you’ve been with The Handlebar for 15 years. Back then, one of the members, the incredibly talented … (click for more information) Evan Dehner joined bluesman Keb’ Mo’ on stage for one of the most remarkable encores in our history. Kathy Kelley, Glenn Cannon, Jeff Barrett and Patrick Riley. Expect to be so thoroughly blown away – by a show that’s FREE. But that’s not all. Hannah Baker, Annie Elie and Lisa Stubbs all bring their passion and talent and creative spins on new and traditional pop, folk and rock – and even French pop. In other words, where else could you find such a filling multicourse meal that showcases the Upstate’s tasty musical offerings – at no cost. Don’t miss this one, folks, because you’ll see just what The Handlebar and Greenville’s music scene is all about.
  
  Links: Six Mile Sonic, Hannah Baker, Annie Elie, Lisa Stubbs
  
  FREE - in the bar!
- 2/9
  
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  Stoney Creek Recording artists PARMALEE with special guests The Swinging Richards, Big Blue Planet & TDK
  
  Thursday, February 09, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Longtime favorites rockin' country now with new record label, and 'Musta Had A Good Time'
  
  It’s been a long, hard, dusty, even dangerous road for Parmalee. Now they’ve signed a record deal, sharing a label with country hitmakers Thompson Square and Randy Houser. The story begins in 2001, when … (click for more information) the foursome started making music in a small barn. They took their name from their North Carolina hometown and created soaring dual-guitar riffs, sky-high harmonies and catchy, anthemic, fist-raising songs, including “Carolina,” “Gasoline,” “Complicated” and “San Diego.” The band was as close as it gets to national success. Then tragedy struck. In 2010, drummer Scott Thomas was shot and nearly killed in a failed robbery attempt in Rock Hill. But fans, family and band mates - his brother, Matt; Josh McSwain; and Barry Knox, the brothers’ cousin – knew that better things would come. Scott not only survived, but the band thrived. Now they’re set to release major-label material; you can download “Musta Had A Good Time” from the link below. Welcome back, boys. Y’all have earned it.
  
  Links: Parmalee, Stoney Creek Records
  
  $6 in advance / $8 day of show ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 2/10
  
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  CHRIS DUARTE GROUP ... presented by Compass of Carolina's 15th Annual CHASE AWAY THE BLUES
  
  Friday, February 10, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Fiery guitar shredder showcases new CD, world-class chops
  
  "Loud, tough, raw, raging - the real deal. The rafters are probably still shakin’." Yup, that Los Angeles Times concert review sums up the blues-rock guitar shredder, whose brand-new CD, Blues in the … (click for more information) Afterburner, is winning global acclaim. "This man sure can play the guitar," says a British critic (uberrock.com), hailing his talent as "virtuoso blues guitar-playing in the mold of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robin Trower, Eric Clapton and even Jimi Hendeix." Heady stuff. But so are Chris’ fiery chops, honed in the Austin blues scene and now showcased on his 11th album. With new material and the same intense passion, Chris returns to headline the first night of our biggest annual blues festival. Compass of Carolina has been providing community-service programs for more than a hundred years. The 15th edition of Chase Away The Blues promises to be the best yet, complete with a barbecue buffet (included in the ticket price) and brimming with blues, rock and a huge crowd.
  
  Links: Chris Duarte Group, Compass of Carolina
  
  $20 per night (Proceeds benefit Compass of Carolina) BBQ buffet at 7 p.m. Music starts at 8 p.m.
- 2/11
  
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  WILL HOGE ... presented by Compass of Carolina's 15th Annual CHASE AWAY THE BLUES
  
  Saturday, February 11, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Nashville songwriting rocker wallops with new CD
  
  Will Hoge’s new release, Number Seven, might very well be the Nashville rocker’s Lucky No. 7. Will emerged from a near-fatal traffic wreck a few years ago to create this "downright fantastic collection … (click for more information) of songs that is as good as anything you’ll hear coming out of Nashville, Los Angeles or New York," says Roughstock, a decade-old site dedicated to Americana and country. Though his sound evokes Neil Young, Tom Petty, The Band and Bruce Springsteen, his music "never, ever feels like Will Hoge is copying or trying to be them," Roughstock says. Will has toured relentlessly, sharing stages with everyone from Edwin McCain and ZZ Top to Lisa Loeb and Jason Isbell. Will’s appearance at Chase Away the Blues (a departure from the traditional blues format of the annual fundraiser) will leave you thinkin’ you’re at a rock ’n’ roll tent revival. Come early for the barbecue (included in your ticket), stay to rock.
  
  Links: Will Hoge, Compass of Carolina
  
  $20 per night (Proceeds benefit Compass of Carolina) BBQ buffet at 7 p.m. Music starts at 8 p.m.
- 2/13
  
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  Bad Blood Production presents ... SCISSORMEN with special guests Blackfoot Gypsies
  
  Monday, February 13, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Guess what we found on Scissormen’s website? A quote from legendary blues guitarist Bob Margolin: “Scissormen stand proudly with one foot in the tradition of raw Mississippi Blues and one foot in the … (click for more information) edgy passions of today’s challenging world. Their originality and style are delivered forcefully with just slide guitar, drums, and singing from a soulful heart and thoughtful mind.” Wow ... that says it all from one who knows ...
  
  Links: Bad Blood Production online, Scissormen online, Scissormen on Facebook
  
  $5 in the bar
- 2/16
  
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  SOL DRIVEN TRAIN
  
  Thursday, February 16, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  Charleston's swampy, island-drenched, horn-dabbed jam band finally arrives
  
  The five members of Charleston’s Sol Driven Train, who play more than a 150 shows a year, is now garnering major national and regional love. Relix magazine gave them a shout out in January, and the band’s … (click for more information) practically been living on WNCW, where their album, Believe, placed No. 22 in the Top 100 CDs of 2010. They’ve shared bills with everyone from Keller Williams and Arlo Guthrie to Blueground Undergrass and Blues Traveler. Most recently, they released an acclaimed EP, Watermelon and a live DVD, and they’re working on a CD due this year. SDT rollicks with “Allmanesque Southern rock, languid world beat, swampy funk and downright catchy melodies as they swap lead singers and instruments. A punchy horn section adds an extra dimension of sweaty soul to the genre-blurring jam party” (Atlanta Creative Loafing). Sounds like a big ol’ hot mess o’ fun.
  
  Links: Sol Driven Train, Sol Driven Train on Facebook
  
  $14 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 2/17
  
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  THE BLUE DOGS with special guests CROWFIELD
  
  Friday, February 17, 2012, 9:00pm
  
  Best of the Carolinas together in one toe-tapping party
  
  Sometimes, 1 + 1 really does equal 3. Or even 4. In this irresistible bill, the Carolinas’ favorite roots-rockers, the Blue Dogs, and one of the South’s most talented - and underrated - acoustic-pop-rock … (click for more information) bands, Crowfield, create one of the best, toe-tapping nights of live-music you can get. The Blue Dogs have more than paid their dues, from drenching frat parties with their good-time Americana to packing clubs throughout the Southeast. And Crowfield, featuring the liquid-silver vocals of Tyler Mechem, is a band that should’ve hit stardom. Crowfield has a new CD and a new fire. Charleston Scene, reviewing the CD, says: “The entire band once again sounds amazing, producing a sound that would make even a few more established veterans green with envy.” So, yes, between these two great bands - one veteran fan-pleasers, the other feel-good newer-comers -- you have a concert event that adds up to two for the price of one.
  
  Links: The Blue Dogs online, Crowfield on Facebook
  
  $15 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 2/18
  
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  JAMES GREGORY ... Funniest man in America
  
  Saturday, February 18, 2012, 7:00pm
  
  Poltically incorrect comic back to light up your winter
  
  James Gregory is the funniest man in America. That’s because he tells it like it is, pulls no punches, tossing out brilliant observations on everyday life. He’s not politically correct. He’s loaded with … (click for more information) common sense. And his shows are refreshing and rare in their absence of vulgarity. That’s why he’s been a fixture on radio stations in 220 cities nationwide--John Boy & Billy, Bob & Tom and Rick & Bubba. Born in Lithonia, Ga., the rubber-faced funnyman has been a stand-up comic for 20 years. “His comedy act is fantastic,” says one critic, “with material related to rural Southern culture. His routine has a laid-back homey feel. You can’t forget him standing behind that microphone grinning: his shirt untucked, his arms outstretched, and a carefree welcome to a down-home, hilarious comedy experience. It’s life from the front porch.” C’mon in, sit right down--and laugh ’til your gut hurts.
  
  Links: James Gregory
  
  $27 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at the door under age 21) (under age 18 admitted only with a parent) ... NOTE early show time. Late show may be added
- 2/20
  
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  Bad Blood Productions presents ... MEGAN JEAN AND THE KFB with special guests THE JINGLE THUMPAJUNKS
  
  Monday, February 20, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Hard-touring, foot-stompin’, guitar beatin, upright lickin, washboard scratchin,’ banjo pickin’ madness with a voice like you ain’t heard before. Charleston-based duo Megan Jean & the KFB arrange a demented … (click for more information) blend of gypsy, circus, Americana and avant-garde that has been simultaneously freaking out and wowing audiences across the country. Megan Jean has played many a Monday night. Don’t miss her this time. Megan Jean & The KFB have one album, "Dead Woman Walkin."
  
  Links: Bad Blood Productions on Facebook, Megan Jean online
  
  $5 in the bar
- 2/23
  
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  CAMP OPPORTUNITY'S 6th ANNUAL ADULT SPELLING BEE
  
  Thursday, February 23, 2012, 6:00pm
  
  H-Y-S-T-E-R-I-C-A-L fun gets you buzzing with laughter - for great cause
  
  How do you S-P-E-L-L fun? Camp Opportunity, a Greenville County organization that helps kids who have suffered from abuse and neglect and gives them a chance to attend a week of summer camp, is abuzz … (click for more information) with its annual Adult Spelling Bee. This bee’s going to bee bigger and better, with new, surprise elements – and the same laughs that hit you in the gut when you realize that, no, not a lot of us are much smarter than a fifth-grader – at least, where spelling’s concerned. All proceeds benefit Camp Opportunity and the hilarity’s definitely worth the price of admission. You can make or join a team or you can join the fun as a S-P-E-C-T-A-T-O-R, and just show up to watch; you’ve NEVER seen entertainment like this before – kind of like karaoke with vowels. And all for a great cause. Call 416-7986 for details, and click on the links below to get more information.
  
  Links: Camp Opportunity on Facebook, Camp Opportunity Online
- 2/25
  
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  MOON TAXI and THE APACHE RELAY
  
  Saturday, February 25, 2012, 9:00pm
  
  Openers for Matisyahu and G. Love join forces in roots, jam, indie
  
  We love it when 1 + 1 = 3. Or 4. Or . . . And that’s what’s going on with a co-bill featuring Moon Taxi, who opened here for Matisyahu, and The Apache Relay, who opened a Handlebar show for G. Love. The … (click for more information) two make a show that’s way more two onetime opening bands – you get bands clearly stepping up to their own spotlights. Moon Taxi just released Cabaret, an album that reviewers hail as a key to the music kingdom. “Moon Taxi is a band that can really craft a song . . . it’s not much of a stretch to think these guys could blow up and enjoy popular critical success in 2012. Meantime, The Apache Relay has released American Nomad, a CD that Indie Shuffle calls an “excellent effort form a musically skilled group,” with a sound that evokes Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper and even Springsteen – real roots, real rock. So – add the two together and that’s one heckuva lot more than just a single fun night of great music. Sounds like a good math.
  
  Links: Moon Taxi, The Apache Relay
  
  $11 (incl sales tax and music-licensing fees) (Add $2 at door under age 21)
- 2/27
  
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  Bad Blood Productions presents ... LETTERS TO ABIGAIL with special guest MARK WEBB
  
  Monday, February 27, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  The acoustic duo, Letters to Abigail, is comprised of James Harrell, songwriter, acoustic guitarist and vocalist, and Kelli Redmond, vocalist and songwriter. Their simple Southern style is original and … (click for more information) drenched in powerful lyrics, acoustic melodies and soulful harmonies. Their lyrics draw listeners down a road of lost loves, the uncomplicated gratification of food, echoing basic human needs. Meanwhile, Spartanburg’s Marc Higgins will be performing solo. A seasoned songwriter, Marc Higgins shows depth and diversity using tasteful guitar licks, raw harmonica melody and alluring lyrics. Greenville singer/songwriter Mark Webb has brought his Americana and his band to open for ZOSO: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience and for Corey Crowder, as well as Bad Blood Productions events.
  
  Links: Letters to Abigail, Mark Webb, Bad Blood Productions
  
  $5 - in the bar
- 2/29
  
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  THE LEMONHEADS ... It's A Shame About Ray - played in its entirety; with special guest MEREDITH SHELDON
  
  Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  Evan Dando's reunited trio returns with signature punk/pop/rock
  
  Post-grunge hardcore punk rockers. Teen heartthrobs. Media sensations-turned cult icons. That’s the Lemonheads. When their 1992 album, It’s A Shame About Ray, was released, it sure didn’t feel like a … (click for more information) landmark. But, then, neither did Nirvana’s Nevermind. And what Ray did during its slow rise to popularity was prove that grunge wasn’t the only way out for those disgusted with pop radio pablum. There was still a place for Smithereens-style guitar rock with unabashedly catchy melodies, playful lyrics and big choruses, and Head Lemonhead Evan Dando proved that repeatedly, first with the ‘heads revved-up cover of “Mrs. Robinson,” then with the title track to Ray, then with the Juliana-Hatfield-sweetened “My Drug Buddy.” After a hiatus, Dando has reactivated the Lemonheads to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this hard-pop classic by playing the whole album, in order, live!
  
  Links: The Lemonheads, THE SHINING TWINS
  
  $15 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
March 2012

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PDF Calendar (901 KB) Updated 1/2/2012

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- 3/1
  
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  DEADFIELDS and SOULFEATHERS Deadfields celebrate CD release
  
  Thursday, March 01, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  Tight and tasty Americana/bluegrass feels similar to Belleville Outfit, Zac Brown Band
  
  Something special’s going on with The Deadfields, and they’re celebrating the release of their CD, “Dance In The Sun,” to prove it. Here’s the thing about the Atlanta quintet: Remember the Belleville … (click for more information) Outfit, the phenomenal Spartanburg band? Well, The Deadfields pick up where Belleville left off. At the same time, they’ve got the harmonies and super-tight talent that’ll make you think of the Zac Brown Band. Their addictive Americana/bluegrass feels as polished as any band that has been together a decade, with slick guitar and banjo pickin’, a smooth and confident backbeat and effortless harmonies. They’ve opened here for Carolyn Wonderland, the blues-rock phenom, and wowed everyone. They “have something going on for them that is a breath of fresh air,” says Backstage Beat. Opening act Soulfeathers deliver organic roots-rock, too, with some blues, jazz, funk and soul thrown in. For fans of bluegrass and acoustic pop or just fans of great music, this one’s a delightful show.
  
  Links: Check out The Deadfields on Facebook, The Deadfields, Soulfeathers
  
  $8 ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 3/2
  
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  FRONTIERS - THE JOURNEY TRIBUTE
  
  Friday, March 02, 2012, 9:00pm
  
  Don't Stop Believin' . . . band reinvigorates, revitalizes your favorite hits
  
  Along with ZOSO: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute Band -- Frontiers - A Tribute To Journey has become one of the few tribute bands that continue to perform here ... and they’re amazingly popular. That’s … (click for more information) because Jeremey Hunsicker sounds so much like Steve Perry that he almost got the former Journey lead singer’s job. From Cleveland’s House of Blues to a jam-packed Amos’ Southend to the slammed and nationally renowned Rams Head Live in Baltimore, Frontiers brings to life the multiplatinum rock band that spawned such hits as "Don’t Stop Believin’," "Open Arms" and "Separate Ways." The REAL Journey actually courted Hunsicker to replace their departed vocalist and, while that didn’t pan out, Frontiers reinvigorates the mega-hitmakers. Backed by veteran musicians who effortlessly pull off Journey’s technical prowess, Hunsicker and Co. provide an unforgettable evening of unforgettable songs.
  
  Links: Frontiers - The Journey Tribute, Frontiers on Facebook
  
  $14 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 3/5
  
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  Bad Blood Productions presents ... TEX RAILERS DOOMTOWN
  
  Monday, March 05, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Since the release of their first full length, The Battle of Bunker Hillbilly, Tex Railer’s Doomtown has become a high octane touring act, hitting just about everywhere on the East Coast with plans to … (click for more information) bring their heavy honky-tonkin’ sound to the west coast and back. Combining outlaw country, surf, roots, and good ol’ rock n’ roll, Tex Railer’s Doomtown has played Heavy Rebel Weekender, the Psychobilly Luau and other festivals on the east coast, as well as tours with Al & the Black Cats and Sasquatch & the Sick-a-Billy’s.
  
  Links: Bad Blood Productions on Facebook, Tex Railer's Doomtown on Facebook, Tex Railer Doomtown online
  
  $5 - in the bar
- 3/8
  
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  THE DIRTY GUV'NAHS with special guests Mountain Homes
  
  Thursday, March 08, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  Knoxville's "best band" slings soul-filled booze-rock
  
  From humble beginnings, The Dirty Guv’nahs are now kicking butt. The Knoxville, Tenn., band -- voted best local band three years’ running -- is barnstorming the country, leaving armies of new fans in … (click for more information) their wake. Here’s a review from a New York blogger (freakoutmusic.com), who watched the band win over a chill New York crowd: Typically a New York crowd is very chill and almost too cool to dance. That’s what the show started out like, but the Dirty Guv’nahs weren’t going to have that . . . (They) are a force to be reckoned with and if they keep it up, they just might be playing in Madison Square Garden one day.” Riding high on their 2010 album, Youth Is In Our Blood, produced at Levon Helms’ studio, the boys “sling out boozy, bluesy Southern rock with plenty of soul, chops and a rugged commitment to prove themselves at every show.” That’s why they get invited to play Belle Chere, Fall For Greenville and major venues where they keep winning more and more fans.
  
  Links: The Dirty Guv'nahs, Tune into Guv'nahs on Facebook, Mountain Homes on Facebook
  
  $11 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 3/9
  
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  LARRY KEEL & NATURAL BRIDGE with special guests PACKWAY HANDLE BAND
  
  Friday, March 09, 2012, 9:00pm
  
  Monster flat-picker and untamable band unleash fiery set of bluegrass, jam, reggae and more
  
  Bluegrass guitar god Tony Rice says he’s good. Appalachian legend Norman Blake says he’s good. And Mouslike magazine calls Larry Keel a force of nature. “Larry’s flat-picking style is as seamless as it … (click for more information) is gymnastic, and he’s a master at simulating banjo rolls, mandolin runs or even parts that you would normally hear played on a fiddle.” Sure, lots of bands these days are blowing up bluegrass into a mish-mash of acoustic mayhem: from the Avetts to the Bela Fleck. Larry’s among them, too, but the lightning-fast picker with the gravelly voice and monster band still honors them that brung him: Bill, Doc and the rest. NPR says he and Natural Bridge play a “fiery set” that includes country, jam rock, roots reggae and even a little indie-alt, while the Pour House in Raleigh puts it this way: “Larry is untamed and untamable. The mission is always clear: to let technical skill, honest emotion and fearlessness connect the playing and singing to audiences, to entertain and to thoroughly enjoy.”
  
  Links: Larry Keel, Larry Keel on Facebook, Packway Handle Band
  
  $13 (incl sales tax and music-licensing fees) (Add $2 at door under age 21)
- 3/10
  
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  Palmetto Drum Co.'s Psychedelic Series presents: FILLMORE BROTHERS
  
  Saturday, March 10, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Upstate's monster group pays tribute to Allmans' classic Eat A Peach
  
  Round up some of the Upstate’s best old-school blues and rock stalwarts, unleash them to play the Allman Bros. and what do you get? A bushel full of tasty, ripe Southern favorites. These days, it seems … (click for more information) like we’re in all some big upheaval, Occupy This and revolution that. Well, things weren’t so different back when the Allmans were recording “Eat A Peach.” In fact, the album’s title came from something Duane said before he was killed in a motorcycle accident: “There ain’t no revolution, it’s evolution, but every time I’m in Georgia, I eat a peach for peace.” And evolution brings us to the Fillmore Bros., paying tribute to the classic album released forty years ago Feb. 12. The power lineup features all of True Blues, plus J. Michael King (of Jelly Roll Antennae); Patrick Purnell (of Electric City Blues Band); Wolfman Grant; and Palmetto Drum Co.’s Freddie Wooten. If you caught their tribute to the Allmans’ legendary Fillmore show, you know the treat that’s in store here.
  
  Links: True Blues, Palmetto Drum Co.
  
  $10 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent) Note Early Show Time!
- 3/14
  
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  BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS with special guest VAN GHOST
  
  Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  ... Enduring rock-blues heroes FINALLY arrive in Upstate
  
  Arguably the most asked-for band since The Handlebar opened in 1994, Big Head Todd & The Monsters take music fans back to the days when rock ‘n’ roll was sublime and blues was morphing into jam. The Colorado … (click for more information) mainstays have been playing together for 25 years, long enough to amass a generous fanbase and long enough to carve their place in America’s rock-blues pantheon. Virtuoso guitar stylist Todd Mohr fires off a marathon of “techno-delta” that one critic calls “tasty, delicious ear candy.” The band has pretty much lived on the Billboard charts since their 1989 debut, Midnight Radio, and their 1993 release, Sister Sweetly, went platinum, spawning three rock-charting singles, Bittersweet, Brokenhearted Savior, and Circle. But it’s the band’s rootsy, interactive, visceral live shows, sprinkled with tasty covers of the Stones’ Beast of Burden and Robert Johnson gems, that have secured BHT&TM’s place in American music.
  
  Links: Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Fan Club Tickets Available NOW!, Van Ghost
  
  $25 in advance / $27 day of show (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 3/15
  
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  THE DEVIL MAKES THREE with special guest PHILLIP ROEBUCK
  
  Thursday, March 15, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  Trio infuses bluegrass, ragtime and jug-band with blues, country and punk
  
  Some of the best things in life come in threes – ZZ Top; Rush; The Police. “For a three-piece ensemble,” the Salt Lake Tribune says, “The Devil Makes Three packs a lot of music into a 90-minute set. . … (click for more information) . . Each of the band’s honkin’-and-tonkin’ punkabilly pieces is infused with a throbbing, driven urgency.” And the Upstate flocks to that brand of acoustic-overdrive energy that you also get from the Avetts, Old Crow Medicine Show and Nickel Creek. The New England trio is “kind of a strange band,” says Allmusic.com. “The group is deeply rooted in the blues and country music, while enthusiastically incorporating elements of bluegrass, ragtime and jug-band traditions, as well. But the group also makes no bones about its punk rock influences.” Add all that to the rowdiness they instill in fans, and you’ve got their fifth album, Stomp and Smash. Recorded at a California club, the disc “makes me want to go see them live,” says a Popmusic critic, “which, I think, is exactly the point.”
  
  Links: The Devil Makes Three, The Devil Makes Three on Facebook, Phillip Roebuck, Phillip Roebuck on Facebook
  
  $15 advance / $17 Day of Show (incl sales tax and music-licensing fees) (Add $2 at door under age 21) (See our Age Policy)
- 3/19
  
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  BAD BLOOD PRODUCTIONS presents ... CLETUS GOT SHOT
  
  Monday, March 19, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Cletus Got Shot has bypassed rock for country, favoring a string-band approach to explore a kitchen sink of influences. The band is reminiscent of the Avett Brothers, but it’s not just the sweet harmonies, … (click for more information) unusual subject matter or boisterous twang that wins the day for Cletus. It’s also their high-spirited swagger. The Fayetteville, Arkansas, quartet is supporting its self-titled debut, which bubbles with energy and smarts, ranging from backwoods swing to rocket-fueled bluegrass. - We stole all that from the Kansas City Pitch because we couldn’t say it any better.
  
  Links: Bad Blood Productions on Facebook, Cletus Got Shot online
  
  $5 in the bar
- 3/21
  
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  THOMAS DOLBY - The Time Capsule Tour with special guests AARON JONAH LEWIS and BEN BELCHER
  
  Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  British synth-pop pioneer - 'She Blinded Me With Science' - releases first new CD in 20 years
  
  Thomas Dolby is waaay more than his monster hit, “She Blinded Me With Science.” The artist who defined synth-pop with his 1983 smash, Dolby has released his first new album in 20 years--A Map Of The Floating … (click for more information) City. Enlisting the likes of Mark Knopfler and Regina Spektor, “Thomas Dolby emerges with what may be the album of his career,” says Pop Matters. Between then and now, the Briton has worked with George Clinton; been a lynchpin of the ringtone industry (yes, your cellphone’s ringtone); written a million-selling hit by the seminal rap group Whodini (you read that right); and has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Dusty Springfield and Stevie Wonder, among others. He also scored the classic trip-out computer graphics video, The Gate To The Mind’s Eye, and founded the software company, Headspace. A legend, sure, but an artist constantly reinventing his genius.
  
  Links: Thomas Dolby, Like and Listen to Thomas Dolby on Facebook, Aaron Jonah Lewis
  
  $17 in advance / $20 day of show (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 3/22
  
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  CHRIS THOMAS KING
  
  Thursday, March 22, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  Grammy-winning bluesman, film star returns with new box of old blues
  
  Chris Thomas King returns to The Handlebar after appearing here on the 10th anniversary of the blockbuster film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” in which he starred opposite George Clooney as the bluesman … (click for more information) who’d sold his soul to the Devil at the Crossroad. That show became fall’s sleeper hit, endearing Chris to fans familiar with his music and films and to longtime blues fans and to new fans who had never experienced the intimacy and magic of this multimedia performer. In addition to “O Brother,” Chris also has a recurring role in the hit HBO series, Treme, and he appeared in the Oscar-winning biopic, Ray, in which he scored some of the music with Ray Charles himself. The Grammy winner last year released his 15th album, Antebellum Postcards The international music blog, Israbox, called the album a “fine mixture of traditional and contemporary crossover” blues that showcases Chris’s “multi-instrumental skids and broad musical pallet.” Blues fans, unite. Chris is the real deal.
  
  Links: Chris Thomas King, Hear Chris on myspace
  
  $13 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 3/23
  
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  SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS with special guests Mad Tea
  
  Friday, March 23, 2012, 9:00pm
  
  Our favorite toe-suckin' surf-rockers bring new EP back home
  
  Let’s go to Australia circa 1998, shall we? That’s when North Carolina’s loveable trio of toe-suckin’, chicken-throwin’ surf-rockers, Southern Culture on the Skids, released “Zombified.” But! The adorably … (click for more information) trashy tribute to B-grade, low-budget horror movies of the ’60’s and ’70’s was released ONLY Down Under. Fortunately, SCOTS’ zany members realized that it was cruel to deny their home-turf fans. And what a treat, too. The fresh-fried EP unleashes scary-good tunes like “Swamp Thang” and “She’s My Witch,” along with five new songs. If it doesn’t send a chill down your spine to think about seeing bass-slingin’ Miss Mary Huff, the red-hot, chopped-and-channeled guitar of Rick Miller, and the stand-up drums of Dave Hartman paying homage to the creature-features of yore ... you might be … ZOMBIEFIED!
  
  Links: Southern Culture on the Skids, Like SCOTS on Facebook!, Mat Tea online
  
  $14 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)
- 3/26
  
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  Bad Blood Productions presents ... LETTERS TO ABIGAIL and MARK WEBB
  
  Monday, March 26, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  The Tarlatans are a folk/Americana outfit from Clemson, influenced by everyone from Johnny Cash to Jimmy Buffet to The Avett Brothers. Core members and writers are Ryan Williams and Taylor McCleskey. … (click for more information) Opening act Bradley Phillips hails from Clemson and wields a powerhouse-folk sound. And he’s got some fans, too. If everyone who Likes Bradley on his Facebook page, the place will be beyond packed. As always, click on the links below to check out some great Upstate offerings.
  
  Links: Bad Blood Productions on Facebook, The Tarlatans, Bradley Phillips
  
  $5 - in the bar
April 2012

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- 4/2
  
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  BAD BLOOD PRODUCTIONS presents ... CARRIE NATION & THE SPEAKEASY
  
  Monday, April 02, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Carrie Nation is a high-energy, acoustic brass ’n’ grass outfit out of Wichita, Kan. Described as a stagecoach in overdrive, the band has brought their eclectic blend of punk, bluegrass, dixieland and … (click for more information) circus tunes to packed bars, basements and festivals since 2007. With tunes that cover just about everything from drinkin’ and dyin’ to livin’ and lyin’, Carrie Nation fills the dance floor when their tunes are blazing fast -- and provokes existential introspection when their dark tunes are reminiscent of a New Orleans funeral march. Blaring trombones melt into break-neck banjo solos, while the stand-up bass churns out hard-driving rhythms that carry the force of a Kansas freight train.
  
  Links: Bad Blood Productions on Facebook, Carrie Nation online, Carrie Nation on Facebook
  
  $5 in the bar
- 4/9
  
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  Bad Blood Productions presents ... MOLLY GENE ONE WHOAMAN BAND
  
  Monday, April 09, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  If you’re from America’s Heartland and you play blues, you’d better be good at it, because that’s where the blues was born. And Missourian Molly Gene whose One Whoaman Band got what it takes. “For those … (click for more information) who like their whiskey straight and their blues deep and dirty,” says the Boston Blues Society, she’s “one not to be missed. . . . “moonshine-drenched and emotionally raw deep blues.” With guitar AND banjo, no less. A Kansas City blues society goes even further: “She is the real deal.” If you love American music, blues music, good music, straight whiskey, cold beer and good friends, Whoa . . . man. Molly Gene is the ($5) ticket. As always, click on any of the links below to get a taste of the ear-candy feast that awaits.
  
  Links: Bad Blood Productions online, Molly Gene One Whoaman Band, Molly Gene
  
  $5 - in the bar
- 4/25
  
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  IGOR & THE RED ELVISES with special guests PLEASURE CHEST
  
  Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  Your Favorite Band ignites our Spring Revolution
  
  Normally, we have the Elvises play our Listening Room in the winter, to warm up our not-quite-Siberian nights. But this time we’re having a spring revolution, and that’s no Bolshevik. Igor Yuzov and the … (click for more information) zany gang of sartorial and musical misfits will be bringing their Russian surf rock with a twist back to our stage as spring begins, and Trotsky-ing out your favorites, from the sacrelicious “Drinking With Jesus” to the out-of-this-world “Rocketman” to the broken-hearted conga-line that is “Sad Cowboy Song.” We’d wager a week’s rubles that there’s no better live band on Earth than Igor & Red Elvises. Incapable of a bad show, the Elvises will make you and your comrades swear allegiance to their rock revolution.
  
  Links: Red Elvises, Pleasure Chest
  
  $16 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21)
- 4/27
  
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  SPACE CAPONE
  
  Friday, April 27, 2012, 9:00pm
  
  Nashville's 'own personal Prince' cuts the cheese with disco, funk, R&B
  
  The best art defies anything that makes much sense; rock ‘n’ roll didn’t make much sense at the beginning, either. Then along Aaron Winters, a.k.a. Space Capone, and you’ve got this white guy who sounds … (click for more information) a little like Al Green or, as the Nashville Tennessean says, “the closest thing Music City has to its own personal Prince.” Space Capone and his zany band have taken to orbit, rocketing through a mashup of disco, funk and R&B, all loaded with double entendres and come-ons. Sure, Space Capone invites skeptics: “On paper, this sounds like a nightmare,” says Chicago’s leading music blog, Five Thirty Six. But the blog adds: “In real life, it’s a dream come true.” The same critic wrote: “Capone is refreshing, intelligent. The coordination feels natural, the joy feels genuine. It is literally impossible to not move at this show, and not just in an awkward ‘haven’t-chugged-enough-PBRs’ swaying motion, either.” Bring it.
  
  Links: Space Capone, Space Capone on Facebook
  
  $11 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21)
May 2012

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- 5/17
  
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  DAR WILLIAMS
  
  Thursday, May 17, 2012, 8:00pm
  
  Critically acclaimed performer returns with humble brilliance, new CD
  
  In the year before The Handlebar opened, Dar Williams released her debut album, The Honesty Room. In the 17 years since, the New York native has amassed one of the most compelling catalogs in American … (click for more information) folk music. Last year, her longtime record label -- Razor & Tie, home to such artists as Joan Baez, with whom Dar has performed -- released her ninth album, Many Great Companions. The Record Collector online site hails her “humble brilliance,” calling her a “lyricist of formidable articulacy and invention, with more than a passing debt to the verbal dexterity of Joni Mitchell.” Now, we hear that Dar soon will release another album. With laser-sharp smarts, keen insights, a crystal voice and a sharp sense of humor, Dar packs her songs with a reporter’s keen eye and a fiction writer’s feel for nuance; she tells stories you know, because you’ve lived them. And her charismatic stage presence creates an unmatched intimacy.
  
  Links: Dar Williams, Hear Dar on Facebook - and Like her, too
  
  $17 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent) Note early show time
June 2012

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- 6/5
  
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  TOWER OF POWER ... Get your tickets, like, NOW! They are selling fast
  
  Tuesday, June 05, 2012, 8:30pm
  
  America's biggest, baddest, most enduring funk machine returns
  
  Hear that bump? That’s the sound of “Bump City,” thumpin’ its way to The Handlebar for the biggest blowout of the summer -- the long-awaited return of one of the biggest and best bands to grace The Handlebar … (click for more information) stage ... Tower of Power. For more than 40 years, the horn-driven, road-chewing funk machine has earned what WE think should be a spot in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Plenty of bands came out of San Francisco’s Bay Area in the ‘60s, including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Santana and Journey, but which ones are still out there working? And ToP, which still features four original members among its 10-piece powerhouse, has recorded with everyone: Aerosmith, Elton John, Little Feat, Phish, Heart -- you name it. ToP’s musical DNA is everywhere. And this show will sell out faster than you can say “East Bay Grease.”
  
  Links: Tower of Power
  
  $36 (includes sales tax and music-licensing fees) ($2 extra at door under age 21) (under age 18 welcome only with a parent)

Calendar

February 2012

OUTRAGED! presents ... DJ HEAVYGRINDER and TOTAL RECALL with special guests DJ FWB and DOUBLE STANDARD, SCARLETT and TONYK

America's No. 1 female DJ headlines bass, dub, electro party

Bad Blood Productions presents: HENRY'S RIFLE and SLAUGHTERHOUSE CHORUS

Imports from New York's Upstate bring punk, Americana, country, blues

GREENVILLE TRACK CLUB MEETING

SIX MILE SONIC, with HANNAH BAKER, ANNIE ELIE and FREE! In the bar!

Major showcase highlights some of the Upstate's most accomplished musicians

Stoney Creek Recording artists PARMALEE with special guests The Swinging Richards, Big Blue Planet & TDK

Longtime favorites rockin' country now with new record label, and 'Musta Had A Good Time'

CHRIS DUARTE GROUP ... presented by Compass of Carolina's 15th Annual CHASE AWAY THE BLUES

Fiery guitar shredder showcases new CD, world-class chops

WILL HOGE ... presented by Compass of Carolina's 15th Annual CHASE AWAY THE BLUES

Nashville songwriting rocker wallops with new CD

Bad Blood Production presents ... SCISSORMEN with special guests Blackfoot Gypsies

SOL DRIVEN TRAIN

Charleston's swampy, island-drenched, horn-dabbed jam band finally arrives

THE BLUE DOGS with special guests CROWFIELD

Best of the Carolinas together in one toe-tapping party

JAMES GREGORY ... Funniest man in America

Poltically incorrect comic back to light up your winter

Bad Blood Productions presents ... MEGAN JEAN AND THE KFB with special guests THE JINGLE THUMPAJUNKS

CAMP OPPORTUNITY'S 6th ANNUAL ADULT SPELLING BEE

H-Y-S-T-E-R-I-C-A-L fun gets you buzzing with laughter - for great cause

MOON TAXI and THE APACHE RELAY

Openers for Matisyahu and G. Love join forces in roots, jam, indie

Bad Blood Productions presents ... LETTERS TO ABIGAIL with special guest MARK WEBB

THE LEMONHEADS ... It's A Shame About Ray - played in its entirety; with special guest MEREDITH SHELDON

Evan Dando's reunited trio returns with signature punk/pop/rock

March 2012

DEADFIELDS and SOULFEATHERS Deadfields celebrate CD release

Tight and tasty Americana/bluegrass feels similar to Belleville Outfit, Zac Brown Band

FRONTIERS - THE JOURNEY TRIBUTE

Don't Stop Believin' . . . band reinvigorates, revitalizes your favorite hits

Bad Blood Productions presents ... TEX RAILERS DOOMTOWN

THE DIRTY GUV'NAHS with special guests Mountain Homes

Knoxville's "best band" slings soul-filled booze-rock

LARRY KEEL & NATURAL BRIDGE with special guests PACKWAY HANDLE BAND

Monster flat-picker and untamable band unleash fiery set of bluegrass, jam, reggae and more

Palmetto Drum Co.'s Psychedelic Series presents: FILLMORE BROTHERS

Upstate's monster group pays tribute to Allmans' classic Eat A Peach

BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS with special guest VAN GHOST

... Enduring rock-blues heroes FINALLY arrive in Upstate

THE DEVIL MAKES THREE with special guest PHILLIP ROEBUCK

Trio infuses bluegrass, ragtime and jug-band with blues, country and punk

BAD BLOOD PRODUCTIONS presents ... CLETUS GOT SHOT

THOMAS DOLBY - The Time Capsule Tour with special guests AARON JONAH LEWIS and BEN BELCHER

British synth-pop pioneer - 'She Blinded Me With Science' - releases first new CD in 20 years

CHRIS THOMAS KING

Grammy-winning bluesman, film star returns with new box of old blues

SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS with special guests Mad Tea

Our favorite toe-suckin' surf-rockers bring new EP back home

Bad Blood Productions presents ... LETTERS TO ABIGAIL and MARK WEBB

April 2012

BAD BLOOD PRODUCTIONS presents ... CARRIE NATION & THE SPEAKEASY

Bad Blood Productions presents ... MOLLY GENE ONE WHOAMAN BAND

IGOR & THE RED ELVISES with special guests PLEASURE CHEST

Your Favorite Band ignites our Spring Revolution

SPACE CAPONE

Nashville's 'own personal Prince' cuts the cheese with disco, funk, R&B

May 2012

DAR WILLIAMS

Critically acclaimed performer returns with humble brilliance, new CD

June 2012

TOWER OF POWER ... Get your tickets, like, NOW! They are selling fast

America's biggest, baddest, most enduring funk machine returns