THIS WEEK AT THE BOHEMIAN CAFE! Acclaimed North Carolina author Ron Rash returns to the Reading Room. His three poetry collections include: Eureka Mill, Among the Believers, and Raising the Dead. And his three collections of short stories are: The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth, Casualties, and Chemistry. He is also author of three novels, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, The World Made Straight, and one children’s book, The Shark’s Tooth. He is Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Studies at Western Carolina University. Phebe Davidson is the author of several published poetry collections, most recently the chapbooks Song Dog (Stepping Stones Press, 2006, winner of the SC Poetry Initiative Chapbook Competition), The Drowned Man (Finishing Line Press, 2006) and Twelve Leagues In (Spire Press, 2006, Editor’s Choice). Two full-length books of poems are forthcoming. She is a staff writer for The Asheville Poetry Review.

NO MORE TICKETS REMAIN ANYWHERE ... Deeply rooted in Southern culture and mythology, the Drive-By Truckers do what few have done before and none as convincingly: celebrate their Southern roots without succumbing to silly sloganeering and snotty criticism. The Truckers churn out increasingly satisfying records -- from 1999's Pizza Deliverance to their most recent, Brighter Than Creations Dark -- which earned 4 out of 5 stars from Rolling Stone. The band's near-operatic Southern rock incorporates ragged Neil Young-styled stompers, alt-country, Muscle Shoals soul and a dash of no-nonsense hard rock ... Then you have the live show: a fearless rock 'n' roll machine with three singers, three crankin' guitar players, three songwriters, all adding up to the tattered intensity of a tent revival. And band member Brad Morgan went to high school here, too!

Ex-SOiL vocalist Ryan McCombs reignites Texas modern rockers Drowning Pool as they unleash their third album, Drowning Pool, on the Eleven Seven Music/ADA label. The new album shows more maturity, more melodic and accessible than its predecessors, without sacrificing any of the power fans expect. The album includes the powerful song, "Enemy," one of the first written after McCombs left SOiL, which he fronted for seven years. Produced by Ben Schigel (Chimaira, Walls of Jericho), and a collaboration track with Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx and Beautiful Creatures’ Dj Ashba, Full Circle. “Bodies,” from their platinum-plus 2001 debut, Sinner, was featured on WWE; EA Sports’ Arena Football; and used by Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon and Houston Astros’ Brad Lidge in their walk from the bullpen. The band played for troops in Baghdad on the fifth anniversary of 9/11, and they've played in Kuwait and South Korea. An international band reborn for superstardom.

Higher Ground, the nation's most authentic Red Hot Chili Peppers, wraps up the Second Shot of WTPT 93.3 New Rock The Planet's Double Shot (after the previous night's monster-rock show with The Drowning). HG's lead singer and frontman Rick Argo has always been mistaken for the RHCP's Anthony Kiedis. After years of mistaken identy, Rick succumbed to his fate and he and drummer Cam launched the ultimate Chili Peppers tribute band. Higher Grounds' performance accurately recreates the sound, sight and energy of an actual RHCP concert. Crowd interaction is a vital part of the Higher Ground show and they strive to not only make the audience come alive, they require each and everyone in the room to become part of the experience. Higher Ground plays all the hits, past and present, spanning RHCP's 20-plus-year career. Whether you're a diehard fan or a newbie, you'll recognize ever song -- because every RHCP tune's a bonafide chart-topping hit!

Pat Green sells out stadiums -- the Houston Astrodome and Dallas' Smirnoff Center -- as well as major theaters. He's toured with Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and the Dave Matthews Band. And he's coming here, to celebrate the release of his CD, Cannonball, and play a little golf. The three-time Grammy nominee from San Antonio has played The Handlebar to a sold-out WSSL crowd, drenching the packed house with "Wave on Wave" of his Texas-sized honky-tonk sound. Cannonball, his explosive new album, captures Pat’s joyous, provocative songwriting style with new sharpness and swagger. On track, "Feels Like It Should," premiered on AOL Music First Listen, which has introduced singles by Kenny Chesney, Usher, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Christina Aguilera and Destiny’s Child.

Everyone knows that nothing beats the original recipe. So when Rev. Jeff Mosier stepped back onstage for the first time in six years with his original bandmates from Blueground Undergrass--loveably abbreviated as BGUG--he found the ingredients intact. The same lively near-moshable blend of bluegrass, Southern rock, jam and banjo-driven jazz that created a coast-to-coast buzz--the chemistry was all still there. Same with the band's sonic energy that rips from the stage. Now BGUG, originally cooked up in 1998, comes back for second helpings. And we can't wait to serve 'up up again for tasty helpings of GREAT music that always draws a wide spectrum of fans, from hippies to cloggers to rockers, from old-time Blueground fans to music aficianados who know what well-played music is all about.

More than 90 million albums sold. The entire world knows Ace Frehley. Bronx native Paul Daniel Frehley took to the guitar early. Soon after mastering his instrument, Frehley spotted an ad for a guitarist in the Village Voice, and the rest is KISS-story. During Ace’s tenure with the band, he racked up 12 gold and seven platinum albums in six years, including his 1978 self-titled solo debut, which was the best-selling of the four simultaneously released KISS solo albums. He also wrote or co-wrote KISS classics like, "Cold Gin," "Flaming Youth" and "Shock Me." Frehley went solo in the early ’80’s, piloting Frehley’s Comet through four successful albums before taking some time off in the 1990’s. Now, Ace is back and blazin’ – and this show will sell out FAST.

Greenville's Andy Lehman celebrates the release of his fine new album, Landline, whose 10 genre-busting cuts showcase his soaring vocals and passion for the kind of music you don't hear much anymore--carefully crafted pop tunes that you could only hear by the likes of Andy's influences: Billy Joel, James Taylor and The Beatles. Andy's got plenty of rock in him, too, including idol Butch Walker, Weezer, Counting Crows and, one of our favorites, The Goodies, whose unheralded major-domo genius Holiday Childress, produced Andy's record. At this show, Andy brings a full band to compliment the rock-alternative-indie sounds of The Working Title, the Charleston quintet that veers toward superstardom. With national distribution and a major national agency, the band has opened for Mute Math, Our Lady Peace, Switchfoot, mae and Counting Crows, among others.

When R-DUBB won The Handlebar leg of an International Music Festival sponsored by Anthem Entertainment, we were happy to offer these talented musicians a show of their own. R-Dubb is also showcasing his solo project, Bobby's World. Imagine a stripped-down take on Rehab, with slices of hip-hop, rap and Southern rock 'n' blues. Ok, fans, here's your chance to hear 'em again!

Three-time Grammy Award winner, including his latest Cost of Living album, and one of the most anticipated performers to grace The Handlebar, with his last show selling out weeks in advance, Delbert McClinton is a towering icon. Since the release of his 1975 solo debut, Victim of Life's Circumstances, McClinton firmly stamped his Fort Worth-bred blues, country and blue-eyed soul onto the pop-music landscape. A succession of influential and critically acclaimed albums followed, along with such coups as his appearance on "Saturday Night Live" – and a nod to Delbert's playbook from Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as The Blues Brothers. He scored hits like "Giving It Up For Your Love" and "Sandy Beaches”; won a Grammy with Bonnie Raitt for their "Good Man/Good Woman" duet; and his songs have been covered by Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Wynonna, Lee Roy Parnell, Martina McBride, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. True Delbert fans know the rest, and they're already lining up for tickets.

Why should you come out to see a Battle of the Bands? For the same reasons that America first caught on to American Idol (except that band battles aren't major-network karaoke). You never know when your favorite band, the guys you went to high school with, the girl next door, your boyfriend who's the drummer, may wind up opening for Aerosmith--or becoming the next Nine Inch Nails. In Gorilla Productions' Battle of the Bands Finals at The Handlebar, 10 area bands compete for a Grand Prize of $500, 20 hours of studio time at Sit 'n Spin Studios in Greenville, a headlining gig and submissions to four major record labels. Second prize is $100, plus submissions to the labels. So come out for a great time, support local bands and witness what could be the birth of the next superstar. The competitors are: Soulvine, Intonation X, Next Best Thing, Today We Escape, the roscoe, The Lionz Of Zion, Van Buren Boys, Richard Wooten, King Davids Knights and Stoned Alive.

From the soundtrack of the blues-drenched Black Snake Moan film to sold-out shows coast-to-coast with their searing brand of North Mississippi blues, the Allstars are hitting their stride in a big way. Now the band celebrates the release of their fifth studio record, Hernando, on the heels of their 2005 Grammy-nominated album, Electric Blue Watermelon. Dickinson brothers Luther (guitars, vocals) and Cody (drums) and bassist Chris Chew deliver maximum-energy blues rock. Already Rolling Stone gave the record 3 1/2 stars: "Cody Dickinson's thumping drums and his brother Luther's rusted slide guitar are as authentic as the juke joints where they studied under local gurus Othar Tuner and R.L. Burnside." The L.A. Times called the album "authentically ragged, raw and Dixie-fried."

One of our all-time favorite performers returns! If it’s hard being Fred Eaglesmith and playing almost 200 dates a year, it’s harder being a character in one of the brilliant Canadian songwriter’s songs. Fred’s songs are music videos (of words!) peopled with bare-knuckled farmers or kids in love, a blue-collared worker, a tired cowboy, heartbreakingly good women and beautifully bad ones, lonesome good guys and Friday-night criminals, train songs, gun songs, truck songs and love songs where the word “love” is never mentioned. Fred first played The Handlebar opening for Robert Earl Keen and has built his own following of dedicated Fredheads. Among other Fredheads are director Martin Scorsese, actor James Caan, the Cowboy Junkies, Chris Knight, Dar Williams and Kasey Chambers, all of whom have used Fred’s colorful and provocative alt-country tunes in their work.

"On a bad night they'll tear the roof off the joint, and on a good night they'll save your soul." So testifies Cake magazine of the New Orleans rock 'n' roll revival band called Cowboy Mouth. Performing more than 150 shows a year, releasing nearly a dozen records and featured on TV shows and radio stations everywhere, Cowboy Mouth has been seen and heard by millions of fans worldwide. For more than 15 years, Cowboy Mouth has embraced, embodied, preached and shouted at the top of their lungs, sharing a slice of Mardi Gras heaven with fans around the world. As frontman Fred LeBlanc says, "If The Neville Brothers and The Clash had a baby, it would be Cowboy Mouth." More than 8 million people have witnessed the force-of-nature live show that have left audiences drenched and spent. Now one of our favorite, liveliest, most robust bands returns for a massive Saturday night blast.

With this many people on stage, including a three-piece horn section, just about any band can generate enough energy to power a small city. Take that onstage population and add Afrobeat, led by band leader Kevin Meyame of the Ivory Coast, west Africa, and what you've got, basically, is Tower of Power gone world beat. Asheville's Afromotive escorts Afropop into the modern age and takes the dance floor with them. Fans are going crazy -- and the band's buzz is growing geometrically. Major performances have included Smilefest 2006, Lake Eden Arts Festival and such high profile opening slots as Spearhead, Cyro Baptista, the Chicago Afrobeat Project -- and a special guest appearance by Erykah Badu. No need for a passport for this show -- we're bringing the world to you -- but dancing gear will be required.

Lancaster, SC, native Don Dixon, leader of the early 1980s jangle-pop movement, spent 13 years with North Carolina cult heroes, Arrogance. In 1983, he found fame co-producing with Mitch Easter the R.E.M. landmark debut LP, Murmur. Then he spent several years producing the work of such artists as Chris Stamey (formerly of The dB's) and The Smithereens. Dixon then recorded his solo debut, Most of the Girls Like to Dance (But Only Some of the Boys Like To), showcasing classic pop melodies and Nick Lowe-inspired wordplay. He since has produced, written songs for and collaborated with the likes of James McMurtry, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mark Bryan, Kim Carnes, Joe Cocker, The Connells, Counting Crows, Marshall Crenshaw, Pat DiNizio, The Edison Project, Guadalcanal Diary, Hootie & the Blowfish, Moxy Fruvous, The Red Clay Ramblers, The Spongetones, Matthew Sweet and more. He's been in film, too, playing an alcoholic director in Todd Graff's 2003 film Camp.

Critics can't get enough of the heir to the blues-ax throne: Former Creem editor Jaan Uhelszki says, “New York guitar phenom walks tall in the blues tradition, jettisoning fiery riffs inspired by John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Elmore James and Albert Collins into the future with furious playing, a hard-rock sensibility and a grizzled voice that owes a debt to Gregg Allman." Ted Nugent says, "This kid deserves to be in the same class with Stevie Ray &@*#% Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck." Joe's graced the cover of Guitar Player mag, named Best Blues Guitarist of the Year (by everyone), and producer Kevin Shirley (Joe Satriani, Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) produced his latest CD, Sloe Gin. All of his albums have hit No. 1 or went to Top 10 on the blues charts. NPR host George Graham says, “Almost four decades ago, British rockers who played bluesy guitar became heroes … people like Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Bonamassa is in every way their equal."

GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY! Every time ZOSO plays The Handlebar, the nation's best carbon-copy tribute to Led Zeppelin sells out. That's because ZOSO delivers the very finest rendition of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Bonham since the death of Zep's drummer. ZOSO's show astonishes critics who trashed the original band's metal genius, which has now become a mythological juggernaut. Led by lead singer Matt Jernigan who nails Plant to a T, the California band, formed in 1995, plays some 200 dates a year, mostly to sold-out crowds of old fans and college kids alike. And they all get a Whole Lotta Love. And more. With 40 songs and every move and technical aspect down to perfection, ZOSO is as close to The Hammer of the Gods as you're going to get. Opener Jamie McLean of Dirty Dozen Brass Band fame has rocked with everyone from Govt Mule to Dr. John.

How long will it be before the unassuming 28-year-old Staten Island singer-songwriter takes over the world? On Tax Day, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She's helping sell a ton of tickets on the Hotel Cafe Tour juggernaut, and speaking of juggernauts, she's going on tour this summer with the Dave Matthews Band. She's been featured in The New York Times and on the cover of the music industry's major trade magazines--all because she has this Regina Spektor/Lisa Loeb hooky-catchy sound that's visceral, upbeat and stays with you long after she gives you her songs as if you're the only one in the room. And Ingrid returns to The Handlebar after helping Matt Nathanson nearly sell out the place in her first performance here. Get your tickets soon, because this once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a superstar-in-the-making doesn't happen often (and when it does, we love to be part of the show!).

Since his first album with the seminal cosmic-country rock band, Green On Red, in 1982, the perpetually young Californian has been one of the country's least heralded guitar players and songwriters. After leaving Green On Red – The New York Times called them "one of the best bands in the United States for almost an entire decade" – Chuck went on to make a serious mark in American music. As an Artist with a capital A, he has helped produce or played on albums with Warron Zevon, Cake, Kelly Willis, Kim Richey, The Silos and many others. His latest release, Soap & Water -- his most brilliant project to date -- Chuck shows that he may be no Ryan Adams, but he's earned his way to being Americana's alt-country treasure. Which helps explain why, after 20-some years, he's now an overnight success, appearing Letterman and about to appear on Carson Daly. A Chuck Prophet show is more than just a good time out, it's a life-changing, mind-expanding experience.

"Full of hell-bent energy, lean and mean, this is about as in-your-face as Texas blues-rock gets." So says HOUR Entertainment Weekly, among the legion of critics lining up to acclaim the young blues-rock lion, whose fierce licks can't help but remind people of Hendrix, Stevie Ray, Johnny Winter and other electrified greats. The San Antonio native started playing clubs when he was 15, moved to Austin when he was 16, saw Stevie Ray before Vaughan joined David Bowie's band and scored his major-label break in 1994 with his Silvertone Records release of the critically praised, Texas Sugar/Strat Magik. Tailspin Headwhack followed in 1997 and Love Is Greater Than Me appeared three years later. Romp from 2003 featured a cover version of Bob Dylan's "One More Cup" and was followed by the 2007 album Blue Velocity. Gifted, dynamic, humble, assured and generous, Chris Duarte stands a one of the giants in blues rock today.

Jonesin' for Lyle Lovett? Richard Julian has the same sort of silky voice; his CD offers that similar Large Band sound; and Richard tells Lyle-esque stories, packed with details, real people and quirky moments that seem like audio movies. Only Richard's from Brooklyn. He has a kind of Bob Schneider irreverence, too. On his latest album, Sunday Morning in Saturday's Shoes (the title comes from a glance he got in Manhattan of a debutante wearing her finery from the night before), one song, "God III," imagines what it might be like if Jesus had an underachieving son: "God the third moved out west/was a very big hit with the Hollywood press/just a blank, aimless kid/we were so enthralled with all that he did." Hence Richard's leap from the 2006 Hotel Cafe Tour, whose alumni include Ingrid Michaelson, Badly Drawn Boy, KT Tunstall and Imogen Heap, among others, to collaborating and recording with Sasha Dobson and Bonnie Raitt. And playing at Lincoln Center and now The Handlebar.

With two weeks to play a last-minute date for their first-ever Handlebar appearance, Rebel Son generated so much excitement that they brought more than 200 people -- and Sharecroppers Almanac did an amazing job supplying a big part of that crowd, too. All that just goes to show how popular Rebel Son, Raleigh, NC's southern-fried grease rockers, are spreading their hard-core, turbo-charged, raunchy blue-collar redneck rock. Calling to mind the pedal-to-the-metal psychobilly of Reverend Horton Heat and the Supersuckers, Rebel Son unapologetically unleashes a hi-test party, with raw talent (and chutzpah) to back their well-crafted (and often hysterically funny) originals. Says one critic: "foul-mouthed redneck rock band that just doesn't give a ..." Grease your hair, fire up the hemi-charged Chevy pickup, grab a few cold beers and GET READY TO ROCK.

The first time the Guns N' Roses tribute band, Appetite For Destruction, played The Handlebar, they came within just a few people of selling out. This time, we expect the pre-Fourth of July fireworks to blast the party into a sold-out celebration of GNRock. Appetite, as their fans know them, because that's what the band fills up for their screaming throngs, delivers the most authentic Guns N' Roses performance ever, giving their rabid fans a rare glimpse of the magic that was happening in the clubs of Los Angeles in 1987. Material is drawn from the chart-smashing Appetite for Destruction, through Use Your Illusion 1 & 2, including Lies & The Spaghetti Incident? In venues large and small, Appetite For Destruction has played to rave reviews for aural and visual authenticity and will continue, until they have brought their rock 'n' roll circus to every corner of the globe.

From the Titanic to the Rock Boat. Gaelic Storm found international fame as the party band that performed for Leonardo and Kate during the blockbuster film, then went on to become favorites aboard the Rock Boat. Since 2004, the band, whose members include an Irishman, Briton, Canadian and Americans, have joined mainstream favorites such as Cowboy Mouth, Tonic, Sister Hazel and Marc Broussard and have set Rock Boat CD sales records. Playing more than 125 dates a year and showcasing their multi-instrumental talent, madcap wit and occasional haunting balladry, Gaelic Storm continues to push beyond the world-music genre and build an exponentially growing fanbase. Their six Celtic, bagpipe-driven albums have filled Top 10 charts, while their fans, young and old, have grown to love their acoustic-based, good-time, toe-tappin' folk-rock (think Eddie From Ohio with a brogue) that crosses languages and cultures.

A month shy of two years since his last sold-out show at The Handlebar, Teddy Geiger returns--this time a week before he appears in "The Rocker," the Fox feature film starring Christina Applegate and Rainn Wilson ("The Office"). Not bad for the first male in five years to grace the cover of "Seventeen" magazine, which also dubbed him "The Hottest Guy in America." At 16, he released his acclaimed debut, Underage Thinking, entering the Billboard charts at No. 8 and winning "Best Album Of The Year" at the Annual Musiqtone Awards. In Australia, the album went gold. His first single, "For You I Will (Confidence)," went Platinum in the US and Top 10 on radio. His songs have been in countless movies and TV shows including, "Prison Break," "Aquamarine" and "Beautiful People," among others.

Greenville, NC, meets Greenville, SC, in the summer's most happening rock show -- packed with the kind of new-fangled old-fashioned, on-your-feet Southern rock that you haven't heard in years, a long set of punchy tunes full of flawless harmonies, memorable riffs where the guitars soar in tandem and huge choruses. That's Parmalee. Flirting on the edges of rock superstardom -- they opened at the Bi-Lo Center for Staind and Shinedown -- the foursome has released two albums with famed producer Steve Bruno, including a collaboration with Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, and now are working on their new record with Grammy-winning producer Noel Golden. Their single, Gasoline, has been picked up by ESPN for NASCAR. And their new record comes out this summer. On the bill are Upstate favorites Roscoe, a fine-tuned pop-rock outfit that brings the party with them, and Bon Jovi openers After August, who always bring a full Handlebar crowd.