In the past 15 years, The Handlebar has helped charities raise more than a half-million dollars for many worthy causes. This charity (new on our radar screen), Greenville Cargo, converts shipping containers - that’s right, those large ungainly steel things you see on trucks and trains - and welds them together to … build schools. After shipping the containers to South Africa, the nonprofit organization then creates fully functioning schools for children in Capetown. And Civil Twilight, who will headline this event, hails from Capetown. Civil Twilight, which has relocated to the U.S. and recorded in Greenville, is donating their hook-filled indie sound to help improve the lives of children. Columbia’s Ghosts of the Highway opens the show, with proceeds helping move the shipping containers South Africa … and build a school or two.

Benjy Davis Project is one of those rare bands that make good music. Not just good rock music or good pop music or good indie country folk pop rock music - just good music. Why? Because the Baton Rouge, La., sextet is comprised of talented musicians who work together like a well-oiled machine, touring and performing through countless nights, garnering thousands of fans along the way. Hybrid magazine likens BDP to the Cary Brothers and Missy Higgins, while saying that Benjy’s vocals resemble Kings of Leon’s Caleb Followill. Veterans of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the band already has won home-state acclaim, but continues to grind it out on the road and in the studio. With album No. 4, Dust, earning acclaim, the Toledo Blade cheers BDP’s “unabashed sensuality and fearlessness that is refreshing.”

When these heavy-hittin’, guitar-slingin’ boys hit the stage, children of the '80s ask one of the most popular questions of their generation: Is it live? Or is it Memorex? Retro Vertigo tastefully and faithfully reproduce the sounds of a decade the way few can, and have evolved from Girls (and Boys) Just Wanna have Fun. All to the sounds of the most-demanded '80s cover quintet in the Palmetto state. You'll see skinny ties and headless guitars, rock out to anthems from Ferris Bueller and The Breakfast Club. It's been awhile since you've heard these guys -- their Downtown Alive appearance was canceled due to weather, and their gig at The Handlebar last winter was packed. If you’re longing to let your "big hair" down, party like it’s 1999, wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care, scream the words to your favorite songs from Bon Jovi to Duran Duran, and have a refreshing wine cooler, then look no more. Don’t miss the surefire dance party with Retro Vertigo - '80s attire optional ... and preferred.

Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ is the epic story of Southern rock, college radio the way it used to be, live music at its most courageous and intense, and songwriting at its most wide-open. Helping bring Southern rock to its peak of concise, passionate eloquence, DnC began as an ember in Atlanta then exploded with hits like “Fly Me Courageous,” “Scarred but Smarter,” “Build A Fire,” “Honeysuckle Blue” and “Straight to Hell.” The unmistakable voice and lyrics of Kevn Kinney and bandmates Tim Nielsen and Jeff Sullivan pull together the polish of hard-rode veterans and the blood, sweat and passion of a neighborhood garage-rock band. Critics have long hailed DnC as the culmination of all that had come before them in Southern rock: the conceptual adventurism of R.E.M., the musical sophistication of the Allman Brothers Band, the sheer guts of Skynyrd, and the working-man ethos of Hank Williams.

A blues legend once told us that the blues is violent music played by violent musicians. If that’s true, then Hill Country Revue’s music is for real blues fans. Formed by North Mississippi Allstars’ Cody Dickinson and featuring four other hardcore bluesmen, HCR releases their debut record, “Make A Move,” which showcases a lot of what blues is not: It’s not southern-rock guitar shredding; it’s not three-chord white-guy jamming; and it’s not easy-listening pop-blues. No, HCR plays gritty, funky, nasty, slap-your-thigh, hot-humid, juke-joint, stripped-down, messy, downright dangerous blues. Think “Black Snake Moan,” which NMAS played on. Blues so raw it hurts. Blues that screams. Then stops. Then wails. Then rocks. The reviews for Hill Country Revue are as hot as the blues this band plays all too well.

The Shack is back! Annapolis, Maryland’s Jimmie’s Chicken Shack is poultry in motion, ruffling feathers with a funk-metal blast that also blends elements of ska, reggae and one big fowl dose of party-crazed fun. Led by Jimmy HaHa, who hit the snowboarding circuit for two years before crossing the street into rock ‘n’ roll, JCS sold tens of thousands of their Fowl Records release, Give Something Back, then went on to sign with Elton John’s Rocket Records. They’ve rotisserie-d a packed Handlebar house a few times with their hot-wings stage antics and high-energy, high-talent Original Recipe brand of pre-skateboard punk, metal and melodic neocore. Atlanta's intelligent, passionate, progressive State of Man cuts through today's musical fog to deliver concise, powerful rock.

Would that we all could find our lifelong true love, our passion, the way Will Hoge has? Will’s happens to be music. And the tent-revival singer/songwriter returns - after a long absence - to remind us of what American rock ‘n’ roll is all about. "Never underestimate Will Hoge's emotional commitment to his music,” writes the Dallas Morning News, which calls his new CD, Draw The Curtains, a “powder keg.” Will’s blues, gospel and sweat-drenched rock owe their influences to Springsteen, Steve Earle, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Patty Griffin and others, but his swaggering, intense, no-holds-barred live shows owe more to Will’s heart. While headlining plenty tour-de-force shows of his own, and earning plenty of fans and acclaim along the way, he’s also opened for the likes of the Black Crowes, My Morning Jacket and Drive-By Truckers. We’ve been eager for Will’s return, and we’re happy he’s back.

The rock 'n' roll fire called Parmalee just needs a little Gasoline. Greenville, NC's Parmalee stokes the flames, bringing bigger crowds every time to their hook-filled shows of new-fangled old-fashioned, on-your-feet Southern rock. Who can't love a band that makes good rock look so effortless and fun? The band rips through punchy tunes full of flawless harmonies, memorable riffs where the guitars soar in tandem, and huge choruses. Parmalee's moving toward rock stardom the old-fashioned way - one fan at a time. Building at The Handlebar, while also opening for Buckcherry and Shinedown at Clemson's Littlejohn Coliseum and for Staind and Shinedown at the Bi-Lo Center. They're also packing out clubs throughout the Southeast. The foursome has released two albums with famed producer Steve Bruno, including a collaboration with Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, and work with Grammy-winning producer Noel Golden. Their single, Gasoline, has been picked up by ESPN for NASCAR.

From the Liverpool of America (Athens, Ga.) explodes The Whigs - “think Superchunk meets the Replacements,” raves Entertainment Weekly - a garage-rock trio that can hardly contain itself … in musicianship, in enthusiasm or their race for fame. Here’s a madcap band that will drive from New Orleans to New York to get to their next gig. They’ve been on Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live with their raucous pop and scrappy belligerence. They’ve toured with Kings of Leon and Drive-By Truckers. They’ve been named Best Unsigned Band in America by Rolling Stone, which raves that their alt-country/punk shenanigans “evoke the neo-roots-rock vibe of My Morning Jacket, the cool minimalism of The Strokes and the perfectly constructed pop of the early Sixties." Don’t live near the 40 Watt? We bring the hip home.

We're always looking to the future, and the future is Unknown. Nothing goes with summer better than Unknown Hinson, cold beer, blood-warm Jack and some ass-kickin' psychobilly carney-rock from the Charlotte-based Drac-surf-country-western guit-freak who's been on tour with Billy Bob Thornton when he's not too busy voicing Early Cuyler for the Squidbillies. Not just for trailer-park also-rans and white-trash wannabes, Unknown's Live 'n' Undead these days. He's got big-tihm fans, too. Marty Stuart introduced him as his illegitimate half-brother; he's toured with Hank III and Reverend Horton Heat; Tom Petty once went backstage in Hollywood to ask how he gets his "sound," and the Rolling Stones invited him to a soundcheck session for their Charlotte show. Be here. Or go getch'er greasy rock somedern place else.

The Handlebar and Gorilla Productions are much more about the local/regional music scene. Joining forces with area bands, we present mini-music festivals - with prices that compete with and are often cheaper than movies! - that give area artists an opportunity to strut their stuff. And while the bands compete for chances to go on to bigger and better things and win prizes through the Gorilla infrastructure, several bands from the showcases and Gorilla band battles have gone on to become Handlebar headliners, winning prized slots on prime weekend nights, packing out their own shows with their own fans - some of them even garnering national media and label attention. Using the Gorilla springboard to earn a promotional opportunity and a chance to play on the Upstate's longest-running rock 'n' roll stage, area bands are going ape - and fans are going bananas, too.

Emerson Hart, Jeff Russo and Dan Lavery are Tonic, the ’90s band that exploded with their debut blockbuster, Lemon Parade, with its No. 1 hit, “If You Could Only See, along with two other Top 10 Mainstream Rock hits, “Open Up Your Eyes” and “Casual Affair.” The album went platinum. Next, their singer, “You Wanted More” appeared on the seminal teen flick American Pie, then “Knock Down Walls” heralded 2002’s two Grammy nods for “Take Me As I Am” -- combining the raw honesty of rock with unabashed pop appeal, killer melodies with revved-up guitar heroics. Then Hart went solo, creating the fantastic “Cigarettes & Gasoline”; Lavery recorded/toured with The Fray; and Russo scored songs on TV’s “Crossing Jordan” and “The Unusuals.” Now Tonic’s back, with their mod-rock retrospective “A Casual Affair: The Best of Tonic,” also including three previously unreleased bonus tracks. And they’re hitting the road again, trading off appearing with the Gin Blossoms or doing shows on their own.

Something must be in the water - or the beer - in Jefferson, Ga. Brantley Gilbert’s from there. So’s Corey Smith. Brantley calls Corey “my mentor and main inspiration” and followed Smith around for three years after a car accident. Could be why Brantley decided against being a marriage counselor and went for the singer/songwriter thing instead. Last year, Brantley opened for Corey at Corey’s sold-out Chastain Park show in Atlanta. Now, as mentor-protégé things should go, Brantley’s coming into his own. The Brantley Gilbert Band is clicking more than 2.5 million myspace visits, with more than 8 million download plays on his tune, A Modern Prodigal Son. Seems fitting, doesn’t it, for another Jefferson, Ga., success story? Must be something in the bottles. So raise ’em high, sing all the words to all the songs and let’s watch another prodigal son launch from The Handlebar to stardom.

Two bands that would sell out The Handlebar join forces in one explosive bill, along with a new band on the verge of exploding. Saliva has reinvented itself, digging in their steel-toed boots and ramping up their energy level, blasting away their problems, trading away introspection and re-creating their Southern-bred kick-ass rock-‘n’rap. Witness the Memphis quintet’s fifth album, Cinco Diablo, their brash, brazen, euphoric testament to what new rock’s supposed to be--and it doesn’t hold a candle to their live shows. Smile Empty Soul, meanwhile, full of memorable hooks, melodies and eloquent lyrics, speaks to our longings the way rock’s meant to. The California trio heralds the release of their new CD, recorded right here in Greenville. And up-and-comers Adelitas Way, produced by Johnny K (Disturbed, Plain White T’s, 3 Doors Down) combines indie, hardcore and classic rock. For one Saturday night in the Upstate, here’s one unforgettable concert event.

There's a world of difference between pop stars who sing other people's songs, and singer/songwriters who truly touch your soul. With a voice that's powerful, passionate, endlessly expressive and full of contagious energy, Toby Lightman is just that type of artist--one who will surprise and captivate. Her Lava Records debut, Little Things, released in May 2008, offers deeply soulful rock grooves. Blending elements of Sheryl Crow and Lauryn Hill, she has earned favorable comparisons to popular breakthrough artists such as Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige and classic singer/songwriters Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt. Be sure to get here early for Aslyn, too. Aslyn’s shockingly intimate songs make you feel as if you’ve stumbled across a trunk full of a stranger's letters and that you'll be discovered reading them any moment now. They reveal the stories behind breakups and betrayals, yet they’re buoyant, intoxicated by life and love--pure Aslyn.

ZOSO's coming back, and the Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute Band reunites the band's best guitar player and drummer - exactly the way everyone remembers them the first time ZOSO sold out here. These are the core musicians responsible for making ZOSO the carbon-copy tribute to Led Zeppelin. Charging, dead-on delivery and first-class talent back up their renditions of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Bonham. 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 to packed crowds. With 40 songs and every move and technical aspect down to perfection, ZOSO is as close to The Hammer of the Gods as you can get.

THE Upstate-reunion show of the summer, the blockbuster party that brings everyone back together like the biggest family picnic EVER (complete with, yes, Sweet Tea!), Cravin' Melon returns for another massive concert. Every Handlebar show they've performed in the last two years has sold out in advance and this one will be no exception, so get your tickets soon. Opening act Mac Leaphart (formerly of Five Way Friday) rounds out the bill. With Cravin's swaggering Southern charm, addictive, soulful and fun-loving melodies, high-octane talent and soaring vocals, Melonheads new and old have made Cravin' one of the Upstate's most listenable, danceable party bands ever -- from the fanatical Front Row Club to the newly indoctrinated. Formed in 1994, the band made their major-label debut with Mercury Records in 1997 with "Red Clay Harvest" and has since become a Southern power-house, releasing their fan favorite, "The Great Procrastinator" - a message to fans that who shouldn't wait.

Besides being one the world's most awesome drummers, Jeff Sipe is a pivotal figure spanning a variety of genres, including Southern rock, jam, avant-garde rock, avant-garde jazz, even progressive bluegrass. An alumnus of Boston's Berklee School Of Music, Jeff has performed with a list of musicians that's mind-boggling, both in terms of sheer size and in musical variety: Col. Bruce Hampton's Aquarium Rescue Unit, Leftover Salmon, Steve Vai, Susan Tedeschi, Jimmy Herring, Phish, Widespread Panic, The Derek Trucks Band--too many to list in the tight space we've got to describe how amazing ALL of our bands are. With each step in Jeff Sipe's musical evolution, whether he's playing rock, jazz, bluegrass, funk or a combination of the above (and beyond), his sense of rhythm and timing are unparalleled, making him one of the most popular session and live-show musicians in the Southeast, if not the country.

The Handlebar marks a major foray into world-beat and political/cultural history with Los 3 de la Havana. The innovative seven-piece band heats things up with Cuban/reggaeton, boleros, salsa and reggae. The story starts in 2007 with two brothers, Germán and Ari Pinelli, who along with vocalist Ana Maria Paez, had done everything as family. They worked together in Havana, staying in hotels on tour and weaving their voices into four studio albums. Then they fled Cuba and sought political exile, making their home in Miami. Now they’re working to rebuild their career in America with their band mates. Their style is simultaneously traditional and contemporary, absorbing influences from contemporary Cuban timba and salsa to the romantic, jazz-accented ballads of the ’40s. As one of The Handlebar’s most exciting world shows ever - after Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Thomas Mapfumo and others - this one’s a must-see. And you don’t even need a passport.

Greer must seem a million miles away from where Emery is now. Formed just up the street in 2001, the quintet now spans the country - in every term imaginable: where the members live (everywhere), the records they’ve sold (more than a quarter of a million), the fans they’ve earned (18 million myspace plays), the fame garnered. Described as alternative pop/rock, “melodic hardcore,” Christian rock, Emery juxtaposes so many influences - from Queen to Sam Cooke to Pedro The Lion to Brand New - and delivers so much of itself that Emery has become one of the most original rock bands in the country. Hence the anticipation of their colossal fourth release, “ … In Shallow Seas We Sail,” set for June release Tooth & Nail. Joining them at The Handlebar are four other bands in a back-to-school hard-rock frenzy that is certain to sell out: Maylene & The Sons of Disaster; Closure in Moscow (also with a fiery, tasty and original release out in May, "First Temple"); Kiros; Ivoryline.

Bell X1 seems an inspired name - the first jet plane to break the sound barrier. It’s also the name of one of Ireland’s hot-rising bands, which, when they formed in the mid-'90s and became a hugely popular quintet named Juniper, featured a chap named Damien Rice. Now Bell X1’s breaking warp speeds to fame, bringing their sound - think Talking Heads meets Radiohead with a dash of Coldplay; arena rock that’s at once ironic and artsy - to “Grey’s Anatomy,” “One Tree Hill” and “The O.C.”; and Late Night with Conan, Craig Ferguson and Letterman. They’ve toured with Bon Jovi and Elliot Smith (in the same week). Already No. 1 in Ireland, the band’s reaching out to U.S. fans in a big way. And what makes them even hipper … just read their influences: “Mick Fleetwood's drums, Brian Eno's head, Gillian Welch's soul, Napoleon Dynamite's delicious bass.” How enormously cool is that? One listen to Bell X1 on myspace and you’ll want to see this band, one you’ll be hearing from for years to come.

If we were modest here at The Handlebar - and it’s hard to be after 15 years, presenting some 2,500 concerts including John Mayer, Joan Baez, Tower of Power, Shinedown, Sevendust, three dozen Grammy winners, Woodstock performers and more memories than could fill a memoir - all we'd need to say is, "Dickey Betts.” For those who haven’t been around music in the last 40 years, Dickey wrote “Ramblin’ Man,” “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed,” “Jessica,” “Southbound,” “Seven Turns,” and many other rock classics. He was Duane Allman's right-hand man, trading guitar licks in the Allman Bros. Band. And he led the Allmans from the tragedy of Duane's early death through the ’70s, ’80's and beyond. Thanks to Betts' peerless guitar playing, songwriting and singing, the Allmans scored 11 gold and four platinum albums. Now he and his own band, Great Southern, will fill The Handlebar with a spectacular night of Southern-rock fireworks. Kind of makes us feel like bragging.