The artist who could be considered the founder of alt-country (with Uncle Tupelo), Jay Farrar may be the bib-overall version of Springsteen (or perhaps Springsteen’s own vision of Woody Guthrie). In Son Volt’s new CD, American Central Dust, Farrar is what he’s always been: “an eloquent, thought-provoking dude” (Spin magazine, which awards the release 4½ of 5 stars). He’s mournful, but he’s literary, too, while his band rocks – or as Spin calls them, “deceptively funky.” Isn’t that what real American country music – before it got pop-ified – always was? In his new songs, Farrar turns his poetic brilliance and barnstorming band toward America’s decline; mortality via Keith Richards; and a true nautical disaster. Plucky keyboard, fiddle, lap steel ... vintage Americana that adds atmospheric nuance to Farrar’s red-white-and-blue genius. Having Son Volt return is like the Fourth of July. Having Jay Farrar back is like having the guy who lights the fuse.

We heard a good one a while back: Know the difference good, old-fashioned country music and whatever it is they call "new" country? Well, "old" country music's about trucks, guns, dogs, whiskey, men and women who’ve done each other wrong, and everything gone wrong with all of the above. New country is about some dope whose kid just spilled his Happy Meal in the backseat of his shiny hemi. You've got nothing to worry about with The Piedmont Boys. Their shows connect with fans because the Piedmont Boys play honest, country-as-red-clay play-'em-'til-you-break-'em songs that combine acoustic, bluegrass-style pickin', heartachin' harmonies, and the trashiest, booziest songs this side of of Pelzer. Their amped-up Southern soul quarter can go from Del McCoury-style ensemble playing to Southern Culture on the Skids-inspired rave-ups at the drop of a straw cowboy hat, and their rough-hewn harmonies will send any Gourds fan to 'shine-soaked heaven.

The day after Thanksgiving traditionally is the biggest night of the year at The Handlebar -- and when it’s time to get over the tryptophan coma and kick off the official holiday party, it’s time for RetroVertigo. One of the Upstate’s biggest party bands remembers when rock concerts were fun, when you didn’t have to pay through the nose for them, when you could dance, when beer was cold and didn’t cost $8 for a flimsy cup. When the talent on stage was a fiery as the rockets and lights, and you sang all the words to all the songs - and you left with a smile on your face, some new friends and the idea that, a few hours later, well … (you know where we’re going). Veterans who have opened Mother’s Finest and played major festivals, RetroVertigo veers from recreating Duran Duran to U2 to Billy Idol to Prince - just the way you still know them - all at a price many of us can barely remember from The Good Old Days: the Upstate’s answer to the beginning the holidays. Good-time rockers GreenVegas opens.

Several artists who have performed here with Gorilla Productions' Battle of the Bands and in their showcases have gone on to headline their own Handlebar shows. Now it's time to showcase Grrl Power in the Upstate, and Gorilla's put together an all-female bill that'll rock the little paper socks off your cooked turkey. From Rachel Vanslyke, whose one-woman bicycle-and-music tour machine (she sounds like Ingrid Michaelson!) is getting played on world-famous WNMF in Tampa, Fla., to O Mello Cello Tree, a local fave that's winning tons of love from Brian Blades' "Fresh Tracks" on WROQ to Romancing the Devil (intense! Nick Cave meets Joe Buck - female style), Ladies Night spotlights the new breed of performers. Get set for the post-game party, too, featuring The Jones Machine, a high-energy rock show, mixing covers and originals. Sing Sing 76, an indie-pop group and Vonna, seasoned musicians playing popular rock and blues.

You read that right. Grace Church holds a Sunday morning service at The Handlebar at 10 a.m. each week. The scene is casual, with loud, live worship music and relevant teaching from the Bible.

You’ll “Get Off” on Halestorm, which, as of Oct. 12, was spinning No. 3 behind Disturbed and Shinedown on WTPT 93.3 The Planet’s playlist. The vowel-challenged Pennsylvania band that first opened for Trapt and Red here at The Handlebar now unleashes their own headlining show -- a turbulent torrent of their infectious hard rock, uncompromising rock ‘n’ roll anthems penned by singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale. She and her brother, Arejay, formed the band in middle school, and it wasn’t long before they were joined by guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith and hit the road with Shinedown, Seether, Flyleaf and, of course, Trapt. After more than a thousand gigs, Halestorm’s on their way, with an Atlantic Records contract and an exploding fan base that’s responding to Lzzy’s sultry stage presence and dynamic voice and the band’s classic-rock feel and modern-rock edge.

Eli Mattson may have placed second on Season Three of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” but he’s No. 1 among millions of fans, thanks to his deeply personal, beautifully composed songs, sophisticated keyboard work, charismatic aura and powerful, yet intimate voice. One of the judges, Piers Morgan, said: “All I know is if Elton John gets a cold, he’s calling you to step in.” And Sharon Osborn told the young Wisconsin performer that he “played with such emotion and passion . . . you make every song your own.” Now Eli traverses the country (and Europe), singing his own songs and a few others’. He’s also the 2009 Cellcom spokesman. One reviewer sums up the singer/songwriter/pianist this way: “A voice of unmistakable depth and maturity; a songwriter of experience and insight, accompanied by fluid hands at his piano, sending an emotionally driven message that is, in any genre he chooses, both articulate and authoritative.”

Some (not many, but some) ask why The Handlebar presents tribute bands when so much tremendous original music is out there. Well, we present about 150 shows a year and fewer than 10 are tribute concerts, and when we do, we like to make sure the fans' and the artists' memories are honored properly. Abbey Road LIVE!, comprised of veteran musicians from the Liverpool of the South -- Athens, Ga. -- is one of those bands. Since 2002, the band has honed 100 Beatles tunes before thousands of fans at clubs, theaters, festivals and private parties. They specialize in complete, start-to-finish performances of full Beatles albums: Abbey Road, Magical Mystery Tour, Sgt. Pepper. Abbey Road LIVE! isn’t your typical lookalike tribute band - no mop-top hair and vintage Rickenbackers. Rather, the band aims to delight Beatles aficionados with careful attention to artistic detail, bringing to life the original, enduring recordings.

The Upstate's own fiercely independent, longest-running, continuously operating record store goes on record as saying that this year's 2nd annual Greenville Record Fair will be the biggest ever. Just like last year's, um, record-breaking blowout at Gypsy's, this year's Fair will be chock full of discs, vinyl and other goodies music lovers can't - and won't - find anywhere else; Horizon's Dubmaster Gene says you'll fill your platter with platters of matter. Plus, the whole shootin' match is FREE. And, of course, open to the public. Gene asks vendors to call the store at 864 235 7922. The show lasts until 4 p.m.

Heralding the after-Christmas blues blowout with Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues, Greenville filmmaker Stan Woodward, with the support of the Greenville Community Foundation, invite you to the Premier Screening of NOTHING TO PROVE: The Story of Mac Arnold’s Return To The Blues. The documentary traces how the gentleman farmer from Belton was lured back to the stage with his gasoline-can bass years after a colorful career playing with some of the greatest bluesmen of all time. Packed with music, anecdotes that’ll make you laugh and make you wonder and provide inspiration and memories, NOTHING TO PROVE showcases the gift that Mac Arnold gives to all of us - in his music and his generosity.

If a rock show’s supposed to be FUN, then here’s a bill guaranteed to be Filled with Unbelievable Noise, from funk to urban metal to underground cult-rock. That’s what you get with TJ Lazer, Modern Day Slave and The Shoes, with a couple of professional comics thrown in -- and a portion of the proceeds going to Toys For Tots. So everyone’s Rockin’ 4 Tots. Greenville’s TJ Lazer dishes unmitigated funk, a quintet that’s all about energy and making their shows last long after the concert. Same goes with Modern Day Slave, who last opened here for Rehab. MDS, “another gem” in Greenville, says CrankIt magazine, has been recording their new CD, Justify Your Experience, in WhiteStone Studios after getting attention from a New York label. Their influences range from Pantera to Tool to Cypress Hill. The Shoes, another Handlebar veteran, mixes classic and cult-rock sounds that range from The Beatles to Bowie. Veteran Upstate comic Frank Foster plays host - and gets the laugh machine crankin’.

Merry freakin' Christmas vamps 'n' tramps. Nobody puts a lump of coal in a stocking better than Unknown Hinson and his ass-kickin' psychobilly carney-rock. The Charlotte-based Drac-surf-country-western guit-freak has 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. Give yourself this incredibly wacky Christmas present.

Along with ZOSO: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute Band, Frontiers - A Tribute To Journey has become one of the few tribute bands that perform here ... and they're amazingly popular. That's 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.

The Work's Christmas Jam is Greenville's Awesome Ghost of Christmas Past, Present AND Future, now in its EIGHTH YEAR, the gift that keeps on giving back to the community and the most anticipated holiday event on the Calendar. This year's lineup features a jaw-dropping array - and growing - roster of artists: DDBB's Kevin Harris, legacies like Felix Pastorius and Grant Green Jr.; Ike Stubblefield, Yonrico Scott (of Derek Trucks Band), Bobby Lee Rogers (of The Codetalkers), Solomon Wright (of Dubconscious), Shane Pruitt, Laura Blackley, Jef Chandler, Matt Jennings, Doug Jones (of Cravin' Melon), Shannon Hoover, Tez Sherrard - and many, many more. The Work themselves, with their horn-driven rock, are worth the price of admission, which goes toward the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas. A silent auction also will be held (with some very cool stuff). More details soon.

’Twas the night after Christmas and all through the Upstate, it’s time to investigate, some fun AWAY from the house, and blues is preferred … blues that’ll rock … and Mac Arnold’s the WORD. (Serious apologies to Clement Clark Moore for butchering his iconic poem.) Mac’s the gift the keeps on giving, with a smile that lights up entire cities and his gasoline-can bass that has made him a household name. He has played beside Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Otis Spann, shared stages with Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, Junior Wells (who appeared at the old Handlebar!). His band in those days, the Soul Temptations, backed up, among others, B.B. King and The Temptations. He also worked on the set of TV's legendary Soul Train. His new band, Plate Full O’ Blues, has toured Europe and thrills audiences at home. Now, Mac Arnold & Plate Full of Blues’ day-after-Christmas shows have become a Handlebar tradition.

For decades, the South has been producing some of the most stellar, soulful musicians in the world. Now, a group of amazing talents rings out 2009 in a once-in-a-lifetime jam. A description of the multiple talents of the Godfrey Brothers - Ronnie on keyboards, Rickey on guitar - could fill this site alone. The brothers have written for and played with a Who’s Who of country, rock and soul, including gold sellers Ty Herndon and Billy Preston. Add to them a jammin’ bill that includes: multitalented ex-Marshall Tucker members Frank Wilkie, Tim Lawter and Tony Heatherly; the pure-country singin' and pickin' of renowned players Ronald Radford and Donnie Winters; and a dash of blues with Chocolate Thunder guitarist Buddy Strong. That’s all the ingredients you need for an all-night, genre-smashing musical blowout. Want more? Wilkie, Strong and the Godfrey Brothers will cap off the night with a reunion of Garfeel Ruff, their pre-Marshall Tucker 1970's Southern-rock super-group.

Guitar-slinging Cajun-Caribbean-flavored Taylor Moore Band headlines a massive fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The band’s also bringing special guest The Will; as well as backing up an eclectic array of musicians for the cause, too, including the Afro-Caribbean beats of Jeff Holland and Drum4Work, bringing the Virgin Islands direct to the Upstate. Other guests include: two-time National Banjo Champion Charles Wood, who has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, along with Steve Martin and Earl Scruggs; local singer-songwriter Gwyn Fowler; Chuck Beattie, an Asheville-based Dobro player, singer and guitarist; and country-tinged vocalist Brandy Blackwell, a Greenville teen. Proceeds from ticket sales go to Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. And Taylor, who has appeared on the FOX Rocks program, has just released a self-titled EP with his Bordeaux Bros., a tasty stew of greasy funk, blues and rock.

Fred Eaglesmith's songs are populated with people he has been and has known: tried-but-true blue-collar guys, tired cowboys, young boys in love, bare-knuckled farmers, heartbreakingly good women, beautifully bad women, lonesome good guys, bravura bad guys and Friday-night criminals. Must be tough to be a character in a Fred Eaglesmith song. His tunes have been covered by a steadily growing list of artists: The Cowboy Junkies, Chris Knight, Dar Williams and Kasey Chambers, among others. His live show is a mix of passionate, funny and moving melodies, ridiculously funny (that is, Canadian) comedy, honest tears and poignant observations. Eaglesmith's commentary on affairs -- current ones, as well as some straight from the hip and others straight from the heart -- is hilarious, uproarious, and provocative, as are his plainspoken Zen observations. As one reviewer said, "It takes a jaded soul to leave a Fred Eaglesmith show unaffected."

House-rockin'. Crowd-meltin'. Soul-shakin'. Heart-stoppin'. We could go on and on, but all you really need to know is that Mother's Finest brings down the house all the time, every time. We've yet to meet someone who wasn't begging for more at the end of every show they've played here. And folks walk out asking when they'll return. From soul to rock to metal to disco and back again, Mother's Finest packs enough talent, inspiration and pure dynamite for a dozen bands, and they are INCAPABLE of a bad show. Sure, their albums are great (and their three gold-record awards can attest to that), but onstage there is no band finer than Mother's Finest! This show WILL sell out, so get your tickets now!

Antiseen has paid their dues. They’ve paid YOUR dues. Shedding sweat, tears and lots of their own blood through thousands of shows, Antiseen has gone more than the distance, without any major-label support, to build a massive following with their abrasive sound, controversial lyrics and confrontational live shows. And then they’ve got their records--lots of them. Between full-length albums, EP’s and 7-inch singles, Antiseen has nearly SIXTY releases to their credit since 1983. Their list of famous admirers is almost as long; over the years, Antiseen’s has drawn praise from Hank III, GG Allin, Phil Anselmo, Trent Reznor, Jello Biafra, Mudhoney, Smashing Pumpkins, Supersuckers, Nirvana, Dwarves, Nashville Pussy, even the late, great Joey Ramone. In fact, they inspired a fifty-song tribute album, Everybody Loves Antiseen, headlined by Hank III and released in 2006. Forget punk, thrash, emo, or rockabilly--Antiseen’s full-throttled energy without a sub-genre safety net.

In the 15 years of Grammy Award-winning artists who’ve played The Handlebar -- more than three dozen of them -- all are world-class, some are friends, and only one is Dave Alvin. Dave has been a Handlebar friend since the very beginning - from the old Mill days (when he went looking for Cootie Stark) to the day The Handlebar reopened (without our liquor license). The ex-Blaster has won a Grammy, rocked the house with the Guilty Men, produced a bunch of records - and now he’s stripping down. Which would sound crass in the company of vocalist Christy McWilson and Cindy Cashdollar, but Dave fans know them as two of the Guilty Women on his eponymous new acoustic CD. While Christy’s known for the Picketts, Cindy’s Dobro and pedal steel won FIVE Grammies and has worked with: Rod Stewart, Van Morrison, Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Asleep at the Wheel, Garrison Keillor, Jorma Kaukonen, Leon Redbone and Daniel Lanois. This show may be “acoustic,” but Dave and the two must-C’s will be *electrifying.*

Georgia native Tim Wilson's distinctive baritone twang has an edge of roughness -- like most of his comedy material. Wilson’s material covers everything from blind dates and cell phones to annoying relatives such as his Uncle "B.S." He dissects his topics with a meticulous eye for detail and a skewed worldview. Wilson is best known for such ditties as "The Jeff Gordon Song," "Trailer Love" and "First Baptist Bar & Grill." Since inking a deal with Capitol Records in 1998, he's released more than a half-dozen albums, including "The Real Twang Thang," "I Should've Married My Father-in-Law," "Hillbilly Homeboy," "It’s a Sorry World" and "Church League Softball Fist Fight." Along with being a regular guest on nationally syndicated radio shows, including John Boy & Billy and The Bob & Tom Show, Wilson also has appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, and Grace Under Fire. Opener Chris DuBail is well-known on the national comedy circuit for his blend of stand-up, physical comedy, and dead-on impressions.