The Handlebar - Blues Music Venues-South Carolina

The Handlebar

304 East Stone Avenue
Greenville, SC 29609

Phone: (864) 233-6173
Fax: (864) 349-0144

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Since opening in September 1994, The Handlebar: A Listening Room has become the premier concert venue in The Upstate — some would say in the entire Southeast — for entertainers and music lovers alike, people seeking excellent artistry, musical diversity, renowned acoustics and intimacy.

The Handlebar, at 304 East Stone Avenue — three blocks off Main Street near Downtown Greenville between Main Street and Interstate 385 — has presented more than 2,000 concerts featuring a vast array of musicians, from the legendary to the unknown. Many performers have been Grammy Award winners, others have been popular local and regional favorites. The Handlebar specializes in presenting a wide variety of musical genres — from rock ‘n’ roll to blues; from Cajun to reggae; from folk to bluegrass; from jazz to world beat; from alternative to hip hop; from metal to pop. Many musicians featured at The Handlebar had never performed in Greenville before.

The Handlebar is first and foremost about music, but the story doesn't stop there. When the The Handlebar re-opened on Stone Avenue in May 2001 — after moving from its original, beloved venue at the historic Mills Centre — the venue added a separate, expanded bar and restaurant along with a larger concert hall and more polished atmosphere.

The fun menu of pub favorites has drawn rave reviews. Customers can enjoy a burger or salad with one of more than 30 brands of bottled and draft beer. House wines and countless varieties of liquor also are available in a relaxed, informal atmosphere — and served by a friendly and knowledgeable staff — most of whom are musicians or, at least, music fans. Many restaurant and pub patrons are concert-goers; but The Handlebar food and drink menu, lunch, Happy Hour and ambiance attract fans who rarely step foot in the concert hall.

The Handlebar is non-smoking; smoking is permitted outside and in the patio. While a ticket is always required to attend a concert, there is almost never a charge to enjoy the bar and restaurant. An outdoor patio is open during nice weather. Patrons who dine at The Handlebar before a show should come early, as food is not offered in the concert hall. However, drinks can be carried to and from the concert hall, and a bar is usually open in the Listening Room. The Handlebar also offers Catering for private functions, parties and charitable events; features a free ECLECTIC MUSIC JAM, including a headliner, world music and a jam, in the bar area; and a Tuesday night Swing Dance in the concert hall.
Joan Baez at The Handlebar in October of 2003 - Photo By The Greenville NewsAmong the hundreds of performers during The Handlebar's 12-year history: Joan Baez, Sevendust, John Mayer, John Hiatt, Collective Soul, Arlo Guthrie, Edwin McCain, Anna Nalick, Alter Bridge, Ricky Skaggs, Chevelle, Pat Metheny Trio, Hot Hot Heat, David Sanborn, Gomez, Tower of Power, The Click Five, Shinedown, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Less than Jake, Crossfade, Theory of a Deadman, The Wailers, Leftover Salmon, Steve Morse, Sister Hazel, Del McCoury Band, Derek Trucks Band, Blue Dogs, Beausoleil, Jupiter Coyote, Will Hoge, Bebo Norman, Richie Havens, Tantric, Cake, the subdudes, needtobreathe, Nickel Creek, Eddie From Ohio, Doc Watson, Delbert McClinton, Robert Earle Keen, Dan Tyminski, Guy Clark, Corey Smith, Little River Band, Cigar Store Indians, Mother's Finest, Little Feat, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Nappy Roots, Ying Yang Twins, Bone Thugs 'n Harmony, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Fefe Dobson, The Radiators, North Mississippi Allstars, Spyro Gyra, The Yellowjackets, Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women, Chris Smither, Tim O'Brien, Old Crow Medicine Show, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Nils Lofgren, Roger McGuinn, Leon Russell, Leon Redbone, Gaelic Storm, Janis Ian, Dave Mason, John Popper Project, Toots & The Maytals, Seven Nations, Josh Kelley, Hinder, Saliva, 10 Years, Robert Fripp, Keller Williams, Acoustic Syndicate, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Sound Tribe Sector Nine , Junior Wells, Jerry Douglas, Martin Sexton, Dark Star Orchestra, Norman Blake, Uncle Mingo, Jump Little Children, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Jason & The Scorchers, The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Rev. Horton Heat, Tinsley Ellis, Mickey Newbury, Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, Dar Williams, Pat Green, Drive-By Truckers, Southern Culture on the Skids, David Lindley, Robin Trower, Savoy Brown, Miranda Lambert, John Hammond, Tom Paxton, Mark Chesnutt, Battlefield Band, Freddy Jones Band, Koko Taylor, Bruce Cockburn, Donna the Buffalo, Dave Alvin (1st show on Stone Avenue), and Livingston Taylor (1st show at "The Mill") , and hundreds more.

The Handlebar was opened by husband and wife, John Jeter and Kathy Laughlin, along with John's brother, Stephen. The Handlebar has now proudly welcomed new owners John Egan, Charles Tremonti and Joseph Sorrentino, and Stephen Jeter has left the business to become a patron instead!

For more information, call The Handlebar at (864) 233-6173 or see the Calendar for upcoming shows. Concert tickets range in price from a low of $5 to a high (so far) of $30. Tickets can be purchased online; by calling or stopping by The Handlebar; and in person at several Greenville ticket outlets. Tickets to many shows can be purchased at the door on the night of the show, but popular shows do sell out in advance. (Joan Baez, Nickel Creek, Delbert McClinton, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs all sold out more than five weeks in advance.)

Hours are Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m; and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Doors to the Listening Room generally open about an hour before the scheduled show time.