Greenville, South Carolina

The Upstate of South Carolina is as beautiful a land as they come in the U.S. The foothills of the Appalachians roll in the distance to the north and the massive Lake Hartwell is a short trip south down I-85.

However, aesthetic beauty aside, one of the most pleasing things about Greenville may be its burgeoning music scene. With different clubs opening and expanding, this city is becoming more and more attractive for bands of any size.

It’s hard to consider Greenville a college town, but Furman University is less than 20 minutes away and Clemson University, without much of a town to call its own, sends a lot of music-starved traffic the way Greenville’s bars and clubs.

If that isn’t enough motivation keep in mind that Greenville is the intersection of I-85 and I-26. Also Athens, Johnson City, Asheville, Charlotte, Knoxville, Columbia, Winston-Salem and Atlanta are all less than three hours away, making this the perfect stop-and-go location for a show.

Guide to Gigging in Greenville

Book A Gig: Venues

THE HANDLEBAR

304 East Stone Ave., Greenville, SC 29609

(864) 233-6173

www.handlebar-online.com

With a capacity of 500 and hosting names such as Zach Deputy and Chuck Prophet, The Handlebar has been making a name for itself as the premiere concert venue in the Upstate of South Carolina for years. The management wants you to be able to guarantee 200 paying customers and it doesn’t want to hear from you through MySpace or receive your unsolicited demos or press kits. If you think you are up to snuff, check the online calendar and email the venue at handlebar@ handlebar-online.com.

COFFEE UNDERGROUND THEATER

1 Coffee St., Greenville, SC 29609

(864) 298-0494

www.acousticseen.com

An intimate listening experience showcases the local acoustic and folk scene and some visiting performers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Check out the calendar online or send an email to dryridge@mindspring.com to see if you can fit in anywhere.

THE CHANNEL COFFEE HOUSE AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

26 Orchard Park Dr., Greenville, SC 29615

(864) 286-1020

www.thechannelonline.org

This non-profit building will host anything and everything from screamo to acoustic as long as the message is “positive.” With room for nearly 300, this venue is almost as big as they come in Greenville. Contact the venue through MySpace; demos and press kits are welcome as well (mark “Attn: Jay McAbee”).

THE REAL GYPSY

704 West Washington St., Greenville, SC 29601

(864) 235-5750

www.myspace.com/gypsygs

The Real Gypsy just opened in a new building and is ready to become a major player in the growing Greenville music scene. The club’s capacity is 250 and down, for now, but eventually the club wants to be showcasing local music along with one or two national touring acts. Typically the crowd here is looking for that “Gritty, dirty rock kind of sound,” but all genres are welcome. Contacting the club through MySpace is the best way to get started towards booking a show.

R3V3RB

109 Augusta Rd., Greenville, SC 29601

(864) 373-1099

www.r3v3rb.com

After vandalism forced this “Space for Unconventional Music and Art” to close its doors early in 2008, the venue managed to reopen in July thanks to some lucky breaks and perseverance. A capacity of around 100 is giving this venue a chance to really showcase the best experimental/expressive music in the Upstate. Contact the venue by email at collectivenoise@gmail.com or by phone.

THE BOHEMIAN CAFÉ

2 West Stone Ave., Greenville, SC 29609

(864) 233-0006

www.thebohemiancafe.com

Shows here have a very personal feel with a capacity of around 120 and are often times are taped for nearby WNCW Radio. Press kits and demos are nearly required here and the better they look, the better your odds are. The management would rather talk by phone but don’t call without sending your music first.

Promote A Gig: Media

LINK

305 S. Main St.

P.O. Box 1688, Greenville, SC 29602

(864) 298-4100

www.upstatelink.com

LINK is Greenville’s biggest variety paper. It is a weekly publication of the Greenville news and contains music features, reviews and commentary. It also posts a comprehensive online and print calendar detailing the goings-on of Greenville’s scene. To get your information in the paper, contact Anne Vandeberghe at avand@upstatelink.com. The deadline for the next week’s issue is Wednesday, but as soon as the paper gets your information they will post it in the online calendar. Be sure to send photos as well.

Gear/Repairs

PALMETTO MUSIC

3 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC 29609

(864) 232-1726

www.palmettomusic.com

Palmetto Music is a shop that specializes in drums. New, used, vintage or custom drums are sold, repaired, refurbished, restored and bought here. The shop is limited in its repair capabilities on short notice and for guitars or amps but the staff is more than willing to do anything. Email palmettomusic@gmail.com for more information.

INTOWN GUITAR REPAIR

(864) 908-9161

www.intownguitarrepair.com

Intown Guitar Repair is a guitar shop run out of a home by an independent luthier named Jeff Rice. Rice is more than willing to do short notice repair, depending on what kind of job it is. Longer-term specialty repairs are welcome and Rice is also willing to help out musicians or point to them to someone who can. Call the listed phone number for directions to the shop.