John Adam Wickliffe

Karaoke provides the music, patrons provide community

Chris Cole describes Dougal Maguire’s Irish Pub as a “quiet, low-key bar,” reminiscent of the pubs in Ireland where it’s not a place to down some brew, but one to socialize and catch up with neighbors.

This neighborly feeling is instilled the moment the doors open, as patrons are greeted with authentic Irish tunes. Cole, who visits Dougal Maguire’s three or four times a month, said this feeling is different than what he sees with other area Irish bars.

“This is definitely a lot more intimate,” he says. “You can speak to each other here.”

The interior of Dougal Maguire’s might surprise newcomers who have only seen its rather plain building from the outside. An inviting bar area greets patrons the moment they walk through the door (regulars come through the back door, though). Irish banners are strewn throughout with various window boxes decorating the walls.

This lazy Thursday afternoon finds a number of patrons sipping an assortment of Irish beers, from Smithwick’s to a pint of Guinness that bartender Erin Lord recently poured, adding a cloverleaf pattern to the head.

“We get a lot of different kinds of people in here,” she says. “Everybody who comes in here is really great, especially the regulars. They appreciate the staff, the atmosphere and the fact they can get a good meal and good beer.”

The character of Dougal Maguire’s is different from other Upstate bars, Lord says, noting, “It’s more of a European feel, as far as the pub goes.”

Liz Forbes of Taylors was visiting Dougal Maguire’s for the first time, even though she has worked within walking distance for the past 13 years. While she has been to other Irish bars, Forbes says the wait and bar staff are “a lot more friendly than other places.” Before her is a pint of Smithwick’s and a staple of Irish bar food — the shepherd’s pie.

A few hours later, the bar will be teeming with those looking for the featured event of the evening — karaoke. Every Thursday night, Sam Brooks of Greer brings his Life of the Party DJ Sound and Music to Dougal Maguire’s, but karaoke is more fun than serious.

Stuart P. Foster of Jacksonville, Fla., sips a Woodchuck Cider while waiting for karaoke night to begin. He says what he enjoys most about karaoke is its entertainment and social value.

“Everybody gets to have a good time,” he says.

Brooks has been doing karaoke at Dougal Maguire’s for eight months and “enjoys watching people sing and have a good time.”

“You don’t necessarily have to be a good singer to do karaoke,” he says. But as the night went on, it was evident that a few can actually carry a tune quite capably, as some tried their best on country and pop hits.

A recent upstairs addition to Dougal Maguire’s called The Attic presents a more sports-bar-like atmosphere, with a number of pool tables and televisions about. It’s a darker, smokier area, contrasted to the warmer downstairs.

Dougal Maguire’s Irish Pub is located at 1565 Laurens Road in Greenville. It’s open 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Entertainment options include live music, pool and karaoke.

Local music venue provides diverse mix of music, dance

Chelsea Moultrop and John Lacourse are attending their first swing night, but take a breather off the cool dance floor to watch the 20-25 couples cutting a rug Monday night.

“I wanted to learn swing dance for a while so I brought him along,” Moultrop says.

Lacourse mentioned the uniqueness of having an opportunity to swing dance, calling it “something new, something different.”

“It’s a good place for people to come out, meet new people and hang out,” Moultrop says of The Handlebar, where she circled the dance floor.

Bartender Jessica Meredith says The Handlebar is good for Greenville.

“We’re a music venue that serves alcohol, but people who come here, come here for a specific reason,” she said.

That specific reason most nights is top musical talent that graces the homey bar area, or rocks out the spacious back room. Tonight, however, the jumping and jiving in the back room comes from the weekly swing night.

Lisa Bulman has been attending swing night for about four or five months, and consistently for the past three, and her experience on the dance floor means “I could take on most of the guys here,” she says.

“There are three or four I would not be comfortable if they asked me to dance,” she says, pointing out some of the more skilled dancers out there, including one she referred to as “The Snake.”

“When he moves it’s like pure liquid,” she says. “He’s a great lead.”

Some of the dance steps on the floor tonight include the Lindy Hop, Six Step, Cuddle and Overarm, UnderArm Swing.

The one thing that is very evident when entering the dimly-lit room with giant rolling dice overhead is the expertise that almost everyone on the dance floor possesses. While natural ability could be the reason, it might also be because each swing night begins with basic swing lessons for those who are less-than-perfect dancers.

The Handlebar’s musical legacy is manifested on the walls — banners of upcoming shows, posters from previous shows and paintings of musical lore. An oil painting of the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, graces the pea green walls. Alongside, a huge guitar signed by musical legends and paintings of Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon.

But this musical history of The Handlebar continues most night through the acts, large and small, that grace its stages. Tonight’s act is Klarc Nova, and the notes resonate through the bar area to the vaulted ceiling. This is just a sampling of what regulars have come to expect from this place.

The Handlebar: A Listening Room is located at 304 E. Stone Ave. in Greenville. It is open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday to Friday and 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday. Outdoor seating is available and smoking is allowed in the bar and lobby areas.

Find out the answer at trivia night at the Nu-Way

It wasn’t a requirement Monday night to don a propeller beanie to score big time in trivia at the Nu-Way Restaurant and Lounge in Spartanburg.

Leslie Braxton, a resident of Spartanburg and a bartender at the Nu-Way, says trivia night has increased in popularity during the eight months the Sparkle City institution has been holding the event.

Trivia night “is definitely entertaining and very hilarious,” she said, adding that trivia host Donnie Patterson’s questions “go from Adult Swim to microbiology to whatever.”

The evening’s activities are the brainchild of Patterson and his roommate, Nu-Way owner Becky Hammond, during a trip to the Waffle House on New Year’s Day this year. The Nu-Way provided the equipment and Patterson provides the questions and entertainment for an hour and a half of questions that run the gamut from world politics to local celebrities.

While trivia is certainly a serious endeavor for some, “you definitely have to have a good sense of humor,” Braxton says. The questions “differ from week to week. I don’t know where he comes up with these questions.”

Patterson knows, with a slight knock on his head.

“I guess I never realized it, but I have a real random education as a biology and French major,” he says. He also draws from his background with microbiology and experience as a theater professor.

“A lot of stuff comes from my head, but I’m not a lot into sports, so I click onto Yahoo,” he says.

Enjoying the festivities in the slightly smoky tavern, the trio of Erica Brown, Melissa Pennington and Scott Quinn ponder the Irish author of “Dracula.”

And they’re there for more than just the trivia.

“We come to get dinner and hang out,” Quinn says. “We stay ’til 9 and then go home, get ready for work in the morning and do it all over again. We come here anyways as it’s our regular place. Trivia is just a bonus.”

Like a number of regulars, Pennington noted the variety of people who frequent Nu-Way.

Nu-Way has “a diverse crowd, cheap drinks and good music on Friday night,” she says, making sure to emphasize the dollar Bud Light and Budweiser specials on Mondays.

“You know the people here — the wait staff and the customers are your friends,” Quinn adds.

By the way, the “Dracula” question wasn’t a stumper — they quickly answered “Bram Stoker” and picked up some points.

However, it wasn’t enough points to overcome the lead of Matt Cathey, Meghan Cathey and Andrew Molinaro, who have been attending trivia night religiously since May.

On this night they took first prize: a $30 bar tab.

But to them, the prize was secondary because the entertainment value alone was enough to make it worth the while.

“Donnie brings so much humor to the game,” Matt Cathey says. “We went and played trivia elsewhere in town, and needless to say, the hosts were less than favorable — we did not return. In fact, we left early because it was just that boring.”

Patterson “brings it to a whole ‘nother level,” he adds.

Shuffling a deck of Uno cards, Meghan Cathey described Nu-Way as “the best place to just sit and hang out.”

Certainly you could just hang out at Nu-Way and chat with your friends. Molinaro noted that the bar “is not overly loud — I like that — you can have a conversation.”

On this night, the bar was eerily quiet despite the packed house — everyone was focused on trivia.

Part of the ambience is the musical selection Patterson plays during the evening.

“I bring my CDs in here and I try to play local artists,” he says. “I just try to play a lot of different stuff — whatever makes me happy.”

Nu-Way isn’t a college bar, nor is it a bar for the older crowd. Everyone there used the same word to describe it: diverse.

“We get everybody out here — people I went to college with all the way down,” Patterson noted. “Everybody has stories about this place. The proudest thing is that anybody can come in here, grab a beer and grab a cheeseburger.”

Nu-Way has been under its current ownership since January 2005, and to the relief of its patrons, nothing has changed.

“Nu-Way rocks because everybody feels comfortable in here,” owner Becky Hammond says. “It hasn’t changed in 60 years. It’s consistent and fun.”

She worked at the bar for four years before becoming owner and describes it as “your quintessential neighborhood bar.”

Regulars are, as Hammond notes, “our heart and soul” and certainly a major part of the Nu-Way fabric that began long ago as a hot dog and beer joint that notably sold Pabst Blue Ribbon and continues to do so today.

Nu-Way Restaurant and Lounge is at 373 E. Kennedy St. in Spartanburg. It’s open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday to Friday and 11 a.m.-midnight Saturday. In addition to Monday night trivia, the bar has live music on Tuesday and Friday as well as a jukebox. Those looking to quench their thirst will find as many as 30 varieties of beers available on any given night and three on tap.