This family owned restaurant/bar is home to the Herndon Brothers Band, est. in ’86, who can be found strumming out classic country and rock hits, along with some originals written by guitarist and son to the owners Ray Herndon. His brother Ron plays the keyboard alongside Stuart Golladay on bass , Duane Wriston on guitar and Dave Rose on drums. Oh yeah, and they all get down on vocals too. Together they entertain lively crowds of country and classic Rock fans at Handlebars’ every Wednesday thru Sunday. They also offer dance lessons weekly to educate and inspire fans of music and followers of the band.
A true testament to their talent is their affiliation with many country greats including but not limited to Willie Nelson, and their induction in 2007 to the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. They have also had the honor of backing other country stars live on stage and in the recording studio.
If the true country experience is what you are looking for, or if you just want to enjoy some rockin’ live music then The Herndon Brothers are exactly what you want and their home at Handlebar J’s is where you will definitely find it. Grab your hat, dust off your boots and snag that pretty little thing at the bar to show her the new dance steps they taught you and just how much fun the Herndon Brothers Band’s country music can be.
When non Arizona natives think of the desert, they picture a bunch of hicks chewing straw on the front porch blowing into their empty jugs of moonshine to create a beat to grow old to. It is only when they actually visit that they see the errors of their thinking. Sure somewhere, probably in Apache Junction, someone is doing just that. Anyone else looking for the country spirit is sure to find it in the house band at Handlebar J’s.
