The marquee for the New Year’s Eve show at The Grey Eagle may read Unknown Hinson, but the self-proclaimed “king of country-western troubadours” is anything but anonymous.

HOP TO IT: Local collective Mick Glasgow & the House Hoppers put a New Orleans-style spin on New Year's Eve at the recently opened S&W Cafeteria. New Year’s Eve events Still trying to decide where to ring in 2016? Here are a few options. For more ideas, revisit last week’s extensive roundup. • There are two options for celebrating at the Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville. Ellen Trnka plays blues, Americana and rock with Howie Johnson and Craig Woody from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by blues band Ross Osteen and Crossroads from 9 p.m. to midnight. sabrewery.com • In true “Auld Lang Syne” style, Lex 18 serves up a New Year’s Eve Sentimental Journey Dinner Show. The restaurant will be decorated in post-Edwardian style, the Shiela Gordon Trio is slated to perform torch songs, and a four-course dinner will be served. 6 p.m. $95-$110 per person (gratuity not included). newyearsevelex18.bpt.me • Mean Mary and the Contrarys take the stage as part of the Waynesville-based Classic Wineseller’s festivities — a dinner and show. 7-10 p.m. $65 per person (plus beverage, tax and tip). classicwineseller.com • The New Year’s Eve Hootenanny, now in its fourth year at Oscar Blues, includes “food from the Oskar Blues CHUBwagon, fresh craft brews, killer tunes and more surprises throughout the night,” according to the brewery’s website. The Black Lillies, Town Mountain, Pisgah Pickers and more are on the roster. 7 p.m. $45 day of event. oscarblues.com • The Social Lounge hosts a masquerade ball for the second year. “The event will be held in true burlesque fashion, so bring your mask and high style in celebration of a fresh new year,” says a press release. The evening includes appetizers and a Champagne toast. $5. socialloungeasheville.com • The $5 cover for the annual New Year’s Eve dance party, hosted by Asheville FM, benefits the local nonprofit radio station. Plus, the station’s DJs spin tunes all night at DeSoto Lounge. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. ashevillefm.org • “Are you a disenfranchised loner and think you might stay in? We welcome you,” says the Facebook invite for New Year’s Eve with The Jangling Sparrows, held at Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria. “Do you wanna kick out with a fun band? This is the place to be,” the band, led by singer-songwriter Paul Edelman, promises. “We’re really going to have fun — no sh*t! And we’ll have a few surprises up our sleeves.” 9 p.m. • “The Secret B-Sides return to Bywater in search of adventure, glory and the solid-gold baby-making good-times music that started it all,” says the Facebook invite for the party knows as On the Beaches of EARth — aka NYE at The Bywater. “Live music by the Secret B-Sides will be visually accompanied by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s live jellyfish cam in HD, followed by … all six original Star Wars movies projected on top of each other, at once.” Will all of that actually happen? You’ll only know if you go. 9 p.m. bywater.bar • You can celebrate a new year by going back in time at the newly opened S&W Cafeteria. There, a ’20s-inspired evening features music from seven-piece New Orleans jazz band Mick Glasgow & the House Hoppers plus prizes, hors d’oeuvres and a Champagne toast. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $25. swneyparty.eventbrite.com • If your New Year’s resolution is to rein in the spending, you can start with a free show at Ben’s Tune-Up. “This will be a happy, happy, fun time,” promises local indie-folk band Matt Townsend & the Wonder of the World, which will play two sets including originals and “a heretofore rare event in our shows: covers.” 9 p.m. benstuneup.com • Head to Hot Springs where the Spring Creek Tavern holds its annual New Year’s Eve Bash. There will be a masquerade party and ball drop, and WilderBeest takes the stage from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. thespringcreektavern.com • If you like a theme party, here’s a good one: Banks Ave. (formerly known as Public School) holds a Black & Gold party. “Black and gold attire highly encouraged,” says the Facebook invite. “Be gorgeous. Be fabulous.” DJ Kipper Schauer spins, Rose Hecht Creative provides a photo booth, and there will be a PBR toast at midnight. No cover. 10 p.m.-2 a.m. avl.mx/23b • R&B band Blood Gypsies promise a soulful start to the new year. They’ll start playing at 10 p.m. at Foggy Mountain Brew Pub. foggymountainavl.com Find more New Year’s Eve happenings in Calendar and Clubland. — Alli Marshall



The electrifying singer and guitarist, who has penned infamous musical comedy gems including “Your Man Is Gay,” “Peace, Love and Hard Liquor” and “I Ain’t Afraid of Your Husband” counts “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening and internationally acclaimed actor Billy Bob Thornton among his devotees. He’s also the voice of the cantankerous cephalopod Early Cuyler on Cartoon Network’s subversive late-night animated epic, “Squidbillies,” and has released eight studio albums in addition to the 2012 concert retrospective, Live and Undead.

But don’t think these honors have gone to Unknown Hinson’s widow’s peaked head. He was already full of a unique mix of humility and braggadocio long before he made his first appearances on Charlotte’s cable access TV in the 1990s, and has not changed much since. “I just strap on my guitar, then sing and play,” Hinson says. “I make a sound. Some people like it. Some people hate it, but I’m gonna do it no matter what. As far as my show goes, I just play and do what I do.”

Hinson’s act is an acquired taste. Early in his touring career he arrived at shows in a classic automobile chauffeured by a zombie-esque character named Gustave. He then proceeded to discharge a starter’s pistol into the crowd after instructing the female attendants to “say goodbye to your boyfriend and hello to your manfriend.”

For the easily offended, it’s important to know this about Unknown Hinson: He’s actually the brainchild of articulate former guitar teacher Stuart Daniel Baker, who created this ego-addled character more than 20 years ago to play with Southern stereotypes. Hinson is an over-the-top exaggeration of the average blue-collar good ol’ boy who may have fixed your car’s transmission or took forever buying lottery tickets when you were patiently waiting to pay for gas. He’s also one who can wail on the guitar and make you groove while you laugh at and with him.

Neither identity wants to acknowledge the relationship between this hillbilly-gothic stage persona and the man behind the music, and that only adds to the mystique. “I don’t have nothin’ to do with that Baker fella,” Hinson says. “He’s been stalkin’ me for good on 30 years now. I think he needs to seek professional help.”

While there’s no further discussion of the man behind the curtain, Hinson is more than happy to discuss how his animated adventures have created a decidedly odd and awesome awareness of his music and adventures.

“Fans of mine, they get to know ‘Squidbillies’ because of me, then people who have never heard of me see my name at the end and get to wondering what all that’s about,” he says. “It’s definitely a big help to me, and the Adult Swim people in Atlanta are really great, creative people to work with.”

“Squidbillies” is currently in production for a 10th season of 15-minute episodes, an achievement of which Baker, Early Cuyler and Hinson are all deservedly proud.

“Ten is a decade, and that’s a long time for a cartoon,” the musician says. “It’s longer than ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ was on and we’re stronger than ever.”

So what should fans expect when Unknown Hinson plays a special New Year’s Eve show with opening acts Drunken Prayer and Little Lesley & The Bloodshots? “I’ve played hundreds of New Year’s shows, but there might be some seasonal surprises in the repertoire,” he says. “Ring out the old, ring in the new; pretty much the same mess everywhere in the world. Unknown Hinson is still alive, baby, doing what I do, and I ain’t about to damn stop at all. If you will be there, I will be there singin’ my guts out for you.”

WHO: Unknown Hinson with Drunken Prayer and Little Lesley & The Bloodshots

WHERE: The Grey Eagle, thegreyeagle.com

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m. $20 in advance/$25 day of show