When Mike Carter moved to Whistler about seven years ago he could play guitar a little, but there was no way he would have been able to stand on stage and play — let alone sing and play at the same time.

But with the 2010 Winter Olympics on the horizon, Carter said he set himself a goal: to perform in Whistler as part of the Games programming. He admits the aspiration seemed “far fetched” and “a bit absurd” at the time, but Carter and his band Tommy Honest and the Liars performed on the Village Square stage during the Paralympics in March.

“It was kind of neat to see how far it came in that period of time,” he said. “It seemed like an indication we were headed in the right direction.”

Indeed, things seem to be continuing to unfold for Tommy Honest and the Liars. Even though the band has only been together about a year, recent gigs have included the BassCoast Festival in Squamish and the Deraylor Music Festival in Whistler. On Sunday (Sept. 5) the band is scheduled to play a set at the Live at Squamish music festival.

Carter said audience members can expect to hear about nine original tunes when Tommy Honest and the Liars take the stage. Dancing and good times are in store. In fact, Carter described the band’s sound as “dance music before there were DJs.”

“It’s an eclectic mix of maritime mountain music,” he said.

Though Carter and drummer Dean Feser had been playing music together for a few years, Tommy Honest and the Liars began to take shape when bass player Craig Jones started to join in. The five-man lineup was completed when Drew Bennett, a co-worker of Carter’s at the time, revealed that he played the trumpet. Bennett invited a friend, Jason Trickey, to join as lead guitarist and the band was complete.

The band’s name came from a brainstorming session Carter and another friend had one night when they were on their way to an open mic night, he said.

So far, the aim with Tommy Honest has been to nail down a solid 45-mintue set of original music to position the band as an ideal opening act for groups that come through Whistler, Carter said. Despite his earlier “far fetched” goal to play on the Olympic stage, his current plans seem to be well within reach. Carter said in the future he’d like to see the band secure a small West Coast tour opening for another act.

Another next step is recording — Tommy Honest laid down a few tracks last fall, but they’ve come a long way since then and want to have another kick at the can, he said. The guys are also talking about entering a few band competitions in Vancouver, he added.

“We’re definitely looking to keep moving up as much as we can,” Carter said. “We want to keep it in perspective but keep moving ahead.”

Support the local sounds of Tommy Honest and the Liars at the Live at Squamish music festival, which runs Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 4 and 5). Tommy Honest is set to play Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on the Serf Stage.

Whistler band Kostaman is also scheduled to play at the festival — Saturday on the Stawamus Stage.

The two-day event features bands such as Devo, Matthew Good, The Decemberists, Bad Religion and many more. Singl-day tickets and weekend passes are available. For all the details, visit liveatsquamish.com.