Press Release:

TEXAS GUITAR LEGEND JON DEE GRAHAM MAKES FIRST VERMONT APPEARANCES THANKS TO FREQUENT FLYER TICKET

It's hard to be a Guitar God and a homebody. John Dee Graham likes to stay home. Home in South Austin, on the other side of the Colorado River from the skyscrapers of downtown Austin, Texas. Home with his wife and kids. He prefers not to travel. But for three days in June, Jon Dee Graham will be in the hills of Vermont, appearing there for the first time at two tiny clubs and one quirky festival.

Wednesday, June 5, Jon Dee will appear at A State of Bean in Ludlow as part of the Big Chair Philosophers Series; on June 6 he'll be in Bellows Falls for Thursdays at Oona's; and on Saturday (after a show at the Iron Horse in Northampton on Friday) he'll appear at the Third Annual Roots on the River/Fred Eaglesmith Weekend, also in Bellows Falls.

"How can you turn down a frequent flyer ticket? The promoters of the Eaglesmith Weekend had one they were willing to give me," says Graham in his gruff, weathered Texas voice. "So I figured why not, even if I do have to change planes in Atlanta."

John Dee Graham plays rock and roll, "like if Neil Young and Crazy Horse came from Texas," says Jim Olsen of Signature Sounds, one of the underwriters of the Fred Eaglesmith Weekend, and an admirer of Graham's work. "It's powerful, anthemic, very dark stuff."

Graham's third disc, HOORAY FOR THE MOON, on New West Records deftly balances the warm textures of Graham's acoustic work with the frenetic energy of his live band shows. With Alejandro Escovedo, Graham founded the punk-fueled, country-inflected heartland rock band The True Believers, one of the most significant Austin bands of the last quarter-century (whose only major-label album was finally released years after the band broke up). Graham has also played lead guitar for Michelle Shocked, John Doe, Kelly Willis and countless others.

"Graham depicts a Texas where you can practically hear the echoes of Blind Willie Johnson and old border radio broadcasts riding on the dry, hot wind," says USA TODAY in their review of HOORAY FOR THE MOON.

"I first saw Jon Dee in Texas a couple of years ago," says Charlie Hunter of Flying Under Radar Concerts in Bellows Falls. "I was dragged to go see him by a friend who worked for Columbia Records. He absolutely knocked me out. I think Jon Dee is most powerful in his acoustic format, rather than his rock band, and this is how he'll be playing up here. This is really a don't-miss show."

"Charlie didn't have enough frequent flyer tickets for all of us," chuckles Graham. "So it's just me this time. If it goes well, we'll bring the whole gang up next go-round."

Jon Dee Graham will appear in Ludlow at A State of Bean on Wed., June 5 at 7pm, $10 admission. For tickets and information, call 802-228-2326. He will be at Oona's in Bellows Falls on Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 pm, $12 ($10 with dinner) - for reservations, call 802-463-9830.

On Saturday, June 8 he will be at the "Roots on the River" festival, tickets for which are $25, and available at Morning Star Cafe (Springfield), Village Square Books (Bellows Falls), Toadstool Books (Keene, NH), Heartstone Books (Putney), Meridian Music (Brattleboro) and Northampton Box Office or charge by phone 1-800-THE-TICK. For more information, contact Flying Under Radar at 802-463-3669 or visit www.flyingunderradar.com

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