Jon Dee Graham's an amazing guitar player, a former bandmate of Alejandro Escovedo, and a strong solo artist in his own right. So, if you get a chance to see him in someone's basement, go. The set started off with "Tie A Knot," from his lastest solo album, Full. Graham's coal-gargling voice gets him a lot of Tom Waits comparisons, but that doesn't really sum the music up.
Sorry for the blurry-demon-wraith photo quality--didn't want to flash right in their faces.
Memorable banter moments:
-"When someone comes up to you and says, 'It's all good,' they're either an idiot or a fuckin' liar."
-To bass player Harmonie Kelly: "I'm not the one drinking wine out of a Muppets glass... did you just correct me on which Muppet it is?"
Opening: Kelly Pardekooper, a Madison-based, country-centric singer-songwriter who's attracted some international airplay and tour dates over the years. His latest, Brand New Bag, is a pretty solid set of songs, and, according to a one-sheet, includes performances from John Doe, Greg Brown, Junior Brown, and Jo Dee Messina. Here, his friend and also-reliable local singer-songwriter Josh Harty backed him on guitar.
