Deep Dish Theater Celebrates 1st Anniversary of Songwriters Up Close Series

Deep Dish Theater will celebrate the first anniversary of its Words to Music, the Songwriters Up Close Series, with an intimate night of acoustic performances Friday, January 22 at 8 p.m. The show will feature local mainstays Dex Romweber, John Howie, Jr., and Holly Harding Baddour.

Dex Romweber, a fixture of the American music underground scene, is the former frontman for Flat Duo Jets. He has released nine albums, as well as shared the spotlight with such artists as R.E.M. and the B-52's on film (Athens, GA Inside Out) and Iggy Pop and the White Stripes on stage. As part of the Dex Romweber Duo with his sister, Sara Romweber, he has performed across the US and Europe, touring with acts such as Cat Power and Southern Culture on the Skids.

John Howie Jr. has been cultivating a distinctive brand of honky-tonk and country rock since 1996 when he formed the Two Dollar Pistols. He has recorded seven albums, toured heavily in the US and Europe, and shared the stage with such artists as Merle Haggard, Billy Joe Shaver, and Carlene Carter. He now splits his time between two acts: the high-energy, five piece ensemble John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff and the sleek trio John Howie Jr. and the Sweethearts.

With vocals that are "fresh... haunting... ethereal" (Atomic Magazine), Holly Harding Baddour has entranced Chapel Hill audiences. She has recorded and toured in a band with Tom Maxwell of Squirrel Nut Zippers and Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five. She has also lent her voice, "poignance defined" (All Music Guide), to Chapel Hill's Faustina.

Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, on Estes Drive and US 15-501.

The Deep Dish Theater Company is committed to presenting compelling, human-centered dramatic work that contributes to the cultural richness of the Triangle area and challenges audiences to explore concerns of the community and the world-at-large.

Tickets for the show are $12. They are available at the Deep Dish box office in University Mall, Wednesday to Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m., at www.deepdishtheater.org, or (919) 968-1515.

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