DENVER, COLO. (7/21/09) -- Swallow Hill Music is thrilled to welcome back acclaimed singer/songwriter Joe Pug, with special guest Meg Hutchinson, to their Daniels Hall stage on Friday, October 16 at 8 p.m.

Swallow Hill first presented Joe Pug at their Third Annual RootsFest at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Saturday, March 28, 2009. Pug was a showcase artist for the event featuring headliners Hot Rize, Rickie Lee Jones and Leo Kottke. He recently showcased at this past weekend's Mile High Music Festival, and was invited to be a part of the upcoming Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, in addition to other esteemed festivals and events such as Bonnaroo and the Newport Folk Festival. This Swallow Hill appearance is an excellent opportunity to catch this rising star in an intimate setting.

The day before his senior year as a playwright student at the University of North Carolina, Joe Pug sat down for a cup of coffee and had the clearest thought of his life: I am profoundly unhappy here. Then came the second clearest: Pug packed up his belongings and drove the longest route possible to Chicago. Working as a carpenter by day, the 23-year-old Pug spent nights playing the guitar he hadn't picked up since his teenage years. Using ideas originally slated for a play he was writing called "Austin Fish," Pug began creating the sublime lyrical masterpiece that would become the Nation of Heat EP.

The songs were recorded fast and fervently at a Chicago studio where a friend snuck him in to late night slots other musicians had canceled. He was short on money, but his bare-boned sincerity didn't require much more than a microphone and it dripped off of each note he sang. In May of 2008, Pug played the first headlining slot of his young career to a sold out crowd at Chicago's storied Schubas Tavern. Two weeks later he released the Nation of Heat EP, which has garnered near-universal critical acclaim and established him as one of the most respected songwriters of his generation. My Old Kentucky Blog writes: "Fans of quality songwriting need to hunt down a copy of Nation of Heat."

Meg Hutchinson, who delivers "elegant, free floating melodies that feel both modern and rooted," (Boston Globe), will open for Pug.

Tickets are now on sale at www.swallowhillmusic.org (now with no processing fees) or by calling (303) 777-1003 x2. Discounts are available for Swallow Hill members. Buy in advance and save! This press release is also available online at http://www.swallowhillmusic.org/newsroom/newsmain.htm and also as a RSS Feed at http://www.swallowhillmusic.org/xml/newsroom/rss/SwallowHillNews.xml.

About Swallow Hill Music Association:
Helping people make and enjoy music since 1979, Swallow Hill Music Association celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2009 as one of the largest nonprofit institutions of its kind in the United States as a source for folk, roots and acoustic music. With more than 2,300 members, Swallow Hill provides a place to celebrate music that is rarely heard elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region. Three concert venues house more than 200 performances a year, featuring some of the world's great artists as well as up-and-coming new talent. Swallow Hill’s Julie Davis School of Music offers classes for every interest, skill level and member of the family. Each year, a faculty of 60 instructors provides training to more than 4,000 students. A Tier II member of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Swallow Hill has been named one of the Top 25 Movers & Shakers in Arts & Culture by the Rocky Mountain News, has won both the Mayor's and Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts and countless "Best of Denver" awards, has been recognized by the North American Folk Alliance, and is one of the most sought-after venues by folk and roots performers in the country.