Billy Jonas, Eric Schwartz
Play at the Live Oak Coffeehouse

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Jeff Dorsch, Concert Publicity: 925-7874
Concert Line: 219-9008
Coffeehouse Web Site: www.liveoakuu.org/coffee


MAY 2003 (Austin, Texas) - In the last concert at its original venue, the
Live Oak Coffeehouse Concert Series presents Billy Jonas of Asheville, N.C.
and Eric Schwartz of Massachusetts in a benefit performance for the
Williamson County Crisis Center. The performance is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday,
May 9, at the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church in Northwest Austin.

Admission is $10 or a season pass at the door. Gourmet coffee and pastries
will be served, and are included in the price of admission.

As always, the concert will be smoke-free and alcohol-free, putting the
emphasis on the music and the musicians. Three-quarters of the gate goes to
the performers, and one-quarter to the selected charity. Since the
coffeehouse is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, all of the money
from admissions paid at the door and season passes goes to the performers and
the charity.

The Williamson County Crisis Center is dedicated to empowering victims of
family violence, sexual assault, and other violent crimes through support and
advocacy, while promoting community awareness, compassion, and responsibility
for creating a safer community. For more details, call the center's office in
Round Rock at 255-1212, or visit the Web site at www.main.org/wccc.

A Billy Jonas performance is an explosion of energy. In sing-alongs,
bang-alongs, whisper-alongs, as well as improvised songs, his primary
instrument is the audience. Everyone becomes part of a performance that
reaches out and "touches even the most hardened of hearts" (Fayetteville
Morning News). Concerts begin with a simple "tuning" of the audience; from
there a whimsical trajectory carries listeners through stories of life, love,
and triumph over 'Murphy's Law.' Jonas' original pieces are played on
fanciful "industrial re-percussion" instruments made from found objects. He
sings in a clear tenor voice; his guitar work is adventurous, alternately
percussive and lyrical. Jonas' heartwarming work has been enjoyed across
North America since 1987. Previously a member of the highly acclaimed duo,
The Billys, he has been featured at prestigious festivals and venues
nationwide. Jonas has shared stages with some of the world's favorite
acoustic artists, including Patti Larkin, Ani DiFranco, David Wilcox, Richard
Thompson, and Pete Seeger. Jonas' recent CD, "Life So Far," sparkles with
unique perspectives and found sounds. Songs filled with hope, yearning,
wonder, and wisdom include special guests David Wilcox, Glen Velez, Robert
Moog (on Theramin), and Zimbabwe's Black Umfolosi voice and percussion choir.
Jonas also has released a video for younger audiences, entitled "Bangin' and
Sangin,'" that has garnered critical acclaim, including a Parents Choice Gold
Award, and inclusion on the New York Times "Best" listing. Billy Jonas'
performances will inspire, inform, and enlighten. His work is born out of
respect and reverence, and seeks to honor the creative energy in everyone.
Billy provides performances and workshops for adult audiences and/or family
audiences.

He spins tales from a tangled inner web, approaching each song as if it was
its own one-man show. Refusing to be pigeonholed by form, genre, or
instrument, including that of his own voice, Eric Schwartz has been
entertaining audiences for more than ten years in the US and abroad. His
versatility is evident in his accomplishments of 2001 alone: composing a
score for a musical adaptation of Beowulf presented in NYC and working with
Broadway stars Andre DeShields and Billy Porter; performing in showcases at
the Falcon Ridge and Kerrville festivals; being selected for a formal
showcase at Northeast Folk Alliance and Kerrville main stage; releasing a CD
under an alter-ego 'Red' which enjoys continual airplay on radio including
the syndicated 'Dr. Demento' show; and releasing 'Napster Rap' via MP3
gathering Eric hundreds of new fans along with NPR radio attention. A degree
in biology from Tufts University and a former career as a touring bilingual
actor has furnished Eric Schwartz with a deftly analytical mind, an awesome
imagination, and a soul which thrives in the spotlight. Piano was Eric's
first instrument. After studying guitar in Madrid, he spent a year performing
on the streets and in the cafés of Europe (he can sing songs in five
languages and speaks Spanish and French). Eric then moved to Greenwich
Village and quickly became a staple on the vicious Village bar scene for five
years as he honed his craft as an original singer/songwriter, and began
pulling attention from some of the world's toughest audiences.

The Live Oak Coffeehouse will be moving to a new location in Northwest Austin
this summer, in time for the Fall 2003 season. Details will follow.

Doors open at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 9, at the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist
Church, located at 12310 Ranch Road 620 North. For driving directions, visit
the church's Web site at www.liveoakuu.org or call 219-9008.


THE LIVE OAK COFFEEHOUSE - GREAT MUSIC FOR GOOD CAUSES.
NOW IN OUR SIXTH YEAR.