Speaking of upcoming outdoor shows, Durham's American Tobacco Amphitheatre has put out a 10-show schedule for this year's Music on the Lawn series. Sponsored by WUNC-FM's Back Porch Music, the lineup draws from the roots and Americana end of the spectrum:

April 30 -- Chatham County Line

May 21 -- Mike Cross

June 4 -- Uncle Earl

June 18 -- Kickin' Grass

July 30 -- Laura Boosinger & Josh Goforth

Aug. 13 -- Stillhouse Bottom Band

Aug. 20 -- Thad Cockrell

Sept. 10 -- Gravy Boys

Sept. 17 -- Paul Brown and the Mostly Mountain Boys

Oct. 8 -- Music Maker Relief Foundation showcase with Cool John Ferguson, Captain Luke, John Dee Holeman, others

If you want to take an iconic, possibly prize-winning photograph, you could do a whole lot worse for subjects than John Dee Holeman. The venerable Durham bluesman's image appeared on a book cover earlier this year; and a Holeman portrait by Raleigh photographer Jimmy Williams just won first place in the fourth annual Black and White Spider Awards. It's the cover of Holeman's latest album, "You Got to Lose; You Can't Win All the Time" (Music Maker Recordings), and it won first place for "Outstanding Achievement in the category of Advertising."

Last month, 79-year-old Durham bluesman John Dee Holeman had to cancel a gig to have an emergency stent procedure to fix his heart. I'm happy to report that he's doing fine, but the surgery left him with some medical bills to pay. So there's a benefit show on Friday at Pizza Palace in Durham.

Holeman being Holeman, he's playing at his own benefit show, along with Andy Coats. No cover, but they're playing for donations. So before you head for that night's CyFest show at Cat's Cradle, drop on by between 7 and 10 p.m. and help fill up the tip jar.

Friday's paper had an introduction to the local music scene, spotlighting seven shows that will give newcomers a feel for the breadth and depth of local music. And we have a change in the location of one of those shows, Inflowential's performance at Saturday's Obama-for-President rally. That event is now happening in Cary as part of Saturday's Lazy Daze Festival, 1-3 p.m. in the parking lot of Cary Obama headquarters.

Another act mentioned in the story is Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies, playing Saturday night at Slim's in downtown Raleigh. VVATLL also play Thursday evening at Art on the Edge, a festival in downtown Raleigh. It's a free show also featuring Birds of Avalon, Cartridge Family and Huguenots.

For more verbiage about other acts spotlighted in that story, here are some links for Rosebuds, Megafaun, Red Collar and John Dee Holeman.

ADDENDUM (8/27/08): Stereogum interview with Megafaun.