AUGUSTA – The Allman Brothers will return to Maine for the first time in almost 20 years, bringing their classic rock and Southern blues to the Augusta Civic Center Friday, July 8. Gavin DeGraw will open the 8 p.m. show.

After three decades, The Allman Brothers Band are one of the most influential rock groups in America and one of the most respected rock acts of their era, redefining rock music and its boundaries. The band’s mix of blues, country, jazz, and even classical influences, and their powerful, extended onstage jamming, altered the standards of concert performance. They gave it all a distinctly Southern voice and, in the process, opened the way for a wave of ’70s rock acts from south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Some of the Allman Brothers’ greatest hits include “Melissa”, “Ramblin’ Man,” “One Way Out” and “Midnight Rider.”

DeGraw’s debut album, “Chariot,” hit the airwaves in June 2003, and just went platinum this January. The beginning of 2005 also saw his second single, “I Don’t Want to Be,” reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 40 chart.

Tickets are available at the Augusta Civic Center and at all Ticketmaster locations. Call (207)775-3331 or go online to www.ticketmaster.com.