Frigid as it may be outside, things are just starting to heat up this week thanks to Student Events' "Winter Jam 2005." As a part of the three-day event this weekend, the very popular Keller Williams will be performing in Levin Ballroom this Thursday.Williams is a rising star in the world of live music and jam bands. He garnered praise while touring alongside well-established acts like Bla Fleck and the Flecktones, The String Cheese Incident, Michael Franti, Spearhead, and Umphrey's McGee.

Williams has performed three out of the last four years at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee, an annual gathering of the biggest names in live music. Williams missed the festival in 2004, and instead spent the year performing with Bla Fleck and the Flecktones and the Yonder Mountain String Band during the very successful Acoustic Planet Tour.

A self-taught musician and disciple of the late new age guitarist Michael Hedges, Williams displays his rhythmic and percussive influences by performing as a virtual one-man band. Keller employs an elaborate Gibson Echoplex delay system which allows him to loop several live instruments while performing with one of his numerous acoustic guitars.

Williams has always been a vocal supporter of an open-taping policy at his live shows throughout his more than decade-long career. He has developed a dedicated fan base along the way, many of whom travel around the country to record his live performances.

Within the ever-growing jam-band scene, Williams is known for his unconventional folk songwriting and often humorous lyrical style. Williams' songs frequently reveal his attitudes on everything from life and touring to more controversial topics like the legalization of marijuana.

Keller Williams will perform in the Levin Ballroom on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005 as part of Winter Jam 2005. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show will begin at 9 p.m. Winter Jam is co-sponsored by Student Events, Brandeis Hillel, the Student Union and WBRS.