Jeff Slate will be joining Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and an all-star cast to celebrate the 80th birthday of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” at Town Hall in New York City on Sunday, February 23rd.
Tickets via http://bit.ly/38pHb1q
Full info, courtesy of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, OK:
This Land is Your Land: A Celebration of 80 years
Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Center marks the 80th anniversary of Woody writing the classic anthem with a New York City concert
TULSA, Okla. — From elementary school music classes to the Super Bowl halftime show, Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” has lived as part of our culture for 80 years, an endearing letter to the beauty of America and what we can do to make it better for everyone.
To celebrate the 80th anniversary of when it was written, the Woody Guthrie Center will host a concert on Feb. 23 at The Town Hall in New York City, around the corner from where Guthrie first wrote the song on Feb. 23, 1940. The program will feature performances by Oklahoma native John Fullbright, Gangstagrass, Jeff Tweedy and a few special guests. Tickets start at $50 plus fees and go on sale Dec. 16, available at thetownhall.org.
The timeless song — written about three days after Guthrie traveled across the country and arrived in New York City — describes what he saw during his travels, from the bounty of resources in the “golden valley” to the line at the Relief Office, where Woody “saw my people.”
“For 80 years, ‘This Land is Your Land’ has been for many of us an alternate national anthem,” said Deana McCloud, executive director of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Okla. “Woody’s lyrics are timeless as they praise the beauty and bountiful resources of our country, but they also question the way we share and care for those rich blessings. The Woody Guthrie Center is proud to be gathering friends from along that ribbon of highway to join us in the same neighborhood where Woody wrote these important words to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the song—and we will be singing ALL of the verses Woody wrote on that day.”
The event will be a celebration of music, presented by musicians who follow in Guthrie’s footsteps, using their art to inform and inspire. Tweedy worked with Guthrie’s unpublished lyrics to assemble the Mermaid Avenue series of albums with his band Wilco and songwriter Billy Bragg; Grammy-nominated songwriter Fullbright grew up not far from Woody’s own hometown of Okemah, Okla.; while Gangstagrass highlights a new wave of music fusion that tells stories of struggle and justice.
Proceeds from the concert will help the Woody Guthrie Center continue its mission of sharing Guthrie’s message of diversity, equality, and social justice, providing tours of the museum, outreach programs, admission to the museum, and music workshops at no cost to students. Through the support of our members and friends, thousands of students experience Guthrie’s music and message each year for free.
About The Woody Guthrie Center
The Woody Guthrie Center, opened on April 27, 2013, features state of the art exhibits, an extensive outreach and education program, and a concert series to bring his legacy to Tulsans and those who make the pilgrimage to what is a destination for Woody Guthrie fans worldwide.
The Center is more than a museum; instead, it is a center of investigation for inspiration. By providing examples of Guthrie’s ability to use his creativity as a way of expressing the world around him, we hope to encourage others to find their voices and, through their educational programs, explore the power that lies within the creative process. For more information, please visit www.woodyguthriecenter.org.