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Tonight at Town Hall the mighty Greg Vandy, a gentleman best known for his long running, weekly radio show on Seattle's KEXP, the Roadhouse (which features well curated roots, blues, and deep Americana music) will be having a sit down discussion with local music journalist/historian Charles Cross regarding Vandy’s fabulous new biography, 26 Songs in 30 Days, Woody Guthrie’s Columbia River Songs and the Planned Promised Land in the Pacific Northwest. Guthrie, by the way, is prolly best remembered as an American pre-war songster/folkie and exhaustive songwriter who influenced, in one way or another, almost every musician who followed.

The book, and tonight's conversation, really serves to expand our understanding of the political context in which Guthrie actually wrote 26 songs in 30 days for the Bonneville Power Administration; he was hired by the BPA to promote the social benefits, affordable electricity and water for irrigation, the Grand Coulee Dam would provide.

I should note Vandy was inspired to suss out the full story of Guthrie’s time spent in the Northwest during a visit to the Grand Coulee Dam where he heard a version of Guthrie’s “Roll On, Columbia.” And that lead to an exclusive three hour show of Guthrie on the Roadhouse which lead to 26 Songs In 30 Days. I love how the seed of a single song can reverberate so deep.

Also on the bill tonight, and performing some of Guthrie’s best known songs, will be Mike Giacolino and Chalet Morrison.