Updated with new information provided by Live Nation.
There has always been a special link between John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie—two American originals who wrote about the common man and promoted social activism during the middle decades of the last century. Now Live Nation is making that link explicit with a event September 20 in Concord CA that celebrates the legacy of both artists.
This Land Is Your Land is a mini-festival of music, art and spoken word performances that the producers says will honor "the American spirit of resilience and resolve" that characterized both men's work. The performers are Sheryl Crow, Cat Power, Henry Rollins, Mike Ness, Son Volt and Sarah Lee Guthrie & Jimmy Irion, chosen because of their dedication to social activism and human rights, according to the promoter.
Guthrie and Irion are descendants of the two honorees whose marriage to each other represents one link between Steinbeck and Guthrie. Another is their common interest in migrant workers displaced during the years of the Great Depression—expressed in Steinbeck's great novel "The Grapes of Wrath" and in Guthrie's "Dust Bowl Ballads," including classic songs such as "Pastures of Plenty." Guthrie also penned "The Ballad of Tom Joad," named for the lead character in Steinbeck's novel.
One attraction of the festival will be a display of historical artifacts from archive collections of both men's lives and work.
While some the issues that Guthrie and Steinbeck wrote about were specific to their day, the event attempts to draw a connection to subjects such as climate change, income disparity and home foreclosures that are relevant today.
That's a worthy idea, but attendees may wonder about the connection between the honorees' ideals and the commercial purpose of the event. Live Nation says that $5 of the cost of each ticket will benefit "the John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie family foundations [and] organizations intent on preserving the manuscripts and materials of, and educating the public about, John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie," but it does not specify how much of a portion.
By contrast, the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah OK is free to attend, reportedly a condition for their support by the Guthrie family. Sarah Lee Guthrie's involvement in this event implies some level of support from family members. A Live Nation spokesman said that "the free show is free because it doesn’t have the musical talent that this show does."
Reserved tickets for the event at the Concord Sleep Train Pavilion range from $46 to $80. General admission lawn tickets are $31, or less in packs of four. Visit Live Nation for more information and to purchase tickets.
