Country Joe McDonald's Tribute to Woody Guthrie August 3, 2012

2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Woody Guthrie, the founding father of American folk music. In honor of this centennial celebration, Country Joe McDonald (leader of the '60s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and The Fish) will be releasing a new CD and touring America with his songs and stories, paying tribute to one of our country's greatest musical treasures. This is McDonald's 11th year of performing his Tribute show. "McDonald knows Guthrie. In a two-act, 100-minute presentation, he weaves together Guthrie's best-loved songs and some writings from Guthrie's autobiography, his novel, and his Daily Worker newspaper column. The piece from Guthrie's autobiography about him selling root beer during Prohibition almost sounds more like something out of Will Rogers or Mark Twain. McDonald channels this wry, compassionate man's wisdom without ever getting in the way, a refreshingly egoless performance by someone who remains as amazed by Guthrie as anyone." -Joel Selvin, The San Francisco Chronicle.