Veteran local folksinger Jake Speed is Greater Cincinnati’s foremost torchbearer of the legacy of music icon Woody Guthrie. Besides making original music that celebrates the legend's Folk music blueprints (including Guthrie's lyrical mix of humor, passion
and social justice), more than two decades ago Speed hosted his first WoodyFest, playing Woody tunes and spinning Woody tales for a handful of friends at a Northside café.
On Feb. 23 at the long-running Folk music event Leo Coffeehouse, Speed and his band The Freddies marked the 80th anniversary of the writing of “This Land is Your Land,” Guthrie’s immortal classic.
The 2020 WoodyFest is set for Saturday, March 7. This year marks the event’s 22nd-annual edition.
Returning to Northside after a few years at Mount St. Joseph University, the event will take place at Liberty Exhibition Hall (3938 Spring Grove Ave., libertyexhibitionhall.org) and feature a pair of Speed’s fellow Cincinnati Americana scene greats. Mike Oberst of The Tillers and Ed Cunningham of the Comet Bluegrass All-Stars will join Speed and The Freddies for the 7 p.m. celebration.
The artists will, according to the press release, “play the songs of Woody Guthrie while they tell the story of this iconic Dust Bowl balladeer whose songs gave voice to hard-hit, Depression-era working folks,” including tunes like “This Land” and “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know Yuh,” as well as songs like Bob Dylan’s “Song to Woody.” Northside’s Downbound Books will also be on hand with a selection of Guthrie (and Guthrie-related) books for sale.
Connor Albers, co-host of WAIF radio's labor-union-focussed program Boiling Point, is MCing this year's WoodFest, which will also feature an appearance by "space painter" (aka juggler) Tom Sparough, who will tell the story behind "This Land is Your Land" (yes, while juggling).
WoodyFest 2020 tickets are $10 and available — along with more show info — at freddiesmusic.com/woodyfest.
