Wow, what a great night! We were thrilled to see over 100 people turn out to learn about Woody Guthrie and the Grand Coulee Dam, and listen to music from local artists Trentalange, Matt Tilghman-Havens, and Naomi Wachira.

Greg Vandy, host of KEXP’s the Roadhouse, gave us the inside scoop of how Woody Guthrie, a left-leaning folk artist, got a contract with the federal government to write 26 songs about the Grand Coulee Dam (known as the Columbia River Collection). Songs written in this period include some of Guthrie’s most famous, including Pastures of Plenty and Roll On Columbia. We learned about the New Deal era push to make power a public resource, and how the development of the Grand Coulee Dam set the stage for development in Eastern Washington, especially the Hanford nuclear project and the Tri-Cities.

If you weren’t able to join us, we have you covered!

• Get a copy of Greg Vandy’s book that inspired the event, 26 Songs in 30 Days.
• Hear more from Woody Guthrie and our local musicians with our custom playlist.

Thanks for Greg and our local artists for leading the program, and to our sponsors Patagonia, 805 Beer and Bucha Belly.