Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday celebrated with music, theater, other events

Woody Guthrie would have turned 100 this Saturday, and the centennial of his birth is being celebrated worldwide with concerts, panels, theater productions and CD releases. A full listing of Woody Guthrie centennial events can be found at www.woody100.com.

Live performances in the D.C. region

Tuesday: Woody Guthrie Centennial Birthday Celebration, featuring Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion. 8:30 p.m. $15-$20. Hill Country. 410 Seventh St. NW.

Thursday: Woody Guthrie’s 100th Birthday Tribute Concert, featuring the U-Liners and Magpie. 7:30 p.m. $15. Takoma Park Civic Auditorium. 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park.

Oct. 13: Woody Guthrie Program panel discussion at the Library of Congress.

Oct. 14: This Land is Your Land Tribute concert at the Kennedy Center.

Nov. 8 to Dec. 2: Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie. Theater J/Washington DC Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St. NW.

New publications and recordings

“Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection.” Smithsonian Folkways. Book and CDs.

“Little Seed: Songs for Children by Woody Guthrie” by Elizabeth Mitchell. Smithsonian Folkways.

Recommended reading

“Bound for Glory” by Woody Guthrie. In many ways, this freewheeling and acutely observant autobiography, first published in 1943, reveals Guthrie as both a descendant of Mark Twain and a precursor to the Beats.

“Woody Guthrie: A Life” by Joe Klein. Before Joe Klein became a well-known pundit and political commentator, he tackled Woody Guthrie’s biography. Published in 1980, this is a complete and compelling portrait of the influential folksinger.