This event will be preceded by the talk 'WOODY AT HOME: Woody Guthrie's Brooklyn Home Recordings, 1951-1952,' led by Anna Canoni, Woody Guthrie's granddaughter. LEARN MORE HERE!

7pm doors, 7:30pm show
$20 adv / $25 dos
Get a $5 discount to attend both the presentation and the concert!

This special evening draws influence from Woody Guthrie’s plain-spoken poetry, his compassion for humanity, and his belief that songs can be tools for solidarity. Cole Quest and The City Pickers will present original songs alongside selections from Woody’s catalog, as well as songs of protest and community from artists in his circle, including Pete Seeger, tracing the musical conversations that shaped American folk music and continue to resonate today. Come join us in song and sing out together in the spirit of Woody Guthrie.

Rooted in tradition yet driven by a restless New York energy, Cole Quest and The City Pickers are carrying bluegrass forward with wit, warmth, and originality. Led by dobro player, songwriter, and vocalist Cole Quest — grandson of folk icon Woody Guthrie — the band has carved out a singular place in today’s roots music landscape.

Their latest album, Homegrown (Jalopy Records, 2025), produced by Grammy Award–winning engineer Steve Rosenthal, brings the band’s journey into full focus. The record weaves four new originals with reimagined takes on songs by John Hartford, Peter Rowan, and Woody Guthrie himself, linking Cole’s own creative voice with his grandfather’s enduring legacy. No Depression hailed it as “an album that deftly moves the legacy of Woody Guthrie along in all the right ways.” Critics like Songlines (UK), Glide Magazine, and the Berkshire Eagle have noted how the band honors its lineage while commanding its own path. Their broad recognition includes a Bluegrass Standard cover (August 2025) and a feature in Bluegrass Unlimited.

Formed by friends with a shared love of bluegrass, Quest first pulled the Pickers together in 2017 to record their debut self-titled project at the legendary Magic Shop studio. They went on to release their acclaimed EP Self [En]Titled on Omnivore Records in 2021. Over the years, they’ve won the Podunk Bluegrass Festival band competition, toured Germany multiple times, and shared stages with artists like Billy Strings, Sierra Hull, and Tony Trischka.

But beyond accolades, what defines Cole Quest and The City Pickers is community. Their music bridges the solidarity of a Guthrie family sing-along with the high-lonesome sound of bluegrass made for a new century. Whether on record or on stage, they deliver an energizing, joyful performance that creates spaces where tradition meets innovation, laughter meets resilience, and every listener feels at home.

This program is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Howard Gilman Foundation, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Cole Quest and The City Pickers: Songs in the Spirit of Woody Guthrie

Cole Quest and The City Pickers: Songs in the Spirit of Woody Guthrie