In the spring of 1995, Woody Guthrie’s daughter contacted Billy Bragg about composing music for her father’s prose–a staggering number of incomplete lyrics, penned from 1939 to 67, that were never recorded. With Bragg on board, he reached out to alt-country newcomers Wilco [Jeff Tweedy’s post-Uncle Tupelo band] to assert their brand of Midwest grit akin to Guthrie’s own Okie status. The collective of contemporary musicians effectively released Mermaid Avenue in 1998, providing listeners with a vehicle to revisit the past through one of folk’s most significant contributors. Now, 28 years after turning over the first volume, Wilco and Bragg will come together for the first time to honor the set live.

The performance will be a part of Wilco’s bi-annual Solid Sound Festival at Mass MOCA in North Adams, Mass., on Friday, June 26–night one of the gathering, which stretches through the weekend with impending sets running through Sunday, June 28, 2026. Mermaid Avenue Live will open the festival and center around the Guthrie’s songs, which have resulted in highlighted and enduring live staples for both Wilo and Bragg, amongst them“California Stars,” “Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key” (ft. Natalie Merchant), “Hoodoo Voodoo,” “Remember the Mountain Beds,” and more, which can be streamed below. 

Tweedy commented, “The world needs all the Woody Guthrie it can get. We’re thrilled that we get to bring these songs to life with Billy.”

Bragg also shared his thoughts, “There’s an abiding love out there for the Mermaid Avenue albums, so I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with Wilco to bring Woody’s words to life once again.”

Despite the fan-loved status of Mermaid Avenue and its follow-up volume, Mermaid Avenue Vol. II, Wilco, and Bragg were never supported on stage, meaning June’s performance represents the only opportunity to see these songs performed by the couriers of Guthrie’s legacy. Nearly 30 years after the first set’s arrival, the songs still hold significance for fans, serving as idealized folk rock compositions with the magnetism of lines scribed by Bob Dylan’s idol. 

Tickets for Solid Sound are on sale now. Listen to tracks from Mermaid Avenue below.