The Ash Grove 50th Anniversary April 18, 2008

From the Mississippi blues and Kentucky bluegrass, to the jazz and rock of today, American music is as diverse as the country itself. But regardless of genre, all kinds of American music was shared and transformed in a legendary West Hollywood club called the Ash Grove. The club was opened in 1958 by Ed Pearl, who believed in the importance of folk music as a catalyst for social action. Until it burned to the ground in 1973 (its third fire), hundreds of notable artists, reflecting various folk styles appeared on the Ash Grove stage – Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Johnny Cash, Doc Watson, the Byrds, Taj Mahal, the Chambers Brothers, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Sleepy John Estes and Pete Seeger to name a few – making the club a unique home to the political and cultural movements of its time.

The two Royce Hall concerts feature different programs each night, and are central to a weekend-long festival encompassing conversations about the era, afternoon teach-ins with musicians, songwriters, poets and professors, and art installations. Please check back for more details regarding the ancillary events.