Old No. 1 at 50 – Celebrating the Spirit of Guy Clark

Description

Online ticket sales have ended but tickets are still available for purchase at the door.

September 20th

Old No. 1 at 50 – Celebrating the Spirit of Guy Clark

Doors open at 6pm & Show begins at 7pm

 

Featuring performances by:

Meghan Cary & Peter Farrell,

Stephen Clair,

Lance Cowan,

Michael Eck,

Adam & Cate Monaco,

Buddy Mondlock,

Jack Murray,

& Rees Shad

 

On November 7, 1975, the day after his 34th birthday, RCA Records released Old No. 1,

legendary songwriter Guy Clark’s debut album. While not a commercial success by any stretch,

the album was highly praised by the press and “L.A. Freeway,” “Desperados Waiting for a

Train,” “Rita Ballou” “Texas 1947” “Let Him Roll” and “That Old Time Feeling” soon became

instant classics. No one could have known then that Old No. 1 would inspire generations of

American songwriters, troubadours and music fans.

 

The Guy Clark Family Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting songwriters, is

celebrating the 50th anniversary of Old No. 1 with a series of concerts around the country to bring

awareness to the organization, and to boost songwriters who work in the spirit of Guy Clark.

Songwriters will perform songs from Old No. 1, followed by a set of their own original material.

 

Ticket sales will benefit The Guy Clark Family Foundation.

 

About the performers:

 

Meghan Cary:

Meghan delivers award-winning original songs with powerful vocals and unshakable

stage presence. Hailed a “storytelling troubadour” by Billboard Magazine, Cary inspires

connection and community with music that’s earned comparisons to Melissa Etheridge

and Brandi Carlile. Her anthem “Sing Louder” and 2025 single “Raise Your Voice” rally

audiences to hope and action. A favorite at festivals like Falcon Ridge and Philadelphia

Folk Fest, she’s shared stages with Joan Osborne, Chris Smither, and more. Whether

performing, teaching, or speaking, Cary empowers others to embrace their stories with

humor and heart. “If you can get to a Meghan Cary show—run, don’t walk.”

 

Stephen Clair:

Known for his wry humor and guitar stylings, Beacon, NY’s Stephen Clair has been a

fixture on the Folk and Americana scenes since, well, Napster. He came to prominence

when the late Rita Houston added "Jen in Her Underwear" to rotation on WFUV, putting

Clair on the map and the road. Eventually he would tour with folks like Robert Earl

Keen, James McMurtry, and Joe Ely. Then he would make an album (he's made 11) in

Austin with REK's band. There’s the rub. Clair's got one foot in some kind of folksy

heartland and the other firmly planted in New York. Seth Rogovoy (Rogovoy

Report) picks up on that undercurrent when he says Clair has "the grit of Bruce

Springsteen and the sardonic poetry of Lou Reed." The grit may be gritty but it's

vulnerable too, as Stephen Clair always wears his heart on his sleeve.

 

Lance Cowan:

For the past 30 years, Lance Cowan has worked behind the scenes with some of the

country’s finest songwriters, including Joe Ely, Nanci Griffith, and Michael Martin

Murphey and many more. Along the way, he has quietly honed his own songwriting

skills, learning from those artists and a deep well of influences from Jackson Browne to

John Prine. His works have been performed and/or recorded by such respected artists as

Joan Baez, Janis Ian, David Mallett, and several independent artists. His 2024 debut, So

Far, So Good and his new Against The Grain, have been met with tremendous critical

acclaim.

 

Michael Eck:

Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame inductee Michael Eck was

nominated in 2025 as Songwriter of the Year and for Album of the Year with his sixth

release, “fermata.” Covered by multiple artists, Eck, who performed in January at the

International Blues Challenge in Memphis, is also a roots scholar, multi-instrumentalist

and serial band member. He saw Guy Clark onstage uncountable times and opened for

him in the early 2000s.

 

Adam Monaco:

“Adam Monaco lives what he writes and writes what he lives, allowing him to deeply

connect with those he plays for and alongside of.” – Trevor Gordon Hall

 

These words will ring true for anyone who has experienced folk/Americana artist Adam

Monaco’s thoughtful songwriting and poignant presence firsthand. Adam’s music is lush,

colorful, melodic, and takes deep root in the complex, beautiful stories that connect

humanity. His lyrics resonate like a conversation with an old friend: personal, profound,

engaged, and thought-provoking. His authentic performances showcase his ability to

evoke the full range and complexity of human emotions; in one musical moment, he can

bring audiences to tears, then lift them back up with witty banter and a relatable anecdote.

 

Buddy Mondlock:

Buddy Mondlock met Guy Clark on top of a hill at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1986. It

was a moment that changed his life. Guy liked the song he heard and started passing

around tapes of the young Chicago songwriter’s songs to people he knew in Nashville.

When Guy Clark gives you a tape, you listen. Soon Buddy was headed south to a

publishing deal and a manager. Since then his songs have been recorded by Nancy

Griffith, Joan Baez, David Wilcox, Janis Ian, Peter, Paul & Mary, Garth Brooks and a host

of other artists. In 2001 he co-wrote and recorded a trio album with Art Garfunkel and

Maia Sharp called “Everything Waits To Be Noticed.” Guy Clark’s album “The Dark” is

bookended with songs Clark and Mondlock wrote together - “Mud” and the title song,

“The Dark,” which was their first co-write.

 

Jack Murray:

Besides sharing a hometown with Dolly Parton and having a few Haggards in the family

tree, Jack Murray’s musical identity was forged by meeting Son House, Jerry Lee Lewis

and Bill Monroe. He even got a guitar lesson from Mississippi John Hurt himself. His

distinctive writing and guitar work have made him a popular headlining act -and as an

opener for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Commander Cody, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and

others. 

Nashville songwriting legend David Olney had adopted one of Jack’s songs “Bluebonnet

Girl” in his last months among us. Almost unbelievably, it was the last song he ever sang.

The collection “Blue Tuxedo” (which includes “Bluebonnet Girl”) was recorded in

Nashville, with Thomm Jutz. It will be released in the summer of 2025.

 

Rees Shad:

Rees met Guy for the first time at a recording session in Nashville, where Guy lent his

vocal talents to a track on Shad’s debut album. Guy’s kindness led to manty more people

paying attention to the album than would have otherwise, and to pay it forward, Shad has

been the organizer of this and other shows in the Northeast to benefit the Foundation.

 

Over the course of a prolific 40+ year career, 32 releases and 17 solo albums, Shad has

crafted music that is both poignant and profound. He is dedicated to crafting short story

songs that cross genre lines to serve the spirit of each tale he weaves and engage his

audiences in deep and meaningful ways.

Shad’s latest release Porcelain Angel has spent the last few months near the top of the

Folk charts being and has lauded for its “grace and elegance” (Americana UK), “all-

knowing tonality” (Americana Highways), and for “pushing the boundaries of musical

storytelling” (The Rogovoy Report).

 

About the Guy Clark Family Foundation

 

The Guy Clark Family Foundation was established in 2024 by Guy’s only grandchildren, Dylan

and Ellie. The Foundation’s mission is to honor Guy’s memory and continue his love and support

for songwriters. “Songwriting is not a competitive sport,” Guy often said. He opened his home

and heart to songwriters from all over the world. The Guy Clark Family Foundation will do the

same. We will offer songwriters who work in the spirit of Guy Clark the opportunity to learn,

write, collaborate, record, perform, and share their work with a global audience while we

continue to honor Guy’s legacy.

Venue Details

The Guthrie Center

2 Van Deusenville Road
Great Barrington, Massachusetts 01230

The Guthrie Center