This Machine Rising

Directed by Dave Stauble

Dropkick Murphys met Woody Guthrie’s daughter Nora over 20 years ago, collaborating on songs like 2003’s “Blackout” and 2005’s “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” which were written around unrecorded lyrics by Woody Guthrie. The band always intended to revisit the Guthrie archive and create more songs, but didn’t get the chance until April 2022. They recorded two albums, ‘This Machine Still Kills Fascists’ (2022) and ‘Okemah Rising’ (2023), in Tulsa, Oklahoma, going fully acoustic for the first time as a tribute to Guthrie. The project also led to their first seated theater tour. “This Machine Rising” tells the story of Dropkick Murphys’ journey with Woody Guthrie’s lyrics, focusing on the Tulsa sessions, the theater tour, and the enduring power of music and words to unite the working class and promote equity.