It’s already been an unusual July 4 weekend as LA County Parks and Recreation cancelled a number of celebrations out of concern for potential ICE raids.
Organizers for the Gloria Molina Grand Park Summer Block Party in Los Angeles County posted on Instagram that the event —which is reportedly the largest free 4th of July celebration on the west coast—is being postponed out of “an abundance of caution.”
“We know this is disappointing news,” officials wrote. “We were so looking forward to celebrating with all of you at #TheParkforEveryone. Please know that your safety is our absolute first priority.”
With the above in mind, and to help with finding joy, it’s worth listening to the video below in which a stellar combination of musicians, sing Woody Guthrie’s most famous song, This Land Is Your Land.
The video was recorded on April 25, 2025, during the “American Music Honors,“ an event that was created three years ago to “celebrate artists who have demonstrated artistic excellence, creative integrity, and a longstanding commitment to the value of music in our national consciousness.”
The 2025 honorees, were Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty, Tom Morello, and Emmylou Harris. Previous honorees Jackson Browne, Darlene Love and some others also made surprise appearances on stage to join in.
And...Woody Guthrie’s son, Arlo,, and his daughter, Nora, also made last minute appearances.
Happy listening.
PS: By the way, for those who don’t know Tom Morello’s work well, he’s one of the best guitarists on the planet, as you’ll see when he and Springsteen play together on The Ghost of Tom Joad, which you can find here.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end. You won’t be sorry, I promise.