Matt Axton and his band Badmoon will close out the Guthrie Center’s 2025 Troubadour Concert Series on Friday, September 19 at 8pm showcasing Axton’s mountain soul, country rock-n-roll while paying homage to the Axton musical legacy and decades of Axton-Guthrie family and friendship.

The matriarch of the Axton family, Mae Boren Axton, who co-authored “Heartbreak Hotel” (Elvis Presley) is music legend while her son Hoyt Axton penned many hits for notable stars like “Joy to the World (Jeremiah was a bullfrog)” for Three Dog Night and “The No No Song” for Ringo Starr and his own “Boney Fingers.” Like his grandmother and father, Matt Axton’s music spans genres from folk, rock and country to roots, funk and blues while his signature finger picking guitar style and a silky, rich baritone voice are all his own.

“Family” runs deep with the Axtons and the Guthries. Hoyt Axton and Arlo Guthrie are not only blood cousins, Hoyt called Guthrie his “soul brother.” It all started, however, with the late Jackie Guthrie who was best friends with Hoyt while living in Hollywood where Hoyt played the Troubadour club.

This will be Axton’s second appearance at The Guthrie Center, the first in 2013 when Axton was accompanied by his sister, April Axton, and his mother Donna Axton, who was Hoyt Axton’s former piano player. The Berkshires will get a memorable show on September 19. In true troubadour style, Axton will share stories alongside his own original music and music from his family that tells their story and the role it played in Axton’s life. Look out for a potential appearance from Donna, the piano virtuoso, all the way from California.

Matt Axton and Badmoon’s Guthrie Center show is part of the “Beast Goes East Tour” launching September 3rd where he will introduce the Eastern Seaboard to his unique modern spin on Americana that touches on universal experiences.