If you remember Happy Traum—not simply as a fingerpicking master, but as a walking folk-archive with the warmest handshake in the room—then this is your kind of evening. “A Tribute to Happy Traum” takes residence at the Colony in Woodstock, turning over the stage to musicians, admirers and maybe even a few old friends to celebrate a man who taught generations how to flat-pick, tell stories and keep the line between tradition and invention humming.
Traum arrived in the Greenwich Village scene just as the folk revival stirred, picked up the traditions of Brownie McGhee, hung out with the likes of Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs, then made his home in Woodstock where his spirit found solid ground.
He wasn’t just a performer—he was a connector, an editor (Sing Out!), a teacher whose books and tapes changed how countless guitarists approached the instrument.
On October 30 at the Colony, the air will resonate with that spirit: shared tunes, stories of days when folk-music was in the woods and in cafés, and the feel of community that Traum embodied. Whether you're a flat-picker, a song-lover, or just someone who appreciates a heartfelt night out, this event is less show and more fellowship. It’s a chance to honor what the folk movement meant—and what it still means when you gather, instruments in hand, to make music together.
