"Man in the Sand" is a 1999 music documentary that chronicles the collaboration between Billy Bragg and Wilco, which involved the musicians creating new music to accompany lyrics that were written decades earlier by folk singer Woody Guthrie. The project, which was organized by Woody's daughter Nora, spawned two albums: "Mermaid Avenue," released in 1998, and "Mermaid Avenue Vol. II," released in 2000.

Woody Guthrie is one of America’s legendary songwriters. A voice of the people, he wrote hard-hitting lyrics for a hard-hit nation. His is a tale of survival, creativity and reinvention. He is proof that there is always potential for change and even in 2019, more than fifty years after his death, he is challenging Donald Trump from beyond the grave. With enormous influence on successive generations of musicians like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez and Billy Bragg, this film proves he has a true place in 21st-century culture.

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.