Nobody will tell you that the band Folk Uke sucks as often as its two members. The jabs aren’t meant to cultivate sympathy—not completely. Their intention is more strategic and addresses a fundamental conundrum. On the one hand, thanks to the members’ legendary surnames—Guthrie and Nelson—audiences expect a high-quality act. On the other, audiences may not naturally marry their notion of “high-quality” with song titles like “Shit Makes the Flowers Grow” and lyrics that rhyme “Ew, yuckers” with “Starf—ers.”

Hence Cathy Guthrie’s (Arlo Guthrie’s 53-year-old daughter and Woody’s granddaughter) and Amy Nelson’s (Willie’s 52-year old daughter) request that Folk Uke concertgoers moderate their expectations. A few months ago at the Saxon Pub, in Austin, Nelson leaned into a microphone and offer

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