Matt Woods performed at Live From the Gilded Palace on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, bringing more than two decades of Iowa blues, roots music and road-tested songwriting into the intimate setting of The Palace.
A longtime force in Iowa’s music scene, Woods built his sound around Delta blues, hill country blues, electric blues, gospel, country and folk, carried by commanding vocals, original songs and the slashing slide guitar at the center of his style. Since 2002, he performed more than 100 shows a year, won the Iowa Blues Challenge and represented the state at the International Blues Challenge three times. His albums, including If I Was a Fish, Sawdust and Gasoline and Tired and Dirty, earned national recognition, radio play and critical praise, while his career also included performances alongside artists such as James Cotton, Pinetop Perkins, Dr. John, Delbert McClinton and Joe Price.
At The Palace, Woods’ raw vocals, hard-driving guitar work and deep command of the American blues tradition came into sharp focus. The stripped-down setting gave his songs, slide guitar and decades of experience room to carry the performance.
