Title:Arlo Guthrie In Concert (3/31/02) By: Guthrie, Arlo Released by: Scottsdale Mall Amphitheater Released on: 3/31/02 Rating (out of 10): 9 Date: 04/01/2002
Arlo Guthrie Live In Concert
Folk music is alive and well, and continuing to evolve.
If I had any doubts, they were dispelled last night at the Scottsdale Amphitheater, as Arlo Guthrie launched his current tour with a family affair that reached back with remembrances of his legendary father and stretched forward with the next generation of Guthries.
Warming up the audience was a duo, consisting of Arlo’s daughter Sara Lee and her husband Johnny Irion. Although rather ordinary folk singers, the historical influences of Sara Lee’s father and grandfather come through clearly, and they were at their best when introducing their songs with stories about their creation. These entertaining simple introductions established rapport and helped keep the audience at bay whether it was a song about the neighbor who killed her pet German Shepherd puppy or a simple children’s song about not stepping on sidewalk cracks.
Soon enough Arlo and his son Abe (on the keyboards) joined the young duo and brought the near capacity crowd to its feet. Arlo continues to sound like his slightly nasal younger days, and remains an icon of the sixties without getting stuck in the period. His roots and values are firmly planted in the earlier era with influences of Pete Seeger, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Hoyt Axton, and Woody Guthrie shining through. But Arlo began with a number of new somber songs about more universal ideas of love and purpose that aren’t confined to any topical period. In fact, he didn’t perform the most notable politically oriented songs from the old days—“Alice’s Restaurant” and “Coming into Los Angeles.”
Arlo did reprise his “Motorcycle Song,” embellishing it with a Woody Guthrie styled talking blues bridge to explain the creation of such a silly song—a vision from God seen as he was driving 150 mph over the side of a cliff on his motorcycle. Continually using self-deprecating humor, Arlo laughed about how he’s been able to live for decades off lyrics that rhyme pickle and motorcycle, using the example to explain how much he loves and appreciates America. In what other country can a person make a living with such a gig?
The stories are the thing, and Arlo tells them with such a stream-of-consciousness that only Ramblin’ Jack Elliott can compete with, except Arlo is deliberately humorous. Spontaneous even. He took off when a helicopter hovered overhead, shouting a greetings at it and exclaiming that they shouldn’t expect to find any weed there (at least that’s why helicopters buzz his Massachusetts home).
One of the highlights was the tale of how he and Pete Seeger were singing at a Denmark concert right around the time that the Berlin Wall was taken down, making it possible for East Germans to come across the border and attend the concert (grouped together and having fun drinking good German beer). What amazed him was how Pete was able to get the entire crowd of 30,000 singing together—they all knew songs like “We Shall Overcome.” But then Pete put him on the spot, telling Arlo to take over.
Realizing that his own songs were far too obscure and far too long (“Alice’s Restaurant” is about 17 minutes) and would never go over with the Europeans, Arlo reached into his bag of folk songs and pulled out an Elvis Presley ballad, “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Arlo said that Pete first bristled when hearing the name of Elvis, but mellowed and joined in when he saw all 30,000 singing in unison. From that experience, Arlo says he gained a new definition of what a “folk song” was—that tale was woven elaborately as a way of introducing the Elvis song, which we all joined in with. He did sing a few authentic folk songs—the traditional "St. James Infirmary" that he learned from Cisco Houston and honored his dad with a rendition of "This Land is Your Land."
Of course he did his famous “City of New Orleans,” explaining how he was introduced to it in Chicago after a bar gig when he was being a “butthole” and wanting to get away from this persistent Steve Goodman fellow who insisted on singing this song for him. Arlo agreed to listen as long as Goodman bought him a beer and would stay only as long as the beer lasted—it turned out to be the best beer Arlo ever had.
Dozens more stories rolled out of Arlo during the evening—some of them in the middle of the song. But that’s why it’s worth going to see Arlo Guthrie when he’s in town. In a world so full of tragic news, it’s great to get a respite with a group of people willing to sing together and laugh together with the now living legend. And you don’t have to be a former hippie! Arlo explained that he’s found over the years that political persuasion doesn’t mean a hill of beans when it gets down to it, and he’s made friends with some unbelievable people—finding the real key to be that they actually give a damn!
Check his schedule at http://www.arlo.net/ and check out a live performance when you can. You’ll get a dose of history and will be entertained with the stories, and hear a few songs along the way. The crowd is likely to be dominated with baby boomers, but will also have some of their children and grandchildren present—all in a mellow mood. An Arlo Guthrie show is no Bob Dylan rock concert with dynamic and mind blowing songs, nor is it a Joan Baez concert of socially relevant material—more like a down home storytelling jam that is a lot of fun.
