Wednesday, September 4, 2002
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Wednesday, September 4, 2002 |
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Arlo Guthrie wants to tell a story and sing a few songs By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Before Arlo Guthrie was born in 1947, people could have probably told you that he would be a creative force to be reckoned with. His father, Woody Guthrie, was one of the most famous folksingers this country has ever seen and his mother, Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, was a professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease. Growing up Arlo was surrounded by musicians and dancers such as Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Brownie McGee, so it was no surprise that he became a folksinger and a successful one at that. Guthrie will perform this Friday and Saturday at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater. He began performing in public at the age of 13 and was soon playing at venues that were at the center of a movement that included artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell among others. Though many singer-songwriters at the time had a hard time distinguishing themselves, Guthrie was known for his sense of humor and his ability to tell a story. His song "Alice's Restaurant," from the album of the same name, effectively blended a funny and poignant story within a song. It was later made into a film in 1969 by Arthur Penn and continues to enjoy success as new fans are introduced to Guthrie. Though Guthrie has built an enormous fan base through near constant touring, his songs have never received enough airplay to become commercial successes. His biggest hit may be his rendition of Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans." Guthrie has performed in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia and tours with his daughter Sarah Lee, who plays acoustic guitar and contributes supporting vocals, and his son, Abe, who plays keyboards and provides additional vocals as well. Guthrie has been a busy man in the past few years. On top of touring close to 10 months out of the year, he has performed with various symphony orchestras across the country including an evening with the Boston Pops, which was taped for PBS. He released the album "Mystic Journey" in 1996 and "Alice's Restaurant: The Massacre Revisited," a 30th anniversary re-recording of the original album with an updated version of the title song and "This Land is Your Land," which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Musical Album for Children. He is also currently working on an album of songs by his father, with special guests, The Dillards, a tribute album to his friend Derroll Adams, with help from Donovan, Billy Connelly and others, and is also working on an album of his orchestrated material. In addition to his musical career, Guthrie has appeared on television with roles in "Byrds of Paradise," "Relativity," and "Renegade." He is also the author of the award winning children's book "Mooses Come Walking." In 1991, Guthrie purchased the Trinity Church, which is where many of the events in "Alice's Restaurant" took place. He has since turned it into The Guthrie Center, a not for profit, interfaith church foundation that provides a variety of local and international services, as well as just a place to meditate. For more information on Guthrie, visit www.arlo.net. Arlo Guthrie will perform at 8 p.m. at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater. Jeannie Johnson will open the show. Single tickets are still available for the show for $35 and standing room only tickets will go on sale at the box office at 6 p.m. the night of the show. These tickets will also cost $35. Phone 770-631-0630.
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