Guthrie goes solo for ‘Reunion Tour’

Allison Brophy Champion
Published: February 7, 2008

American Folk sensation and storyteller Arlo Guthrie had just turned 22 when he performed three songs at Woodstock in the summer of 1969.
He had a mass of curly black hair and the revolution was in full swing around him.
"The New York State Thruway's closed, man," Guthrie told the crowd of more than 450,000 and it's a simple statement stamped in pop culture history.
At the time, Guthrie, now 60, didn't realize what he was part of - or what he was beginning.
"For me, the amazing thing is that most times, historic moments are determined from hindsight," he said in a recent phone interview with the Star-Exponent from the offices of Rising Son Records in Massachusetts. "It's very rare that you're in a moment and you know it's historic."
Looking back, Guthrie - who plays guitar, piano, harmonica and a dozen other instruments - realizes the significance of being part of the four-day music festival/cultural movement that defined a generation. For him, it was all about the love.
"I can't think of one other time that I was in a historic moment that wasn't some sort of disaster: a battle, pestilence or some other horrible calamity," said Guthrie, whose late father, Woody, pioneered the folk music scene and authored hundreds of songs, including the American classic 'This Land is Your Land.'
"Woodstock was a wonderful moment that's a one in a million thing - what could have been a disaster was averted by the goodwill of the people," Arlo said of the peaceful event headlined by the late Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
Nearly four decades later, Guthrie - best known for his 1967 song protesting the Vietnam War draft, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" - is still at it.
Amazingly, he's been taking his music on the road every year since he graduated high school.
"The tour bus is my home," he said and 2008 is no different.
Guthrie stops by Charlottesville's Paramount Theater Saturday for yet another stop on his "Together at Last Solo Reunion Tour."
Hmmm…the guy has a sense of humor too - solo- Reunion-
During his long and varied career, Guthrie has performed - most times with a band behind him - in all 50 states and numerous foreign countries. He's also tried his hand at acting and starred in the 1969 movie "Alice's Restaurant" based on his 18-minute song of the same name.
Guthrie has no idea why his music has survived so long. Well, maybe slightly -perhaps it's all those fans.
"My audience over the years has included my dad's crowd - the ones that can still get out of the nursing home - as well as my crowd from the '50s and '60s," he said. "My kids' age have been coming to my shows and they are bringing their kids so you have four or five generations showing up and have always shown up.
"That is fairly uncommon to have that wide a variety."
Guthrie never imagined he'd make it to 60, let alone still be making music.
"I am just glad that somebody can make a living having as much fun as I do," he said.
"It's a stroke of luck. It's all I've ever done."
What he'll be doing Saturday in Charlottesville is taking the stage alone.
His Solo Reunion Tour is the first time he's gone solo since 1965, and the idea seemed to frighten Guthrie a bit.
"It's more fun in some ways," he said. "On the other hand, you actually have to be good. So there's a little more pressure to play the right notes."
Guthrie's audiences shouldn't necessarily expect to hear his most popular songs on the Solo Reunion tour - they can check out YouTube for that, he said.
This tour's about Arlo.
"It is really free formed compared to the usual tours that we do. It allows me to do anything."
For example, he might start playing one song and switch to another halfway through.
"I've been known to do that," he said.
These days, besides continuing to do what he loves, Arlo has a home in Massachusetts, a wife, four grown kids and 16 grandkids who all play music.
He also runs the Guthrie Center - a music and community outreach program - out of the old church that housed "Alice's Restaurant."
Here, he gets back to his roots.
"It's our way of continuing the spirit of the '60s," Guthrie said. "What was typical in those days were regular people trying to help in some way that wasn't organized government or a corporate response."
Besides free musical mentoring, the Guthrie Center provides free lunch every Wednesday.
Back in his day, Guthrie said, a musician could make a quick 20 bucks playing a club. These days, they want you to pay them, he said.
"So mostly this is another place in the world where people can experience what community is all about," Guthrie said. "A lot of the things we used to have: churches or temples or synagogues are fairly empty most of the time today. It's nice to get out every once in a while and see who your neighbor is."
What an idea.

Allison Brophy Champion can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 101 or

See a legend
Arlo Guthrie takes the stage at Charlottesville's Paramount Theater Saturday at 8 p.m. for his "Together at Last" Solo Reunion Tour. The Buzzard Hollow Quartet opens the show with a performance at 7:15 p.m. As of press time, limited tickets were available. Check out theparamount.net for details and see next Friday's In & Around for coverage of Arlo in Charlottesville.