Arlo

The Guthrie Center in MA, in the Old Trinity Church is the site of the 1965 Thanksgiving events that inspired the song and film, Alice's Restaurant made popular by folksinger Arlo Guthrie.

We discovered the center a few years back when we were up in the Berkshires and it has become one of our favorite places to go. The former church sanctuary is now a stage that comes alive when Arlo and family perform. And there is so much reverence, peace, and just an uplifting feeling in that church that I feel spiritually renewed after a concert.

Arlo says that the energy stays in the walls for all to feel when they enter and I believe that.

I have to say that I knew of the song and the movie, but that was where my knowledge and interest stopped until we started to visit the Guthrie Center and attend all the benefit concerts there. First of all, Arlo is quite a story teller and comic, and one hell of a musician. The venue is small and intimate, not a bad seat in the house.

His son Gabe, daughter Sarah, son-in-law Johnny Irions, and 4 year old grand-daughter, Olivia played with him this past Sunday night. They hang out with all of the audience members and are just real live down to earth folk.

They are the royal family of folk music headed up by Arlo's deceased dad, the Rock and Roll music Hall of Famer, Woody Guthrie. Woody died of Huntington's Disease mid to late 60's. The Guthrie Center is devoted to raising funds for many agencies that care for people with Huntington's Disease.

Our concert nights at the Guthrie Center are like going into another world... a comfortable, safe and joyous place, where we can lift our voices together.

Just like a church is supposed to be....

Photos by Bill.

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

We went to see Judy Collins in concert tonight at St. Joseph's College. The theater was small and intimate and we were sitting in the second row. No one was sitting in front of me, so I had a birds eye view of Ms. Judy. Her voice was in fine shape, as crystal clear as ever.

She started out with Joni Mitchell's Chelsea Morning, which was a wonderfully upbeat song. She talked about her roots, musical history and her Irish family. ( She made reference to Irish Alzheimer's ... forgetting everything but the grudge... a couple of times which the audience found humorous.)

Listening to all the songs brought me back to my teen aged years, where I spent a lot of time in my room listening to records and memorizing every word. A lonely time in many ways, but the music was there to keep me company and allow me to fantasize about being someone I wasn't. I felt healing chills listening to the words of her old songs... such poetry.

In the day I was hopeful that maybe someday I would be strong, creative and confident like the performers I admired.

Judy sang a new song she wrote about 911, and it was hauntingly beautiful.

She talked about Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez... both of whom I have met and seen in concert many times. I began to think about how grateful I was to my husband who steered me away from Top 40 to folk music, and thinking about how much of our married life has revolved around musical events.

The performance was outstanding, but she wrapped it up only after one hour of songs, hardly enough time for her to sing enough of my favorites. I was certain she would sing Both Sides Now for her encore, but instead she sung, the Beatles' tune, In My Life. And then she was gone.

Unexpectedly, we were able to attend the reception after the show and meet her. I always become shy around the celebs and I leave it to my husband to get the autographs and chit chat with them. As we were waiting for her to come out the crowd was all a buzz that she didn't sing Both Sides Now, her biggest hit. So when she came out someone had the courage to ask her why she left it out. She said she was singing it at the 7:00 PM show. Sensing the disappointment of the crowd, she said that since we all wanted it, we could sing it together. So with Judy leading... we all sang the first verse of Both Sides Now . It was so special and way better than if she had sung it on stage for her encore.

So what a night... a reception with Judy and a private sing a long.