Last Suday I caught Arlo Guthrie at the start of a tour in a 390 seat church in Victoia, Canada. This was a great show with a mix of his best mixed with tribute songs to his father and some of the great performers he had worked with. It was a rollercoaster ride of hillarious stories and incredible insites into song history (Kris played it for Ramblin Jack who played it for me and I played it for Janis while drunk in a U-Brew pub....Me and Bobby Maggie).

Arlo was setting up a song by Derroll Adams when he mentioned Derroll and Ramblin' Jack Elliott had decided to go to Europe. Quite funny the way he descibed sterotypical cowboys walking the streets of London.

Bio Quote: he attracted attention with his performances with Derroll Adams, a banjo player he had met in California. The duo barnstormed throughout Europe and had a profound influence on the British music scene.

The story went on to say that these two had played the clubs young upcoming musicians hungout in (reminds me of Long John Baldry and American Blues). And yes the list included Mick. We also know Keith was practicing Rambin' Jacks version of Cocaine Around My Brain in the school washroom.

Allot has been said about Gram Parsons and the country/rock angle but it was nice to hear some history on some of the early country influences before that time.

Bio Quote: Elliott has influenced everyone from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger to the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead.

Nice Arlo story:

Song writting is easy, they are like fish swimming by, you just catch them with your pen, get to loaded and they swim by. Advice to 60's want-a-be song writers....don't fish down stream from Bob Dylan.

Ramblin Jack Elliott does a rocking version of The Stones, Connection that can be found on his 1999 release

The Long Ride - Hightone Records

ROCKMAN

I think Arlo is great! I've been a fan of Arlo for a long time and have caught him live a few times but it's been a while. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

Marv Peck

Y'all remember that rubber legged boy

marvpeck....this was my fourth Arlo show in 30 years and was his best. So if it's been awhile now is the time to get caught up.

This time he has his oun history to joke about and it's incredible to hear him keep up his humor while trying to pay tribute to some incredible performers.

You know how you always wanted to actualy hear Alices Resteraunt, well he gets close. Makes a great story out of how he can't remmember it. Turns it into a 10 minute story with the music running but tells another story of how he messed it up one performance and gave it up. You get just enough of the original to say you got to sing the chorus with Arlo....man he is clever...your most famous song....you never play it....you can't play it....yet you make a great story out of it and send folks home thinking you did play it...sort of.

Great post about a cool guy.