Folk Music Icon Arlo Guthrie to Play the Davidson October 19
Posted: September 7, 2017
In 1967, the career of Arlo Guthrie, eldest son of America’s beloved singer/writer/philosopher Woody Guthrie, exploded with the release of Alice’s Restaurant, whose title track helped foster a generation’s commitment to social consciousness and activism. Classically styled folk songs, intermingled with clever storytelling, have become Guthrie’s trademark, demonstrated through his live performances of remarkable multi-instrumental musicianship interlaced with heartfelt tales and anecdotes.
CAPA presents Arlo Guthrie at the Davidson Theatre (77 S. High St.) on Thursday, October 19, at 8pm. Tickets are $30-$55 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Guthrie is the eldest son of Woody Guthrie and Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington’s Disease. He grew up surrounded by dancers and musicians such as Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Fred Hellerman and Lee Hays (The Weavers), Leadbelly, Cisco Houston, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee, all of whom were significant influences on his musical career. Guthrie gave his first public performance at age 13, and quickly became involved in the music that was shaping the world during the 1960s.
His career exploded in 1967 with the release of Alice’s Restaurant, whose title song premiered at the Newport Folk Festival. Guthrie went on to star in the 1969 Hollywood film version of Alice’s Restaurant directed by Arthur Penn.
With songs like “Alice’s Restaurant” (that was too long for radio airplay), “Coming into Los Angeles” (that was banned from many radio stations but a favorite at the 1969 Woodstock Festival), and the definitive rendition of Steve Goodman’s “City of New Orleans,” Guthrie was no one-hit-wonder.
Over the last four decades, he has toured throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia winning a wide, popular following. In addition to his accomplishments as a musician, playing the piano, six-string guitar, 12-string guitar, harmonica, and a dozen other instruments, Guthrie is a natural-born storyteller, whose tales and anecdotes figure prominently in his performances.