Hello Everybody,
I saw this fellow give a performance in Baton Rouge some years ago.
And what a memorable performance it was. And yes, he did sing the song
we all know so well - "Alice's Restaurant" - in his own special way.
Arlo Guthrie. No longer at Alice's Restaurant. Why not? He finally
answered the question -
Gone Fishing
It’s been a great 50+ years of being a working entertainer, but I
reached the difficult decision that touring and stage shows are no
longer possible. I've cancelled the upcoming shows, and am not
accepting offers for new ones. That’s the short version. For the
longer version continue reading…
As a folksinger, I never really thought much about getting older. It
seemed to me that I could just continue year after year, decade after
decade, singing and playing as I had done for most of my life. As the
years went by, it got more difficult to keep touring, but I did it,
mostly because I’d been doing it my entire life. It was the life I
knew and loved.
In 2016 on April 1st, April Fools Day, I got really dizzy in the
parking lot of the hotel, and started seeing as though I were looking
through a kaleidoscope. That evening the show went on as though nothing
had happened. I had no idea I’d just encountered a mini stroke until
weeks later, when I was told about it. It didn’t appear to affect my performance, or my state of being. I continued touring for the next
4 years.
Then, on Thanksgiving Day 2019 (of all freaking days) it happened
again. This time I was on my way to The Church / The Guthrie Center
to help out with our annual Thanksgiving Dinner that we hold every
year. I had pulled over to fuel up and realized I couldn’t continue
to drive safely, as everything was spinning around, sort of like the
old days, but without the help of illegal substances. I was taken to
the hospital, and was under evaluation, when I broke out. I had an
important gig at Carnegie Hall in New York - The end of an annual
series I’d been doing for decades and it was Sold Out. I had to be
there. It was imperative.
The next morning I left the hospital, took the family and headed
for New York. And what a show it was! We wrapped up 50 years with
a terrific evening with the entire family on stage. I really enjoyed
it. The following day I flew to my home in Sebastian, FL just as I
had done for years, this time with the history of Carnegie Hall behind
me. My girlfriend, Marti picked me up at the airport, and we settled
into the routine of being on the river I loved. Two nights after
arriving home, I awoke in the morning and was lurching from sIde
to side. I knew something was wrong, and went to keep a doctors
appointment we’d previously set up. The doc said “You need to go
to the hospital - Now.”
So, Marti took me to the hospital nearby in Vero Beach. They kept me
there for 3 days, running tests of all kinds, and essentially informed
me that I’d suffered a stroke. This time was more serious, as I’d lost
some ability to walk, and I wondered if if would be able to play music.
I spent about a week in a rehab center to re-learn the basics, like
walking. I went home after that, and began a regimen of playing guitar, walking… All the things I would need to continue touring and performing. During the entire time, Marti kept the family and close friends advised
as to my progress, and took really great care of me. I needed all the
help I could get. And she was there to see it done right.
By the the time our first shows began in 2020, I was at about at 80%
and felt like I was improving. Then the pandemic hit. All the shows we
had planned for 2020 were at first, postponed, then rescheduled and
finally cancelled. My hopes for a gradual recovery onstage came to an
abrupt end.
Meanwhile, I’d decided back in 2018 to move from the home in Florida.
And just as I’d returned from our last gig in Tennessee, a buyer
appeared, and we had a deal on the table to sell The CrabHouse. I
wasn’t in any shape to go through the intricacies of selling a guitar
pick, let alone a home with 30 years of stuff we’d collected. Marti
ended up doing it all. She finalized the deal, and dealt with the stuff
that either had to be sold, moved or thrown out. It was quite a lot.
But, through garage sales, online markets, movers and friends, she’d
pretty much emptied the CrabHouse of everything, and we moved into her
place about a mile away.
We were there for a few weeks, before it was safe enough to return to
The Farm in Massachusetts. That was in June 2020. Since then we’ve been
holed up at The Farm trying to keep out of harms way, and also trying
to provide some online entertainment for our friends who were, and
continue to be, holed up wherever they are. My band and crew arranged
a few short gigs that were filmed at The Church, but when I saw the
play-back in the editing room I realized that it was not up to the
standards I expected of myself, let alone the expectations that our
friends and fans had come to enjoy.
A folksinger’s shelf life may be a lot longer than a dancer or an
athlete, but at some point, unless you’re incredibly fortunate or just
plain whacko (either one or both) it’s time to hang up the “Gone
Fishing” sign. Going from town to town and doing stage shows, remaining
on the road is no longer an option.
I don’t remember answering the question on the other side of that piece
of paper when I was asked “Kid! Have you rehabilitated yourself?” But,
the short answer is now clearly, “No!” In fact, I hope to be a thorn in
the side of a new administration pretty soon. Tom Paine once wrote “To
argue with a man who has renounced the use … of reason, and whose
philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like
administering medicine to the dead….” In other words, you cannot and
should not argue with people who don’t care, or hold the caring of
others in contempt. A healthy suspicion of authority, left, right or
center has been the hallmark of my career since the beginning, and I
will continue to poke fun at cultural, political, or personal
absurdities as I see it. I’m actually looking forward to it.
I’m happy, healthy and good to go, even if I’m not going anywhere.
I’ve taken back 6-9 months that I used to spend on the road, and
enjoying myself with Marti, my family and friends. In short - Gone
Fishing.
~From his FB page
--
Love! Not hate! Makes America great!
--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin:
news://eljaco.se (2:203/2)