Arts & Entertainment
Arlo Guthrie Delivers Standout Concert for Kent Stage Anniversary
Full band and Burns Sisters trio join folk legend for special night
A capacity crowd of more than 620 folks witnessed a remarkable night of music on Friday, as singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie and company celebrated the 9th anniversary of the .
Guthrie is the eldest son of Woody Guthrie, one of the most important figures in the history of American music. Throughout the evening the veteran performer demonstrated his mastery of guitar, piano and harmonica — along with his sharp wit — in the two-plus-hour show.
Guthrie played several of his father’s songs, a nice selection of folk and blues classics and a generous sampling of originals from various stages of his long career.
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Known for his rambling yet entertaining stories, Guthrie shared amusing anecdotes of his exploits with artists such as Pete Seeger, Hoyt Axton and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, along with not-too-preachy observations on the state of the country.
He introduced one of his biggest hits, Coming into Los Angeles, with a hilarious tale of his wife’s arrest at a Connecticut airport. Apparently, Guthrie had left a gift from an Amsterdam fan in her luggage, and it did not go over well with security.
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The 63-year-old Guthrie remains a strong concert draw, and he is a regular visitor to Northeast Ohio venues such as Akron’s Lock 3 and Cain Park in Cleveland Heights. But he usually plays solo or in duo or trio formats, so the Kent show was a real treat for fans.
Guthrie’s band included his son Abe on keyboards and vocals, with Terry A La Berry on drums, Bobby Sweet on guitar and Jody Lamppro on bass. The Burns Sisters, a trio from Ithaca, N.Y., provided wonderful background vocals and a sweet and soulful energy to the evening’s arrangements.
Before heading out to the lobby to meet with fans, Guthrie closed the show with My Peace, featuring his father’s lyrics set to his original music.
Friday’s concert not only served to mark an important milestone for the former movie theater, it was also Kent Stage owner Tom Simpson’s 57th birthday.
“All in all it was a beautiful night,” Simpson said.