Dirty Linen

This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen #115 (December 2004/January 2004).
The full article is in the magazine, available on newsstands, by subscription, and at the Dirty Linen webstore.

Concert Reviews

Arlo Guthrie

Arlo Guthrie

Woody Guthrie Folk Festival
Okemah, OK
July 14-18, 2004

July 14, 2004, marked the 92nd anniversary of Woody Guthrie's birth, and the tribute concert to honor him that opened the seventh annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival was billed as a birthday celebration. More than 15 artists, all familiar favorites from previous festival years, performed a varied mix of Guthrie's songs in a show that lasted more than two and a half hours. Featured performers included Jimmy LaFave, Slaid Cleaves, Arlo Guthrie, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Ray Bonneville, the Burns Sisters, and Mary Reynolds. The annual tribute concert is the only ticketed event of the weekend-long festival, and a fundraiser that helps to present the other four days of music events for free.

Guthrie's rural hometown of Okemah, Oklahoma, hosts the festival every year. In the beginning, opinions in the small town were split. There were those who considered Guthrie to be an un-American troublemaker not worthy of recognition. And there were still others who felt that his musical legacy should be recognized, celebrated, and perpetuated. Fortunately the latter were able to prevail. Residents' attitudes have gone from angry accusations of Guthrie being a Communist, to suspicious tolerance, to embracing his legion of loyal fans. And while the economic boost that a festival provides to such a small community is certainly welcome, the kindness and hospitality of openhearted locals is genuine.

Late Thursday morning, as the festival was getting into full swing, outreach concert performances were occurring at various locations around town. Each year festival organizers arrange for several of the visiting musicians to perform music for members of the community who would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience it. Four such events were presented at area nursing homes and senior centers. Mary Reynolds, the Farm Couple, Jeff Plankenhorn, and Emily Kaitz all shared their talents in separate performances.

Another fascinating aspect of the festival, and of being in Okemah, is the opportunity to meet and visit with Mary Jo (Guthrie) Edgmon. "Woody's baby sister," now well into her 80s, is a regular fixture at the event. She sponsors an Annual Pancake Breakfast where, for just $5, one can feast on pancakes while taking in brief, informal performances of any number of artists who might show up. All proceeds from the breakfast benefit research to find a cure for Huntington's chorea, the disease that took Woody Guthrie's life in 1967.

Edgmon is an accomplished visual artist, as well. Signed prints of her folk-art depictions of Guthrie's life are available for sale. And if you're not too busy, she'll explain them all to you in vivid detail, with a grace and charm which is all her own. Spending 20 minutes or so with her was an unforgettable delight.

Although Guthrie left Oklahoma in 1929, Oklahoma never left him. He was forever an "Okie" and, as such, Oklahoma artists have a sizeable presence throughout the weekend, helping to shape the character of Woody Fest. The short list includes Tom Skinner, Carter Sampson, Dante, Brandon Jenkins, Amanda Cunningham, and Bill Erickson.

There is perhaps no artist who better exemplifies what has come to be known as "Red Dirt music" than Bob Childers. He helped to define the style that is decidedly Southern, with equal parts folk, country, rock, red dust, and attitude. Childers is a legend of sorts in Oklahoma music circles and possesses an easy manner and laid-back style both on and off the stage. His performance was raucous and fun, and made even more enjoyable by fiddler Randy Crouch, who leaned deeply and lovingly into every note he played.

Making a triumphant return for the second consecutive year was the Lansing, Michigan-based acoustic quartet Steppin In It. Their stunning performance at the 2003 fest was still the topic of conversation, and many wondered if the band could repeat in '04 with the same excitement and enthusiasm. One needn't have worried: These guys genuinely love what they do. Their passion for folk music, no matter what the style, is contagious, and they launched easily into waltz, two-step, blues, and more.

A popular favorite of many repeat visitors to the festival is the country-flavored folk-rock of Oklahoma's own Red Dirt Rangers. On June 26, with the festival just a few weeks away, tragedy struck when a sightseeing helicopter that band members were flying in crashed into the Cimarron River. The helicopter's pilot and one passenger were killed in the accident. All three band members survived, but were badly injured, and various fundraisers were set up at Woody Fest and elsewhere to help the uninsured musicians. The absence of the Red Dirt Rangers left a void at Woody Fest, not only in the performance schedule, but in the hearts of so many who'd hoped to hear them sing again.

Jimmy LaFave's performance is always a highlight at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. He has fervently supported the annual event, performed every year since the first, and made himself abundantly available to fans as well as media. When he and his band took the stage, there was no mistaking they meant to entertain. LaFave's band is one of the best around, and its music flowed effortlessly from one song into the next. "Buffalo Return to the Plains," "Deep South 61 Delta Highway Blues," and Guthrie's "Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad" all helped to create a charged atmosphere. By the time LaFave began his encore, the Band's popular song "The Weight," the entire audience was standing and singing along.

Headlining Friday night's main stage was Nashville singer/songwriter Steve Earle. His solo acoustic performance, coming on the heels of LaFave's high-energy set, seemed subdued by contrast but was no less satisfying. His song in tribute to Woody Guthrie, "Christmas in Washington," was a moving highlight. Earle, an activist passionate on many topics, works tirelessly against the death penalty. He gives his time to Amnesty International and is active on peace issues as well. How sad then, that his timely and powerful message appeared to have been overshadowed by the language he chose to deliver it.

No one seemed to blink an eyelash at Earle's first three or four uses of the "f- word." However, as it rolled from his lips more and more frequently, people began to tire of it. Many in the audience, offended by the language, simply picked up their belongings and left. Clearly, Earle's own fans were thrilled to see him, but he may well have squandered the opportunity to reach potential new ones. On the day following Earle's performance, many festivalgoers recounted his words, yet few recalled his message.

Most of the artists in attendance sang at least one Guthrie tune. Highlights of those performances were the Burns Sisters' rendition of "God's Promise," Mary Reynolds' achingly beautiful "Hobo's Lullaby," and "When the Curfew Blows" by Joel Rafael. Perhaps the most wonderfully surprising Guthrie cover was performed by Ray Bonneville. His riveting interpretation of "Gamblin' Man" toward the end of Wednesday night's tribute concert not only brought a tiring audience to attention, it set the stage for what would become one of the most talked about sets of music the entire weekend.

As time drew near for Bonneville's Saturday afternoon solo set inside the historic Crystal Theatre, festival patrons filled the seats excitedly. He delivered a brilliant performance that more than matched the audience's expectations. Bonneville sampled songs from most of his five albums, concentrating on the recent Roll It Down [Red House Records]. He accompanied himself on electric guitar and harmonica, all the while tapping his foot on a wooden board that was miked beneath his chair.

Bonneville's sound is difficult to describe accurately. Often called a bluesman, he takes an approach of quiet confidence onstage and a sheer, electric enjoyment in what he is doing. He sings from the heart and to the heart, communicating effortlessly. It is blues, but with soul. Bonneville has managed to harness that elusive and indescribable thing…the groove. It's the intangible "feel" of the music, the space between the notes.

The final time slot at the 2004 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival belonged, fittingly, to Arlo Guthrie. Throughout the weekend, a very relaxed-looking Guthrie accompanied several of the performers onstage (Hans Theessink and Jimmy LaFave both benefitted from his impromptu contributions). But on this night, the stage and the audience belonged to the son of the world's most famous Oklahoman. Guthrie was accompanied by two of his children -- son Abe on keyboards and daughter Sarah Lee on guitar -- and son-in-law Johnny Irion also played keyboards.

Guthrie and his band ran through a host of familiar favorites, including "Me and Bobby McGee," "City of New Orleans," and "Mr. Tambourine Man." They closed the set and the festival with what has become a Woody Fest tradition, an all-inclusive version of Woody Guthrie's most well-known song, "This Land Is Your Land." Joined on stage by every artist in attendance, Guthrie lead the song and the audience added their voices. It was a scene of unity which could convince one to truly believe that "this land was made for you and me."

--Annette C. Eshleman (Lancaster, PA)

There are 6 more concerts/festivals reviewed in this issue.

[cover #115]