David Hidalgo Booker T. & the MGs Crossroads Guitar Festival 2004
enjoy!
MORE WOODY ~
Arlo Guthrie Family (w/ Woody Guthrie children, grandchildren and great grandchildren) photo : Annie Leibovitz
We returned from the concert last night around midnight feeling runny, crummy and a little funny (meaning exhilarated). We had just been front stage, in what shade any of us could find, in a treeless field scorched at 9o degrees, and would stand the next four hours enduring beautifully a heart of Americana between two bands: Los Lobos and the Arlo Guthrie Family Reunion band. I had last seen Arlo play (at a small bar) 42 years ago, so there were all sorts of reunions going on.
We had got there after doing a full morning of chores and sweating up, then dunking in the river and heading out in small touring car to a few more errands like first finding a bite to eat, then doing groceries and packing it all away in our large thermos with a bag of ice, and the grocer has been strategically chosen because it allows us a spot to park the car, groceries in the tub under blankets and head off on-foot, each of us with a good apple to chew in hand, and hoof it the two miles into the concert, because you see — we don't have $110 to spend on tickets. There's a brake job to do on the car next week and that's going to cost plenty. So, with any luck, after we walk in and see how the place feels (all outdoors, mucho security, ID bracelets everywhere), we'll see if we can find two people who are leaving early and don't mind parting and gifting us with their ID bracelets. It didn't take long. In fact one fellow went to such lengths to dig down into his backpack and bring forth a fresh free ticket (for Sweetheart) from Yankee Candle. We plan to give a little bow next time we pass Yankee Candle, that strange tourist attraction on the horizon. To the kind man we already bow.
With about fifteen minutes to spare, joyous, criminal, free floating with this sea of field-filled faces and bodies we joined the great human race and got ourselves into place for Los Lobos, to our minds, the mightiest touring band of America. We had last seen them 15 years ago in Lenox, Massachusetts when we had bought tickets for ourselves, our son Carson, Janine Pommy Vega and Jim Koller and we all showed up there as a big family ready for our own reunion and zest. And guess what? — the tickets were never charged to us — so don't tell me something eerie, sweet and nice isn't following us around with this band. Besides, we're here in the first place for Woody Guthrie's 100 birthday celebration (Los Lobos doesn't mention him once) or as Woody might have said, "Whatever it takes."
Los Lobos is finishing up an eastern tour tonight here, though they aren't quite sure where they are, nor does it matter, they start and end in full throttle Mexico~East L.A.,~ the bigger world catch-as-catch-can mixture of classical rock 'n' roll and blues meets traditional conjunto masterpieces. I don't know if that was Cougar Estrada on the drums with them, some of his mighty drum kit was blocking my view, but if it was, his playing and backfill engine literally thrummed under our feet. There were a few jam portions here to backfill our own lives for at least the next year to come. This band stream rolling as free wolves since the early 70s.
That's one segment of the Americana that is occurring right before our eyes — from the Mexico borderlands into East L.A., and my Sweetheart-sneak who has gotten in with me tonight reminds me, with her own L.A., childhood memories, that the weather right now, as the band hits the stage, is very reminiscent of the very best California dry ground breezy lingering humidity solace. It's even in the trees on the edges of our view. No wonder the band is all smiles, except for, of course, Luis Perez.
After Los Lobos, and a short breather (everyone goes to the free water cooler, a very thoughtful contribution by the concert architects) comes what has to be the grandest showcase of American music family tradition since The Carter Family, if you trace the lineage. Arlo Guthrie and his relaxed and top-notch family brood of musicians including his daughter Sarah Lee Guthrie and husband Johnny Irion. Just to show you the lineage right there: Arlo is the son of Woody Guthrie, who handed his son a guitar at the age of 5. Even though Arlo, as a youngster, wanted to be a forest ranger and work in a fire lookout tower for the rest of his life (who didn't in the 60s?!), the Oklahoma gene pool genius had other plans for him. It turns out Johnny Irion, who married Arlo's daughter, had a grand-uncle by the name of John Steinbeck. So right there on the stage, strumming, alive as you or me, is a mighty flash of The Grapes of Wrath between Woody and Steinbeck. And it will play out powerfully when all this family begins to play, sing and speak — from Arlo's children and grand children, who are Woody Guthrie's children and grand children and great children, right down to little Sophia and Olivia Irion who sang and talked, trust me, just like small fry Woody's. If you didn't have tears in your eyes at this charmed spectacle, then you did when Arlo Davy Guthrie, as son, broke into Woody's masterpiece "Deportee" (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos).
A beautiful night. We all left as one. It will disperse, yes, but it was one.
_____________________________
I found a clip of Arlo Guthrie and most of the same family band playing "Deportees" (not from our concert) from a few years back, with classic Arlo speakeasy and play.
A poem (or more) will be offered by the hour or with the day and at the very least once a week. So stay on your webbed toes. The aim is to share good hearty-to-eat poetry. This is a birdhouse size file from the larger Longhouse which has been publishing from backwoods Vermont since 1971 books, hundreds of foldout booklets, postcards, sheafs, CD, landscape art, street readings, web publication, and notes left for the milkman. Established by Bob & Susan Arnold for your pleasure. The poems, essays, films & photographs on this site are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the author's go-ahead.
New from Bob Arnold ~ "Faraway Like The Deer's Eye" ~ Bob Arnold Faraway Like the Deer’s Eye — A Saga — FOUR BOOKS IN ONE VOLUME ~ A Poet’s Memoir // 50 Years of Longhouse & Poets // A Builder’s Life, with photo assembly // The Selected Poems of Bob Arnold // An afterword by Andrew Schelling
Longhouse Bibliography Quick Link —
Link to the Birdhouse Bibliography
Read about Longhouse (a press edited by Bob Arnold) ~
"Poets Who Sleep" by Bob Arnold, Longhouse 2019. Please link on image for ordering information.
Link to a Preview of Poets Who Sleep
Shared at "Dispatches from the Poetry Wars"
Heaven Lake by Bob Arnold
Available from Longhouse. Please link on the image for ordering information.
The Woodcutter Talks by Bob Arnold
Available from Longhouse. Please link on the image for ordering information. Drawing from years of poetry and also new poems, The Woodcutter Talks is Bob Arnold at his finest branching love poems with back country work poems and settlement with community, family and individual portraits. The extensive collection also showcases vintage photographs from woodcutters and woodchoppers and big-saw-pullers of old. Sweat runs down the cheeks of the mere literary and they adore one another.
Stone Hut by Bob Arnold
"Once again, my friends, this is your best book! Exquisite in design, fat enough to be a feast, pretty enough to just wade around in, but deep enough to dive into and stay with, all I can say is WOW, you guys really did it – it’s the first of its kind, a scrapbook novel that is also a how-to and a mystery -- how did he do it, and how does he make rocks balance like Thor? — Gerald Hausman" ~
Museum, An Unlikely Meditation, written by the poet Bob Arnold, is as much an unlikely novel. Visit this page for details.
Cid Corman's Of, Volumes 4 & 5 from Longhouse.
ANNOUNCING. The final volumes to Corman's opus in one book ~ of, volumes 4 & by Cid Corman. 1500 poems, 850 pages edited by Bob Arnold, now available in a limited edition from Longhouse, 2015. Please link on the cover image for details & Paypal payment information ~
'Fully a book ~
An interview with Bob Arnold on Cid Corman’s ‘of’
Janina by Janine Pommy Vega
New and available now from Longhouse ~ Janine Pommy Vega Janina Visions, Tales & Lovesongs 288 pages perfect bound packed with poems and photographs. Janine's full course album of photographs, travel journals, poems, facsimile notebooks of poems, childhood photographs, and family, Beat family, plus her unfinished memoir of Jerusalem.
Walking Woman with the Tambourine is the final book of poems by Janine Pommy Vega.
"Walking Woman with the Tambourine is the final book of poems by Janine Pommy Vega. The author completed the manuscript and left it as she wished with her executor Bob Arnold … New and available now from Longhouse ~ Poetry. 144 pages. Perfect bound softcover. Please link on the image for ordering information
New! James Koller : Selected Poems 2003-2004-2005
James Koller — Selected Poems 2003-2004-2005 Longhouse 2016, 72 pages, perfect bound. Please link on the cover image for details & Paypal payment information PLUS more from Longhouse
OPENINGS by JAMES KOLLER
Selected poems 1959 ~ 1985 edited by Bob Arnold. New and available now from Longhouse ~ 72 pages . Perfect bound softcover. Please link on the cover image for details & Paypal payment information PLUS more from Longhouse
Lorine Niedecker's A Cooking Book
A Cooking Book Lorine Niedecker Longhouse 2015 72 pages, perfect bound. Please link on the image to purchase this new title from Longhouse.
Kent Johnson's "I Once Met"
Available once again now in 2022! $25 plus shippingVisit the Birdhouse for Kent's book information :
JD Whitney's Selected Poems
J.D. Whitney ~Sweeping the Broom Shorter Selected Poems 1964-2014 from ~ Longhouse 2014. 192 pages. Please link on the cover image for details & Paypal payment information PLUS more from Longhouse
New! from Longhouse ~ Island Dreams by Gerald Hausman Please link for details & Paypal payment
ISLAND DREAMS by GERALD HAUSMAN Selected Poems 1968 ~ 2015 chosen & edited by Bob Arnold New and available now from Longhouse ~ 160 pages Perfect bound softcover. Please link on the cover image for details & Paypal payment information PLUS more from Longhouse
John Bradley's "And Thereby Everything"
L O N G H O U S E is very proud to announce a new book by John Bradley in their on going series of S C O U T book publications — other titles from the series have been by Kent Johnson, Janine Pommy Vega, James Koller, Bob Arnold and Lorine Niedecker with more in the works. An opening salvo at the front of the book by Patrick Lawler should provide ample cover for what the reader should come to expect. And Thereby Everything John Bradley Longhouse 2015 First edition only issued in softcover 208 pages, perfect bound illustrated throughout by Bob Arnold with 150 photographs
Dudley Laufman : Bull & More Bull
Visit this page for information on this new Longhouse by Dudley Kaufman (2016)
Dudley Laufman's Islandian Poems
The Islandian Poems & Fables Dudley Laufman Longhouse 2015. 72 pages, perfect bound. Please link on the image to purchase this new title from Longhouse.
MIRZA ABD AL-QADER BIDEL / ROBIN MAGOWAN ~
New from Longhouse. Please click on the image
New from Longouse ~ Robin Magowan
New from Longhouse. Robin Magowan. The Garden of Amazement, Scattered Gems After Sâeb. large softcover glossy bound with an introduction by the translator, 112 pages
Duo by Bob Arnold — New from Longhouse Please link to A Longhouse Birdhouse for more information
DUO Bird Poems by BOB ARNOLD. New and available now from Longhouse ~ 92 pages. Perfect bound softcover. Please link on the cover image for details & Paypal payment information PLUS more from Longhouse
Start With The Tree by Bob Arnold
New in 2015. Building a marriage, building a family, building a small barn out in the woodlands together as a family, as a marriage, and seeing the roof go on. Over 150 color photographs
Beautiful Days by Bob Arnold
Beautiful Days ~ new poems of living and working in the Vermont woodlands and to Hurricane Irene
Yokel by Bob Arnold
[from "Yokel, A Long Green Mountain Poem" by Bob Arnold] ~ that and more at Bob Arnold webpage of books & poems: Please link on this image for more
Go West by Bob Arnold
Filled with poems and travel photography — shares one cross-country trip the couple took in the mid-1980s to California from Vermont.
"I'm In Love With You Who Is In Love With Me" by Bob Arnold
from Bob Arnold's new book "I'm In Love With You Who Is In Love With Me" ~~~~~~~40 years of love poems
"Rain Bear" by Bob Arnold
Bob Arnold's first children's book "Rain Bear" New and available now from Longhouse ~ 50 pages. Perfect bound softcover with photographs ~ & drawings by Jason Clark
"Heretic" by John Phillips from Longhouse
New from Longhouse ~ John Phillips "Heretic". Poems with collages by the author. Click on the image for more ~
Kim Dorman — "Owner"
"Owner" by Kim Dorman. Including photographs by Kim Dorman. Selected and edited by Bob Arnold. New and available now from Longhouse 2016 ~ 80 pages. Perfect bound softcover