I continue to be amazed at the diverse folks who stop and thank me for my columns. Your comments encourage me to continue and, from our resulting discussions, I’m often inspired to reflect on different perspectives from which to write. A case in point….
Along with many Perthites, I attended Willie Nelson’s sold out show at the Civic Centre in Ottawa a couple of weeks ago and was still aglow from my enjoyment of the event when I started hearing some peoples negative comments on the show. Now, I must admit I’d never seen Willie before so didn’t know what to expect, other than what I’d heard via his recordings and articles I’d read in the past. It really surprised me to hear these negative comments when what I’d seen and been amazed at was, first and foremost, two days before his 73rd birthday, just how stellar his guitar playing virtuosity was and how creative his versatility was with timing.
He led his band for @ 2 hours through a continuous progression, from one song to the next, to the next, playing all the favourites, often in medley form. His band, including his obviously shy sister Bobbie, who hid behind her grand piano and cowboy hat, his unremarkable drummer of 40 years and other players, seemed to follow Willie’s lead as he musically segued from one song to the next. Many songs were played in a completely different style than the original, often even in a different time, ie: 4:4 to 3:4. His sweet voice and remarkable ability with timing, reminded me of Willie’s idol, Frank Sinatra’s unique abilities with time. It became almost a jam as he rarely spoke to the audience and that’s where some people may have been disappointed. People seem to like hearing what they know being reproduced in front of they own eyes.
Imagine, being an entertainer on the road and being expected to play tunes the same way every night. No wonder musicians are known for indulging in drugs and alcohol. I remember hearing about Joni Mitchell’s retort at an Ottawa concert, when hecklers were requesting her old material. She said something like, “if you want to hear my old stuff, buy my records”. Willie, you’re a memorable, remarkable outlaw musician.
In contrast to Willie’s virtually non verbal show, last week I attended another sold out show, the 40th Anniversary of Alice’s Restaurant with none other than that folk idol Arlo Guthrie and band. The old folkies’ filled audience were thrilled to hear Arlo’s stories. His comic, narrative style gave little peeks into his history, his revered songwriting genius father Woody Guthrie and tiny snippets of those who worshiped his dad, highlighting Bob Dylan. His musical prowess shone as he played old favourites and newer tunes, most cleverly showing his crafty wordsmithing. Arlo’s guitar licks were solid as were his ragtime piano presentations, sometimes within the same tune. He also highlighted experiences that have changed while on the road with his keyboard and harmonizing son Abe for the past 15 years. His unique perspective on our “crazy world” was insightful, often hinting of politics which left the crowd entertained and sparked many a collective nod.
Though Arlo’s comical genius proved true in his version of Alice’s Restaurant, that fictional account of his encounters with law, government, and the American way., it was his versions of his father’s songs, especially My Peace and This Land Is Your Land (asking us to sing along our Canadian version) that brought the crowd to join in and provide that old tyme sing song satisfaction often felt at Hootenannies. Music continues to be a powerful message medium.
In a conversation with a fellow parent at a drama presentation recently, we were discussing how our feelings to experiencing something of any medium, whether a picture, painting, musical piece or drama presentation was so uniquely individual. Whatever effect it has on us is often felt most internally, be it joy, fear, tears … any number of emotional responses that are often so hard to describe to someone else. Thank God for artists who dare to put their feelings up for appreciation. It’s artistic endeavours that provide the colour to our world.
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