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Arlo never got to perform with his famous father, a void he's happily filling by touring with his own children – and grandchildren – in 'The Guthrie Family Rides Again.'

By STEPHANIE BOUCHARD, Staff Writer November 19, 2009

American folk musician Arlo Guthrie says he never got the chance to know his father, the iconic singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie, as a performer. "When I was a kid growing up," Guthrie said, "my dad was already off the road, so I never saw him perform. I never knew him as an entertainer."

Missing out on that experience has made Guthrie eager to offer a chance to his children and grandchildren that he didn't get, and which isn't seen much any more in American entertainment: a family stage show.

"The Guthrie Family Rides Again" tour hit the road last month and is stopping in Portland Friday and in Orono Saturday. The concert includes the patriarch of the Guthrie clan; his son Abe and daughters Cathy, Annie and Sarah Lee; Johnny Irion, Sarah Lee's husband; and seven grandchildren spanning from elementary school-age to teens.

"He says to us and to the audience," said 30-year-old Sarah Lee, "it was a dream of his father's to do a show like this, and a dream for him (to do such a show with his father). Now this is a great experience. Something all of us know may never happen again, so we better cherish it."

The current family show grew out of a smaller tour Guthrie did with Sarah Lee, Johnny Irion and Abe a few years ago. It also came from a recognition from the elder Guthrie that the younger generation was interested in the family business, said his daughter.

"We'd do these home shows at the Guthrie Center down the street from where we live," she said. "Dad noticed the kids actually were interested, and it could be good."

One of the best parts of doing this family tour, both father and daughter agree, is watching the younger generation develop confidence with each show.

"The kids can be completely crazy backstage," said Sarah Lee, "then they walk out on stage, and they become human."

"For those of us who've been doing this for 40 years," Guthrie said, "it doesn't change much, but for the younger ones the world suddenly gets bigger."

The Guthries will perform fan favorites, such as Arlo's "Alice's Restaurant Massacree," and music created by various members of the family. But, said Guthrie, there will be more of his father's music in the show than anyone else's.

With young children on stage (and behind the scenes), the Guthries don't forget to perform music for the younger set in the audience. Some of it will be from a newly released children's album created by Sarah Lee and members of the Guthrie family.

Released by Smithsonian Folkways last month, "Go Waggaloo" features music that "won't make you want to jump out of a minivan," and features Woody Guthrie lyrics set to music created by Sarah Lee.

Receiving a handful of children's songs her grandfather had written but which she had never seen was like "opening a magic box," Sarah Lee said. "The melodies seemed to jump off the page at me."

Recorded at Sarah Lee and Johnny Irion's Massachusetts home, "Go Waggaloo" also has contributions from various members of the Guthrie family, including their then 6-year-old daughter, Olivia (who the family dubs "the folk diva"), and appearances from people the Guthries consider family, such as folk legend Pete Seeger.

Sarah Lee thinks that part of the appeal of the album, and of the Guthrie family tour itself, is that it highlights an old tradition: families making music together. "It's important for families to see other families playing music together," she said.

It's also unusual to see a family show like the Guthries', said Guthrie, with music and storytelling geared toward audiences ranging the age gamut from under 10 to 90. These days, he said, "Everything is so target marketed."

"There are few places where everybody can find something – the zoo. There is something for everybody (in the Guthrie family show)," he said. "So, we're sort of like a zoo.

"But," he added with a chuckle, "we don't cage anyone."

Staff Writer Stephanie Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6455 or at:

sbouchard@pressherald.com