During Saturday night's subdued Thanksgiving Concert at Carnegie Hill, the evening reached its apotheosis later on. I had seen Arlo Guthrie last July so when I say there was a a pall due to his wife Jackie Guthrie's death in October I am not just stating the obvious. All night long everything felt a little out of reach, a beat too slow> Not mournful, but like the victims of Hurricane Sandy, with all the will in the world, and with Pete Seeger by their side, the Guthrie family were, simply sad. Author Seth Rogovoy would write of Jackie "I had the great privilege of knowing Jackie Guthrie over the years, just casually, but enough to love her and appreciate what a beautiful, smart, wise, funny, warm and caring person she was. She was the quiet, powerful offstage force behind her onstage husband and children, and she sat back and soaked everything in. When you were in her presence for just a few minutes, she made you feel like you were the most important person in the world for that time, and that whatever it was you were doing was the most important work that could be done. She knew a lot more than she let on, and she remembered everything. And she didn't miss a trick. Hers was a special and unique gift that directly and indirectly touched hundreds and thousands of lives. "
Shortly after Arlo and Jackie's 43th wedding anniversary, on October 14th, 2012, three months later, Arlo tells of going to down to New Orleans as a young hippie and seeing Jackie from a distance and her looking right through him and feeling profoundly depressed. Two years later they would meet again but back in New Orleans Arlo woke up and wrote the infinitely melancholic "Highway Off The Wind". Guthrie's performance was the essence of artistry, the expression of loss and bereavement. But equally important, it returns him to the star of his romance, 45 years after the fact, Guthrie can summon those feelings and they are made fresh and filled with new meaning for him and us.
Pete Seeger responds, well not really responds because it occurred earlier in the night, but reflects on songs and the passing of time with "Quite Early Morning" and it seems to work as explanation of why Pete and Arlo and the family are on stage this Saturday: "You know it's darkest before the dawn, this thought keeps me moving on", Pete sings, and at 93 it is why and how we keep moving. Pete is in pretty damn good nick for his age, and if his voice is frail it is tuneful and his banjo picking is supple and graceful. When Pete sings "If I Had A Hammer"or "Turn Turn Turn"(written 58 years ago) the audience wants to join him, they want to be a part of it, so he can't really express himself. Or rather, he can only express his Universal Suffrage, but on a lesser known number there is both a steeliness and sweetness to the songs.
The two songs tower over a set that wasn't as well constructed as the Summerstage gig celebrating Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday. The spirit was willing but Arlo, who remained seated throughout the set, wasn't joking, he felt heavy and his children felt heavy. As pros, they wanted to give us what we wanted, and they didn't, but as Seeger noted there is a time to laugh and a time to weep and it just seemed that the feelings were all messed up together and they couldn't cut them apart from each other.
Another year and another Thanksgiving. Long may Arlo and Pete turn.
Grade: B+