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Canberra Today 18°/24° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Arts / Famous protest singer comes to Canberra

FAMOUS protest singer and son of 20th century musical legend Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie (pictured) will be coming to Canberra next year with his 90-minute show. 

Appreciated for his humorous persona, Guthrie will be in Australia touring for the 30th anniversary of Byron Bay Bluesfest at Easter, and he’ll be performing both his own numbers and cover songs.

He’ll be performing at the Canberra Theatre on April 22. The theatre this morning reminded the audience that a young Guthrie, deemed “not moral enough to join the army”, created “Alice’s Restaurant Massacre”, an 18-minute and 20-seconds, partially sung comic monologue opposing the Vietnam War, which is now a quintessential anti-establishment anthem.

Lampooning the Vietnam War draft, it was woven into the fabric of the ’60s counter-culture and became a tradition of US radio airplay during thanksgiving and is even now used against the current political climate.

Born in Coney Island, New York, in 1947, Guthrie is the eldest son of the multi-talented Woody, and was surrounded as a boy by artists such as Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott.

Since the first time he performed in public in 1961, at the age of 13, he has now, in his 70s, become an American folk elder.

Canberra Theatre Centre & Bluesfest Touring present Arlo Guthrie, Canberra Theatre, and Monday, April 22 only. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

 

 

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Helen Musa

Helen Musa

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