Young Fans Thrill to Folk Singers

by Don A. Metivier, The Glens Falls Times, June 29, 1968

Folk singers Arlo Guthrie and Judy Collins, two of the most popular and successful of the current crop of young “Protest-Folk” entertainers in the nation, starred last night in a one-show performance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on the Saratoga Reservation. The good-sized crowd, many of whom sat on the soggy wet lawns in the rain, was made up for the most part of young college-age folk-fans.

Guthrie, son of famed singer and writer Woodie Guthrie, is about as successful in his father’s footsteps as Frank Sinatra Jr. has been.

A fine guitarist, and possessing stage presence far beyond his 21 years, Guthrie was more interesting when he was strumming and talking, than when he sang his own compositions.

He opened the program with a classic – it must be a classic for there was no other reason to sing it – “I Don’t Want a Pickle; I Just Want to Ride My Motor-Sickle.”

That set the tone for what followed.

Everyone, even the most “square” among the audience, was waiting for him to sing the only song he has ever done on record that anyone bought, “Alice’s Restaurant.” The rambling, talking, singing, strumming discourse, was recorded at the Newport Folk Festival, and the 25-minute rendition has attracted wide attention and many plays on radio, where most records more than 2.04 long are thrown away.

Guthrie did a 20-minute lead-in to “Alice, ” explaining how someday everyone in the world will sing “Alice’s Restaurant” at the same time in a worldwide sing-in.

Then he sang a quick chorus and went on to something else, so on the appointed day we can only hope he sings too, unless he has forgotten the words by then.

His attempts at humor will not make any of the stand-up comics of the day rewrite any of their material.

Miss Collins provided the second half of the show, and she treated her fans to many of the songs that have been hits for her during the past few years.

She has surrounded herself with an excellent trio of musicians, especially her pianist, and used them to great advantage.

Miss Collins was wearing a striking red velvet gown and was barefoot. Her selections were most well received by the
young audience, most of whom agree with her protest feelings on the Establishment.