"Alice's Restaurant" Muse Dies...the Westport Memory Survives

[Pink Freud]

From the NY Times...with an epilog from a St. Louis concert:

"Alice Brock, whose eatery in western Massachusetts was immortalized as the place where “you can get anything you want” in Arlo Guthrie’s 1967 antiwar song “Alice’s Restaurant,” died on Thursday in Wellfleet, Mass. — just a week before Thanksgiving, the holiday during which the rambling story at the center of the song takes place. She was 83.

Viki Merrick, her caregiver, said she died in a hospice from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Ever since Mr. Guthrie released the song, officially called “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” in 1967, it has been a staple of classic-rock stations every late November, not to mention car trip singalongs on the way to visit family for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ms. Brock’s restaurant, the Back Room, does not feature much in the song itself. Over the course of a little more than 18 minutes, Mr. Guthrie — doing more talking than singing — recounts a visit that he and a friend, Rick Robbins, paid to Ms. Brock and her husband, Ray Brock, for Thanksgiving dinner.

A shaggy-dog story ensues: Mr. Guthrie and Mr. Robbins take some trash to the city dump, but, finding it closed, leave it in a ravine instead. The next morning the police arrest them for littering, and Ms. Brock has to bail them out.

That night she cooks them all a big meal, and the following day they appear in court, where the judge fines them $50. Later, Mr. Guthrie is ordered to an Army induction center, where he is able to avoid the draft because of his criminal record."

In the late '80s/early '90s, Arlo Guthrie played Westport Playhouse, and there was a belligerent drunk in the crowd who kept bellowing "Play 'Alice's Restaurant', man!" After several interruptive shouts, Guthrie said from the stage "I'm sorry, but on this tour, we're not doing that song." The guy yelled one final loud epithet, got up, stumbled up the steps and walked out the door. Guthrie asked the usher at the exit if that door was locked from the inside, and the usher confirmed. With the moron having no way to get back in, Guthrie enthusiastically played.......

[Ed Fraser]

Song sucked. Movie sucked. They were hoosiers who couldn't wait for the dump to open the next day. They should have been drafted and sent off.

[12xu]

Song sucked. Movie sucked. They were hoosiers who couldn't wait for the dump to open the next day. They should have been drafted and sent off.

Ed Fraser popped off on the forum
He spoke like he had something to say
He said, "I don't want to hear anybody"
I guess he's going to be that way

Even all the elephants hear you, Eddie
Would you believe it at last?
Nobody wants to be near you

Thanks, Arlo

[Uncle John]

Arlo Guthrie performed Alice's Restaurant live at the Riverport Amphitheatre on July 20, 1997. I was there and I can still picture Arlo singing the song at Riverport. The concert was grate and all the bands killed it!!!

Arlo Guthrie was part of the Furthur Festival Tour in the summer of 1997.

Furthur Festival 1997 Tour Band Line-up:
Bob Weir & RatDog
Planet Drum
moe.
Jorma Kaukonen
Bruce Hornsby
The Black Crowes
Arlo Guthrie

https://ddenham.tripod.com/further.htm

[12xu]

I had the pleasure of seeing Arlo in concert at the Kiel Opera House in '72. He did "City of New Orleans", "Hobo's Lullaby", "Ukelele Lady", and of course - "Alice's Restaurant", and many other songs. Had a small band with him, I don't recall who all was in it.

[MikoTython]

I had the pleasure of seeing Arlo in concert at the Kiel Opera House in '72. He did "City of New Orleans", "Hobo's Lullaby", "Ukelele Lady", and of course - "Alice's Restaurant", and many other songs. Had a small band with him, I don't recall who all was in it.

What about pickle/cycle ? I'll never forget Arlo and Co appearing on the Michael Douglas show in that era (he used to have some great acts appearing right in the middle of the afternoon), and all the band members were left-handed - which I thought was very cool.