The effects of Arlo Guthrie on my 8th Grade education or: How my geography teacher turned us onto Alice deep in the heart of Orange County

OK, so I have been meaning to write this for a very, very long time. What with one thing and another and than Bush got elected so I had to move to Canada. But, of course , I’m jumping way ahead of myself.

My name is Michael Ryan and I grew up in a time and a place that seems so far away that it almost seems like a fable to me. One of those myths that seems to age like a fine wine. And that fine, aged wine almost seems to glow in the glass these days, especially when we have all been served up some cheap, imitation, made in China, grown in fear, mixed with bullshit, 10% real juice substitute.

I grew up in Huntington Beach, California during the ‘60s. And if it were possible I would let you take a hit of that memory and as they say in Australia, “you’d be right.” It was an endless summer that included real surfers, real hippies and real Republicans. Real Nixon Republicans. All of us there in the great OC, only nobody called it the “OC” because the world was all too new to be thinking of a place where you live as a “brand”.

I’m 51 now, so I was one generation short of being a full participant in the Woodstock Nation, but I was old enough to observe, study and bath in warmth of all that love. Sometimes we would even jump into the deep end and we even got to stay there a while until we got kicked out.

Huntington Beach was lucky enough to be home to The Golden Bear. A folk/rock night club that hosted all the great bands of that era. My friend Victor and I somehow got into The Golden Bear when we were 12. That night we saw Ian and Sylvia and The Tower Of Power.

My elementary school was new and all the buildings were constructed in the shape of a circle. Now, keep in mind we were deep in the heart of sacred Republican territory. Our 8th grade teacher had somehow slipped through the cracks because he was a genuine liberal. He put terrible thoughts in our heads like the public owned the beach and that corporations should stop polluting the environment. Yes, very dangerous thoughts. Somehow he convinced the principal to let him teach a course on pop cultural and rock ‘n’ roll music. Now keep in mind this was 1970 and this was elementary school.

Victor and I were two of the first kids to sign up. I remember the first class like it was yesterday. Mr. Oberle held up the album jacket of Alice’s Restaurant. He told us all about this dude, Arlo Guthrie. Then he put the album on and played the entire track of Alice’s Restaurant.

After we heard that album everyone in that class changed. From that point on our hair got longer. We somehow got plugged into the movement and into the moment. There was no turning back. In history class we began to ask questions about Vietnam. Questions like, “why are we there?” and “what happened to those students at Kent State?” And to the great fear of all the hard-liners in Orange County we began to question authority. We didn’t wear our hair long because of any fashion statement. It was more like a badge of honor. It was a way of telling the world that there was a difference between “us” and “them”.

What has happened to all of us who were there and lived and loved and drank the wine that was served at Alice’s Restaurant?

Somehow we all got lost on a long ride on the bullshit highway. We have been “rolling back the prices” on our values, beliefs and our back bone.

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m getting off this bullshit highway. I’m trading in my apathy and I’m going to ask the hard questions again.

Start flying those upside down flags and dusting off those peace signs. What the hell is the U.S. doing in Iraq? What are all those fine young men and women dying for? If you feel afraid to stand up and say this, then there is much more wrong than we think. Start standing up and speaking out. Didn’t we learn anything from Vietnam?

What brought me to this moment? It was Arlo Guthrie. A few months ago I saw in my local paper that Arlo Guthrie was playing in Peterborough, Ontario. Seeing his name brought back all those moments from grade 8. It all came back into focus. It was if Arlo was this great lighthouse and somehow I had lost that light. Lost it for too long.

Now, unfortunately for me Arlo sold out that show so I missed my opportunity to see him live. But I have found the light again.

It’s always been the job of poets and artisans to bring into focus the ideas and feelings of all of us out here. Arlo, if you are reading this, it’s time once again to write something to express what many of us out here are thinking and feeling. Neil Young is doing it and others. The time is coming around again.

Remember, as you told us before, “you can do anything you want in Alice’s Restaurant.”

Mike Ryan
Somewhere east of Toronto and west of Alice's Restaurant

Welcome to the Club Man.
I hope it turns into a CLUB. Like I hope for Club Forty's in Lemon-Minister Massatack. At least now I can spend 40 hours with one CLUB.-in less than 40 hours.

Welcome to the site. Your teacher sounds cool. WIsh mine had been as cool & into Arlo...

Mike, I want to thank you for bringing back some great memories of the Golden Bear and Huntington Beach. I lived in 'the other valley (San Gabriel)' but we'd trek down to the Golden Bear often. I'm a tad older (8 yrs) than you so by the time you were learning about Alice's Restaurant in Jr. High, I was settling down being a wife of a sailor (the army was looking for him so he joined the navy) and a mom to our 1st daughter.

There was another club over in Seal Beach that I'd go to occasionally, but I cannot remember the name of it. Do you know what it was called? It may have been out of business by the time you were old enough.

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for the welcome.

Darra I don't recall what the name of that club in Seal Beach was. Although I have heard it mentioned on some of the other internet sites that talk about such things.

The Golden Bear was an incredible place. It's incredible to think of all the bands that played there. Does anyone know if Arlo played there?

If anyone is interested in Neil Young, I just downloaded his new, live album called LIVE AT MASSEY HALL from iTunes. It was just Neil and his guitar and a great bunch of songs. Highly recommended.

Mike

It was so true-the song, "The times, they are a changing." They did change in the '60's and for the most part, for the better. As a child I was taught that children were to seen and not heard. I was 12 in 1960, living in St. Louis. The midwest was usually the last place in the country for kids to adapt to the style, sounds and culture that originated on both coasts. I only knew about folk music from what I heard on the radio. Luckily for me, my mother was a music lover, which she passed that on to me and my brother and I it passed on to my 7 children. They all thank me for that and as a result, our 10-soon to be 12 grandchildren also love music. I still hold out great hope for the ones who like rap, alternative and industrial?? music. Why listen to alternative when the real thing is RIGHT THERE??
I was very lucky that I didn't lose a loved one to Viet Nam. My brother didn't have to go because he was already an amputee from a childhood accident. My husband tried to inlist, but was rejected-they said he was flat-footed but he's always thought it was really because he was 5'6" and weighed about 90 pounds. Whatever. I'm glad he didn't go. His best friend was sent to Viet Nam and brought all of his ghosts home with him. He committed suicide a few years after he returned home. All of our children have been girls except one and his eyesight is too poor for military service. Thank you God, for nearsightedness. Now I have a 14 year-old grandson who wants to join the Marines when he's old enough. I still have 4 years to work on him.
I simply don't have enough time or attention span to list all my negitive feelings toward Bush for sending our guys to the middle-east again. All I can think is that God is in control and put Bush there to make Americans wake up to the way our government has become and stop it. The price is too high.

I think the reason there aren't more voices being raised about the "War against Terrorism" as there were during the Vietnam War is the absense of the Draft. Of course there is an Economic Draft going on now for those who can't get into college, happened to a couple of my nephews.
Speaking of Alice, She's the subject of a "Show&Tell" in the Berkshires this week. How cool is that for the Kids.
I spent a few years in HB during the early 70s, caught Jerry Garcia at the Golden Bear. Can't remember the place in Seal Beach, though I did raise a few at "Mothers" on PCH in Huntington Harbor.
So get out an VOTE this time cuz "The Times They are A-Changin'" agin.
Namaste
G D Guy

I expect to be at the polls early in the morning! How lucky to have lived in that place at that time. I've only seen 3 "rock concerts" The Beatles, Billy Joel and would you believe, Shawn Cassady. Gimme a break, I took my daughters to see him. These days I don't get the opportunity to go to concerts, but it's fun to read about the experiences of others.

Peace

Wow, I saw Shaun Cassidy in the 70's. I went with a friend of mine & her older sister who had her drivers license already. Believe it or not I'm a big fan of his. He put on a good show...

I have cousins who grew up in Hunnington Beach. Maybe you knew them?? Stan, Gary, Gail and Debbie Beck.

If I my interject a little, since the end of the Vietnam War and the advent of the Volunteer Army. Fewer people are exposed to the real military. Much of what we get spoon fed to us by the mass media is their recommended pablum. Do I agree with the current administration? No. But and here is the important caviot I listen to my friends who are serving.

I'll take the works of the Senior NCOs and Officers in the Army Reserve over the talking head media and government wonks.

I won't suggest which way you can get an idea of what is occuring in Afghanistan, Iraq and a few other places. Also I won't take my lead from Hollywood elitists either.

But I'll ask my fellow musicians do do what they can to help the service members. Donate time and or used instruments to the VA Hosptals. They do have music therapy for the vets.

And while volunteering you can ask the men and women who served what they think and how they feel. Perhaps that would be the truest way to Joe and Jane Average to learn how the current generation of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardmen feel about our government.

In regards to the future elections; Look to the candidate of your choice, verify that he or she is qualified and shares your views and not just mouthing what the handlers think the public want to hear. Afterall one a politician gets into office their concern is more about the next election than the public which elected them.

On final side note; As for music venues on the east coast, the really good ones are no longer and corporate greed is destroying the rest.