Hi, all! New to this board, but not to Arlo's music.... I'm hoping folks here can help me clear up one of those "am I losing my mind, or did this really happen?" mysteries that afflict many of us as our bodies age and more of our brain cells stop holding hands.

Sometime in the 1980s, I attended one of Arlo's concerts.... my memory says it was the H.A.R.P. show at the Greek Theater in Berkeley in 1984, but that's one of the less-solid details. I'd swear that something like the following happened....

About two-thirds of the way through the show.... everyone else went backstage for a break.... Arlo sat down on a stool at one side of the stage, guitar in hand, and began to tell a *very* long story, as only Arlo can. He talked about Reagan, the Star Wars missile defense system, and how high-tech weapons systems were starting to look more and more like video games.... he talked about then-current video games.... and how people who earned high scores would enter their initials into the system to be displayed forever next to their score.... he figured that eventually they'd be entering their full names.... and then their names, addresses, and phone numbers, which would be transmitted to the Pentagon so that the best video game talent could be recruited for the military. As he neared the end of the story, he started to very quietly strum his guitar.... he gradually increased the volume, and about the time his story ended, the crowd just *ERUPTED*, as the guitar had finally gotten loud enough that they could recognize what he was playing.... the vamp from "Alice's Restaurant". He gave a huge grin.... and when people quieted down again, he explained that he hadn't performed the song in concert for well over ten years, because he'd felt that it was no longer relevant. But the excesses of the Reagan years made him change his mind, so he was going to start performing it again.... at which he brought the guitar volume up again, and launched into "This song is called Alice's Restaurant...."

But I can find no mention of this anywhere on the 'Net, including the set list for that show in the tape trading archives. Might have been a different show, but if so, I'm not sure which one it could be. Anyone else remember anything like this, heard of anything like this, or even know, in a general way, the performance history of "Alice's Restaurant"? Clues, hints, or kindly advice to consult my doctor would be much appreciated! Please?

Hi, Barbara... welcome. I do have a vague memory of the Star Wars/video game intro to Alice, but not a HARP show simply because I never saw them together. But I've been to SO many Arlo shows over the decades that I must have heard this intro at least once or twice.

Hello Barbara and Welcome! It doesn't sound to me like you're losing your mind any more than the rest of us. My brain cells stopped holding hands years ago---now they're barely on speaking terms! I clearly recall an Arlo show at the Musical Moon up in Tallahassee (1984 sounds about right) where he said something like "You know those video games where kids are shootin' down the planes and boats and tanks? Those games are actually manufactured in the basement of the pentagon. This isn't the only country in the world that trains millions of kids to fight in wars, but it's the only country in the world that trains millions of kids to fight in wars and makes them pay for it"!

Yeah, there was a line something like "This is the only country in the world where anyone with a quarter can train for the army!"

Yeah---I remember that! At least 2 of my brain cells started speaking to each other again!

Welcome to the site. That sounds like a neat show I bet some folks on here may have the info you need...

I dunno. I'm pretty sure there's only one brain cell that we share here...and Larry seems to have it most of the time...

Yah, I was feeling pretty jealous of one person who has two whole braincells to herself, seeing as most of us have to share the one ... by the way, has anyone seen it? John C. and Regina were going to look for it in DC last weekend, but I don't think they spotted it, or they'd have said something about it by now. Wherever it is, it needs to be heading to Housatonic soon to be there by October. (Welcome, Barbara! We're glad you're here, and it has nothing to do with your excess of braincells. )

Being a relative new-comer who's also past the age of concern about asking stupid questions, why does Larry get to keep it?

He just kept it for awhile. It moves around.

Do ya'll have it tagged for satellite GPS tracking, or do you just wait around for it to make a scene somewhere?

Thanks for the replies and the warm welcome, all!

Good to know that I'm not too far off in my recollections.... though I'd still like to know if that was in fact the first concert performance of "Alice's Restaurant" in many years, and if it did indeed take place at the H.A.R.P. show in Berkeley.... so if anyone has any more/better/other clues?

And my apologies for keeping the brain cells for too long.... so much to learn about a new forum! If someone could post the rota, I'll make sure they get to the next folks on the list right away, 'K?