Saw Arlo's show at Uilhein Hall in Milwaukee Friday evening, and I have to say that I left with a much different feeling than any of the other Arlo shows I've seen (Chicago '73, Poplar Creek w Pete Seeger '80, Milwaukee Pabst Theatre '99 and '01).

First set was excellent and pretty similar to other shows--some old stuff, some new, lotsa funny raps. The second set seemed, at least to me, kind of sad. There was a series of songs in the second set, with Arlo at the piano, that seemed to dwell on the concept of age and loss--old friends who have died, AIDS patients who Arlo has played for (bless him), and just a sort of theme of age and loss. I'd like to be more specific, but my ability to attach words to feelings is ...limited.

Please understand that I'm not complaining; it was a great show, just different from other recent shows I've seen, and a little surprising, at least to me. And I could be completely wrong in my read, as well. It's entirely possible that my own recent brushes with age and loss lead me to read more into that second set than was actually there.

In any event--Thanks for a fine show, and compliments to Abe and Gordon. Anytime you swing by this part of the world, I'll be there to sing along.

And, Arlo--you're right, those folks at the Harley Davidson plant here do some damn good work!

If you had been at Arlo's concert Feb 22 2002 at the Pabst, you would have heard the beginning of this aging/loss thread. Thing I love about Arlo is he is honest (when not in imaginizing mode) about life. This loss thing is part of what we is all goin' thru, fellow listener, aina (as we say in Milwaukee)? It was a great concert. Arlo and Abe just keep getting better...and Gordon is cute too! The sound system was much better than the Pabst, and the amplified guitars sound great too.