Carnegie Hall November 29, 2003 8:00 pm

Keep in mind that this concert was in honor of Harold Leventhal and was a benefit for the Woody Guthrie Archives www.woodyguthrie.org which well deserves everyone’s support—please contribute to the thrill of the evening and honoring Harold Leventhal by sending them $$. Every audience member received a special tribute program. Michael Smith for HL Management, Nora Guthrie, the archives staff (and many others, I’m sure), and Rising Son records did an amazing job of producing this event.

Please make corrections, additions to the setlist as necessary.

The concert was sold out. Sound and video trucks flanked the sidewalks around Carnegie. Friends offered cookies to the crowd at the front doors and people up and down the street pleaded for “just one” ticket. Inside we looked around for old friends and family. Monstrous cameras, on tripods, a boom and set in the box seats were trained on the audience and the stage. The audience was charged. The lights dimmed a bit and Arlo, led Pete Seeger and Pete’s grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger out on stage. The audience rose to their feet for the first of many standing ovations (I lost count).

Midnight Special
Guantanamera
Pete and Tao exit, and Arlo introduces Leon Bibb and Arlo exits
Leon Bibb (http://www.wirz.de/music/bibblfrm.htm):
Look Over Yonder
Hot Sun Goin Down
Shenandoah (For Harold)
Leon Bibb exits and Arlo returns to introduce Theodore Bikel (w/ unknown piano accompanist):
Theo Bikel:
Man Come Into Egypt
Tomorrow Lies in the Cradle
Yiddish song (title unknown) with refrain “I am old but my soul is still very young.”
Turquoise Rings (Russian Gypsy song, in Yiddish)
Theo Bikel exits and Arlo returns to introduce Peter, Paul and Mary w/ Richard Kniss, stand-up bass and Paul Prestopino, guitar and banjo (standing ovation):
Have You Been To Jail For Justice
Don’t Laugh at Me (w/ charming signer, name unknown)
It’s Magic
Wayfaring Stranger
P,P&M invite Pete on stage to help w/ Where Have All The Flowers Gone? (standing ovation)

Intermission

A special edition poster, a CD of Harold Leventhal’s biography accompanied by remarks by musicians and their music, plus Arlo’s stuff and other merchandise was sold in lobby. See www.woodyguthrie.org for more info about the special stuff (may yet to be posted).

Arlo, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Johnny Irion, Abe Guthrie and Gordon Titcomb open second half.

Story of tuning difficulties (Quotes Pete in difficult tuning moment: “…wonder why do you never see Segovia tuning? (Pause) We [folksingers] care.”
It Won’t Be Long Now
The “folk process” and Woody story
Gypsy Davy
Cisco Houston Story
St James Infirmary
Sarah Lee & Johnny:
In Lieu of Flowers
Dylan in Tucson story
Arlo and all: When the Ship Comes In
Story about 1976 and Lexington, President Ford
Patriot’s Dream (standing ovation?)
City of New Orleans

Arlo introduces The Weavers (Erik Darling, Ronnie Gilbert, Fred Hellerman, Pete Seeger, Eric Weissberg (sustained standing ovation)
When The Saints Go Marching In
Lift Me Up To The Light of Change (Holly Near song)
Ronnie remembers Lee Hays w/ how she feels certain Lee with his knowledge of the scriptures would have brought the bible to the White House with the following song:
Sinner Man
Fred Hellerman: Brother Can You Spare a Dime (and Yip Harburg story)
Music In My Mother’s House
Di-Di-Di (a “zipper song” where most of the di-di-di’s were the song)
Wimoweh (standing ovation)
All cast return to stage for finale, including extended Guthrie, Leventhal families.
Introduce Harold Leventhal who thanks everyone (standing ovation)
Irene Goodnight
Sustained applause and standing ovation
Remarks by Nora Guthrie and finally, Harold Leventhal.
Sustained applause and standing ovation

Mio, many thanks for posting that wonderful setlist. I feel as if I'd been there.

Thanks for the setlist! Anyone out there got any pics they can post or list the urrls to on here? Curious to see how everyone looked.

Thanks for that excellent recap of the evening. It was a tremendous show.

Cheryl, although some intrepid souls probably snuck in some photos, getting caught taking them will get you thrown right out of Carnegie. Also, this whole evening is definitely property of someone or other. It was recorded for posterity..and we hope something that we can get our hands on or at least see. It was taped from beginning to end by a big professional crew, including interviews out front and camera guys right on stage the whole time, zooming and panning and the whole nine yards.

Last night I happened upon a copy of the program on eBay. It had an opening bid of something like $5.00 and a Buy-it-Now of $10.00. After reading the first show report in the Arlo's Restaurant folder, I went back to eBay and bought it for $10.00.

Turns out the seller was at the show, is a big fan and has frequented these boards but never posted. Hopefully he'll become a Blunderite soon, at least he said he would.

I can't wait to see my program... sounds terrific!

While it is nice to share the evening through mementos and the fine program, I hope that all sellers will consider donating their earnings to the Woody Guthrie Archives (link above), who provided them in the first place. Personal profit for such things would be the antithisis of the integrity that we honored that night. If we want to carry on the tradition of who we are and where we've come from and what it feels like to be a part of this family, we've got to be willing to support the people and institutions that make much of it possible.

The Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives was indeed the beneficiary of much of the funds raised at the Carnegie Hall show - And although they do need loot (who doesn't), I wouldn't want anyone here (at arlo.net) to feel obligated in anyway to make contributions as individuals to the foundation. The best way to help is to take a look at the recordings and other stuff at the website (the address escapes me at the moment - just woke up) and find stuff that may be meaningful to you and your families, friends or neighbors and keep the flow of WWG's thoughts and songs moving around. That after all, is the best tribute to anyone we can make - to keep the spirit alive - to keep singing the songs...

adg

an additional thought...there are a few t-shirts and some other concert related materials still around. Call or write the Sebastian office for those things... Or wait til we get the new RSR website up (any day now) and we'll put it up there.

Mio, how right you are! I can't email him and say, Hey... donate that money I just sent you. Afterall, Arlo just said none of us should feel obligated... but I think a donation is in order from me. I spend enough money at shows and on eBay.

Hello All:

I have been coming to this site for years but this is my first time posting. Thank you Terrie for putting the idea in my head.

I am the person who sold the Carnegie Hall program on Ebay. The opening bid was $1 plus shipping, which is all I expected to get. Additionally, I offered an option for the first bidder to end the auction and pay $10, which is what happened.

I have seen it suggested here that there is something wrong with what I did and that I should donate the $10 to charity. I seem to have somehow violated some "spirit".

I would love to say that by selling that prgram I was able to retire, buy a home on La Jolla, Ca. and sit around all day and look at the Pacific Ocean while listening endlessly to "Together Again" and game 6 of the 86 World Series. In reality, I took the $10 and after the Ebay Fees and Paypal Fees bought myself a two slices of pizza and a couple of Krispy Kreme donuts at Penn Station before the NY Rangers game last night (they lost 4-2 in case anyone was wondering). I think I still have a little left of the $10 to buy another KK donut and a Dunkin Donuts coffee before tonights Knicks game (they'll probably lose too in case anyone is wondering).

All of the above is nothing more than a long winded way of saying that the very small profit of $10 (less fees) was not my primary motive in listing that program on Ebay (or the one I have listed now). Additionally, I see nothing wrong with listing it on Ebay even if profit was the motive. We are talking about a program, not heat, medical care, prescription drugs food or shelter. I see nothing wrong with trying to offset some of the cost of the tickets, parking, gas, tolls and a Nestle's Chocalate bar.

In any case, I think that a donation to the Woody Guthrie Foundation is a wonderful Idea. In fact, I would urge all non-sinners (people who didn't sell a program on Ebay) to do so as well! However, I will not limit myself to $10. Fortunatley I am in a position to do better than that and I will, regardless of how much I get for the second program. Thank you for your suggestion.

No guilt allowed here, please...

William, I don't see anything wrong with you selling the program on EBay... after all, this is what allowed Terrie to become the proud owner of said program. And depending on your income and situation, the Carnegie show could be considered a costly (though very worthwhile and wonderful) event. Offsetting part of the cost by selling a program that you don't need to evince the memories seems reasonable to me. And if you CHOOSE to make a donation to charity, then god/goddess bless you! You have the choice to do as you see fit... you did nothing wrong.

And Terrie, you did nothing wrong in suggesting a donation, either, as far as I see it. The Foundation is a worthy cause... and there are many other worthy causes as well. Some people may not be aware of opportunities to help various charitable organizations, and pointing someone in the direction of one of these is not a bad thing.

But in an ideal situation, giving should come from a person's heart. They should give as they feel moved to, and where they feel the greatest affinity.

Hey now It's all Mio's fault. I only told Bill about the board posts and the suggestions, and I agreed with both Mio and Arlo about the donation suggestions.

I'm so excited about it; glad Bill put it up for auction. Now that we all know he has another one listed, I think Cheryl should buy it

Bill, I totally forgot to say "welcome" to this large part of the Internet. I think you'll find a lot of great people here. Obviously we all feel pretty free to express our opinions.

Glad you're here.

Thanks Terrie,

Nice to be here. I appreciate other opinions. If everyone agreed with evrything I think, I would always feel I was talking to myself. I do that anyway, but that's a different issue altogether.

I got sidetracked, but let me give my unoffcial review of the concert.

First of all, as I always say about any Arlo concert, when I heard "City of New Orleans, I got my money's worth. The rest was gravy. I really appreciate the fact that Arlo knows his audience wants to hear it and he always plays it. I don't know if he's bored with it or not but it sure sounds great.

I have never seen such excitement BEFORE the show started. People were standing as Arlo and Pete entered the stage. Peter Paul and Mary sounded GREAT, and for once I didn't have to listen to a "Pledge Break" after they performed.

leon Bibb was tremendous. I remember seeing him play around 1967 at Rochdale Village in Queens where I grew up. He didn't seem to age much, good for him! Theodore Bikel was incredible!

And what can I say about the Weavers, as great as ever, even though they were short one Weaver. I can't describe how Ronnie Gilbert sounded becuase my limited vocabulary can't produce a strong enough word to decribe how great she was. Ditto for Fred Hellerman.

And of course, the usual suspects, Pete, Arlo, Tao and Sara. On a scale of 1 - 10, I give them about 600! Besides me, one of the biggest critics out there loved the show, my (almost) 80 year old mother. She couldn't stop thanking me for taking her she had such a great time! And my wife who wasn't a folk music fan until she met me enjoyed it as well.

You don't have to take my word for it. To anyone who wasn't there, I'm sure you will have a chance in the form of a TV show, DVD or CD. I'll summarize it like this: It opened with Midnite Special, eneded with Goodnite Irene and City of new Orleans was in the middle. What can possibly be better than that?

Now, back to the Jets game. They're winning! Time to cue up "Oh Happy Day".

Wish I could afford to buy the Carnagie Program. I heard Carnagie was such nosebleeds about cameras. So sad to see that at concert places...