Coming Into Los Angeles

"New York State Thruway's closed, man!"
Arlo Guthrie's Coming Into Los Angeles at Woodstock '69

 

Besides hearing an anthem of the era delivered at the generation’s Super Bowl, we’re treated to a visual walk-thru of how Woodstock happened. This is Friday, the first day, before the apocalyptic hurricanes of nature and humanity.

 

Right away you see the weekend’s famous helicopters shuttling performers to and fro, and 30 seconds in, that’s bearded (and tripping) promoter Artie Kornfeld meeting Arlo, and walking him up probably the best available footage of the wooden ramp that led up to the stage. 

 

There are differing accounts about who generated most of the 2^nd camera footage we see here, but let’s applaud both director Michael Wadleigh and editor Martin Scorsese for this masterpiece that so many have enjoyed for so long. 

 

At the 2:20 mark there’s a nice shot of white jump-suited Wavy Gravy and shirtless stage manager Chip Monck sharing a “moment”.

 

We don’t visually get to Arlo’s performance until about the 3:08 mark, but all along you can hear the in-the-pocket drummer crackin’, and a skilled and tasteful second guitarist who aren’t in any spotlight or shot. 

 

Although you see him walking up to the stage in wonderful daylight, his actual performance wasn’t until the dark of night, ‘round midnight in fact. As testament to his popularity and stature at the time, his was the second top act on the opening night of Woodstock – followed only by the master warrior Joan Baez who closed the show. 

 

As the son of Woody and a mother who was in Martha Graham's dance company, he was surrounded by song & dance from birth. He was riding in the front seat of the mid-sixties folk music "revolution," and wrote the Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida of wooden music, the 20 minute Alice's Restaurant, the film version of which would hit the screens the week following Woodstock. He also penned "Coming Into Los Angeles," a underground "hit" song that had the bonus hipster factor of being banned on the radio.

 

Arlo, Global Citizen, was visiting friends in England, who gave him a going away present, that he didn't open until he was on the plane. You can hear the rest of the story in this song.