Hank,

Yes your friend is completely correct. There were no concerts scheduled, rather only press gatherings (parties) open to almost anyone. The purpose was to promote the movie "Alice's Restaurant" being released at that time in Europe. I think I may have played a few songs just for the hell of it, as the photos from that time show me with a guitar - I would find it hard to believe I didn't use it - but I can't remember each of the events that took place. Only that I was there...

However, I specifically recall Paris: The movie people wanted me to go to Europe to promote the film and initially I said 'no' as I hadn't had to do anything to promote it in the US except for a few interviews and a couple of 'previews' for the movie houses. But, I went with the condition that I could invite anyone I wished to attend these 'press events.'

They probably thought 'He doesn't know anyone there anyway. What harm could it do?" So arriving in Paris, Jackie and I wandered around a day or two before the event and invited everyone we met on the streets who appeared interesting to us. The invitees asked me "Why should we go to promote an American film, made by an imperialist (yeah - back in those days) multinational corporation?" I responded "Free beer & wine."

The day of the event hundreds of people showed up for the free drinks, but they were from so many different political groups it was crazy. They were arguing among themselves and getting louder and louder all shouting about one thing or another. Although I could speak a little French (high-school), I couldn't keep up with the arguments. So Jackie and I drank all the wine we could (her not so much because she was very pregnant) and left. We were just happy to get out of there. I don't remember speaking with anyone from the press, but we had a great time anyway.

In 2011, Jackie and I returned to Paris. It was the first time we had been back together since 1970. Although I didn't realize it at the time, it would be the last trip overseas we would ever make together. We had a wonderful time in Paris living life to the fullest with not even a hint of things to come as she passed away the following year. For those memories I will be forever grateful to that city.

Anyway... Yes, I remember Paris.

First of all, thanks for that beautiful reminiscence of Paris. I imagine that all these dates are mostly important for the memories they spark…

On the preceding page, you asked if I’d look at your 1972 list. My list, like yours, is a work-in-progress, and I’ll probably revisit it again at some time in the future. But here’s a list of dates that may (or may not) need amending on your own schedule page; if nothing else they’re worth investigating as they have some published provenance. Many (but not all) of the tour dates listed going forward have been sourced from 1972 issues of the Circular, the weekly in-house promotional newsletter of the Warner Bros. record company. I’ve referenced the issues I’ve taken information from below:

CORRECTION (?): The Richmond, VA show at the Mosque is listed as 5/4/72, the very same night as the Washington D.C. gig. According to the Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 17, May 1, 1972), the Mosque show in Richmond was actually on 5/5/72.

CORRECTION (?): It’s currently listed on your page that a show in Tempe, AZ (5/7/72) followed the Oxford, MS show of 5/6/72. Not impossible in the jet age, of course, but the Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 17, May 1, 1972) lists Milwaukee, WI, not Tempe, as the site of your 5/7/72 concert date.

ADDITION (?): The Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 27, July 10, 1972) lists a scheduled 7/17/72 show at the Will Rogers Auditorium, Fort Worth, TX.

CORRECTION (?): The Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 27, July 10, 1972) lists Oaklawn University, Rochester, MI as the venue, not the Meadowbrook.

ADDITION (?): The Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 27, July 10, 1972) lists a scheduled 7/23/72 show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY.

ADDITION: No question mark here. There was a well-documented surprise appearance at the eighth annual Cambridge Folk Festival on Sunday 7/30/72, the day following the Crystal Palace Bowl show in London.

ADDITION (?): The Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 31, August 7, 1972) lists a scheduled 8/19/72 concert in Santa Barbara, CA.

JUST A NOTE: The 9/23/72 date (the lone September date) in New Orleans was a benefit for Presidential candidate George McGovern, with Pete Seeger and Willie Tee and the Gators sharing the bill.

ADDITION: On 10/14/72, the very same day you began “recording sessions,” there’s documentation that you played at a 7:00 PM rally for George McGovern at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

ADDITION (?): The Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 44, November 6, 1972) lists a scheduled 11/13/72 concert at Brown University, Providence, RI.

ADDITION/DELETION (?): The Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 44, November 6, 1972) lists a scheduled 11/16/72 concert date in Rochester, NY. The schedule currently lists a show in Toronto, Ontario on that date.

ADDITION/DELETION (?): The Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 44, November 6, 1972) lists a scheduled 11/17/72 date at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. The schedule page currently lists a show at the War Memorial in Syracuse, NY on that date.

ADDITION/DELETION (?): The Warner Bros. Circular (Vol. 4, no. 44, November 6, 1972) lists a scheduled 11/18/72 date in Columbus, OH, instead of the 11/18/72 Dayton, OH date on your list. That same issue of the Circular lists Dayton, OH as an 11/19/72 date. But the next week’s Circular (Vol. 4, no. 45, November 13, 1972) moves the Columbus, OH show at Veteran’s Memorial Hall to a 11/26/72 date, so I imagine Dayton could have fallen on either the 18th or 19th.

Thanks for these nice stories and good memories in Paris.

Hank wrote:
He wrote great articles about folk music in a monthly magazine (R&F)
I was looking forward to reading them
As to Campus (with M. Lancelot),it was a famous radio show each night which started in 1968.

Cecile, thanks for confirming that Campus was a regular radio program in Paris. I'm glad that Google's attempt to translate Mr. Vassal's e-mail from French to English was pretty much on target.

In any event, I've dug a bit deeper into some of my notebooks and clipping boxes and found some additional scraps of info/dates for the five years covered so far in the schedule:

1970
5/25/70 - This time in Los Angeles is marked as “Unknown.” Not sure if this information ties in or not to that visit, but on the following day, Thursday, 5/26/70, the Woodstock film had its West Coast premiere at the Fox Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills.

1971
DATE/VENUE ADD: 03/28/71 – Masonic Auditorium, Detroit, MI (as per newspaper item)
VENUE ADD: The Denver Auditorium was the site of the 4/15/71 show in Denver, CO.
VENUE ADD: Oregon State University was the site of the 4/17/71 show in Corvallis, OR.
DATE/VENUE ADD: 11/05/71 – Proctor Theater, Troy, NY (as per newspaper advertisement)
DATE/VENUE ADD: 12/3/71 - Civic Auditorium, San Jose, CA
CORRECTION: Sorry, my fault. I misidentified the site of the 12/10/71 Austin show. The show was not held at the Armadillo World HQ, but at the Austin City Coliseum.
DATE/VENUE ADD: 12/11/71 – Laurie Auditorium, San Antonio, TX

1972
NON-CONCERT DATE ADD: 05/24/72 – Anti-War Sit-In at Capitol Building, Washington D.C.

1973
DATE/VENUE ADD (?): 4/10/73 - Music Hall, Boston, MA (as per Billboard, issue 4/7/73. 2 nights in Boston, apparently).
DATE/VENUE ADD (?): 4/13/73 – Palace Concert Theatre, Providence, RI (as per Billboard, issue 4/7/73)
DATE/VENUE ADD (?): 10/25/73 – Century Theater, Buffalo, NY (as per Billboard, issue 10/20/73)
VENUE ADD: A flyer for the 11/7/73 at the U. of Nevada advertises the “Gym” as the concert venue.
VENUE ADD: The site of the 11/11/73 show was the Berkeley Community Theater. (This show was reviewed in the 12/20/73 issue of Rolling Stone.
VENUE ADD: The site of the 11/17/73 show was Bridges Auditorium at Claremont College.

I've got a venue for you to add!

I was there so I know! You played at the Mississippi River Festival, AKA, MRF, along with Joni Mitchell, if I am not mistaken. I just tried to find that post and can't locate it just now.

I see someone in the Mississippi River Festival forum or page, whatever you wanna call it, on Facebook and they said you were talking about playing there in your blog??? Not sure where that blog is or if it still exists.

Anyway, the concert was 07-07-1969.

You sang The Motorcycle Song among a whole lot of others. That song was the highight of my night, hahahaha. I remember the group of friends I was with and we were all laughing so hard. Of course, we already knew the song cause some of us had the album, me included.

They have a set list posted in there and this is what is there.

The Motorcycle Song
Coming Into Los Angeles
If You Would Just Drop By
Oh Mary, Don't You Weep
Bluegrass Instrumental
Wheel of Fortune
My Front Pages
Alice's Restaurant Tease
Stealin'
(Memphis Jug Band cover)
Amazing Grace

There's a bunch of pictures of you posted in there. I know the admin and she may let me have them to post on here if you want. Apparently, you played at the festival multiple times so I am not sure of the years on those pictures but in one, you are sitting on the floor, holding a beer can and near one of the elevators and that's somewhere inside the University (SIU-E Edwardsville, IL) cause I know there were no elevators at the MRF tent site. LOL!

Immensely enjoyed the show in Chicago Sunday 11/8/2015.
Recalled the first time I saw Arlo:
01/27/1968--The Troubadour-Los Angeles, CA

Saw the Carter Baron Show with Arlo and Judy, probably Saturday, August 22, 1970. Great show and venue!!! Remember it like it was yesterday. - RonSTroy