Folk singers get back to nature
It supposed to be hard to say good-bye,
but for Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, it's not quite
so bad since they're heading for greener pastures.
And there is a lot of green.
The couple, who have spent seven years in
West Columbia, bought almost 97 acres in Washington, Mass.,
where they are building a timber frame cabin.
They will be living four miles from the
farm of folk legend Arlo Guthrie, Sarah Lee's father. But if
Irion and Guthrie want to pick up groceries, it will be a
one-hour round-trip.
"There's a big hill. It's gorgeous,"
Guthrie said of their land in a recent phone interview.
"There are some wetlands on there, springs and trails.
"It's covered in blueberries. I'm going
to have to learn how to bake a pie."
Guthrie and Irion, who have been
performing on the Guthrie Family Tour, will give two
farewell shows at The Big Apple Thursday and Friday.
Irion is excited about the move, too.
"There's a stream and not too many people
around," he said. "There's a town meeting every Monday
night, and about 12 people show up."
But Irion knows there's something he is
leaving behind here, like the State Street strip that houses
his favorites such as Cafe Strudel and the Red Tub.
"It was really a great thing for us to
get off the road and get on our bikes," he said.
Guthrie and Irion, who met in Los Angeles
and married in 1999, have one daughter, Olivia, and another
child due in August. Guthrie, who has a brother and sister
living in Massachusetts, said moving closer to family was a
deciding factor.
"My daughter is turning 5," she said. "It
just seems like the right time."
Irion, who will release a new album
titled "Ex Tempore" in August, said he will miss certain
aspects of Columbia and the South.
"It's a love/hate relationship I have
with the South," he said. "On the one hand, I miss it. Then
I see that stuff hasn't changed, and it really bums me out."
Some of Irion's frustration can be found
in "Gervais," a song off "Exploration," the 2005 CD he
released with Guthrie. "Gervais" questions why the
Confederate flag still flies on the State House grounds.
"I'm sitting at the (traffic) light, and
I've got all these pent-up feelings about why do I have to
deal with that," he said.
Guthrie, who calls herself "a country
girl at heart," is ready for some new scenery.
"I love listening to the frogs and the
birds. And just hanging out with trees.
"We're on the road and with people so
much, so I just want to look at the trees."
They are saying good-bye, but the couple
won't be gone for good. Look for them in the winter, when
Western Massachusetts turns frigid.
"What we'd really like to do is spend our
winters in Columbia," Irion said. "I love Columbia in
December."
Reach Taylor at (803) 771-8362.
IF YOU GO
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion in
concert
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday
and Friday
WHERE: The Big Apple,
1000 Hampton St.
TICKETS: $15-$20 in
advance, $17-$22 at the door
INFORMATION: (803)
753-7478 or
www.gallery701.com
ALSO: Gallery 701 and
EdVenture will present a free outdoor concert for children
with Guthrie and Irion at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the children's
museum. If it rains, the concert will move inside to the
auditorium. Admission would then be $6.
