I wonder if Arlo Guthrie cringes every time November rolls around. After all, his immortal "Alice's Restaurant Massacree," an 18 1/2-minute musical saga about one particularly memorable Thanksgiving, might be thought of as the "Free Bird" of folk music.*

Can you imagine how many times Guthrie has heard someone call from the audience: "Duuuudddeee! Play 'Restaurant!!!'"?

Tonight in the Garde Arts Center - only two weeks til Turkey Day - count on at least one fan to make the request because Guthrie is in town on his "Boys' Night Out" tour. Along with Arlo, musicians in the band include his son, Abe Guthrie, and his grandson, Krishna Guthrie - and the set list includes favorites and rarities from deep in the catalog.

* Technically, it should be the other way around: "Free Bird" is the "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" of Southern rock, since Guthrie's tune predates the Skynyrd classic by six years.

- RICK KOSTER

Arlo Guthrie's Boys' Night Out Tour, 8 tonight, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $29-$50; (860) 444-7373, gardearts.org.