Arlo Guthrie is not the type of musician who would be lost without his concerts or big-time recordings. He just loves to play. Guthrie, who began his 35-year music career playing on street corners with an open guitar case, would go back to that sort of lifestyle any day.

“I certainly wouldn’t have to worry about as much, from the business aspect anyway,” Guthrie said. “I have a sincere respect for the business involved in music, and I believe you can do a lot of creative things with it. I was born to play it.”

Arlo Guthrie was certainly born into the right family for creating music. Woody Guthrie, his father, was among the legendary folk singers of his time. Despite growing up to the music of Woody and his cohorts, which included super-star acts The Weavers and Leadbelly, Arlo had no desire to venture into the scene his father had paved for him years before.

“I wanted to be a forest ranger,” Guthrie explained. “I thought living in the woods would be so cool. When I discovered that you had to go to school for that sort of thing, I wasn’t as excited about it.”

Guthrie found himself in a small Montana college at a time when many students were attending school to avoid heading overseas. The fear of putting on a uniform wasn’t enough to keep Guthrie in school.

“There was this massive sense of change in America going on all around me, and I felt like I needed to be a part of it,” Guthrie said. “Music played a huge part in this change, and that is where I felt I fit in.

“Two years later, Alice’s Restaurant Massacre came out, and it really changed my outlook on life. I was no longer just Woody’s kid; rather I had created a fairly popular album at the time.”

Alice’s Restaurant became so famous, it was made into a movie by the same title, in which Arlo starred. The album, which displayed the unique timing and delivery of Guthrie’s style, led him to a contract with Warner Brothers that lead to 12 albums in 19 years.

Despite managing Rising Son Records, starring in an ABC TV show, and publishing a newsletter, Guthrie is still recording albums.

Guthrie last played the M-Shop a year ago and is looking forward to coming back.

“We have came here to play a few times in the past,” Guthrie joked. “But it seems like we are always coming through here where ever we go. I really like Ames. It is nothing like our usual one-night-stand performances in auditoriums and theaters. We can actually come to a club for a few days, hang out and actually meet people.

Guthrie’s touring has lead him all across the world, including memorable spots at the original Woodstock, the 21st and the less-publicized 25th anniversaries.

Guthrie has also toured with Bob Dylan and played with a host of others for FarmAid.

“Those festivals usually leave a good impression on me,” he said. “I have a lot of friends my age that are still playing, and these shows really give us a chance to catch up with what everyone is doing.”

Guthrie has no problems with describing his style of music as folk, as long as people understand what folk truly is.

“My definition of folk is music that someone else shows you, or ‘learning it by ear’ as it is sometimes called,” he explained.

“Folk, how it is learned, created and the improvisation that goes along with it, is something that is truly unique to American culture, and you don’t come across that often. I like to tell stories in my music, which totally seems like the Boy Scout campfire thing to do, but there is much more to it than that.”

Other than Guthrie’s popular live recordings, he believes there is a huge difference in performing on stage compared to a studio.

“A record is played over and over, and you have to concentrate on detail. In concert, you have to concentrate on the audience,” he explained. “To record stories, they really have to hold up, which is really hard. Comedy acts have it much easier is far as holding up when recorded.”

As far as future plans, Guthrie isn’t concerned.

“I had a plan, once,” Guthrie joked. “I just never plan things because they always turn out differently anyway. Something else always seems to happen to change things. I suppose I may get away from live shows, but I’ll never stop playing.”

Guthrie will join forces with his son, Abe, for a pair of concerts at the M-Shop in the Memorial Union Sunday and Monday nights. Abe handles keyboards for his father, while adding some vocals. Abe also manages and does all the technical work for Guthrie.

The 8 p.m. shows are $16 and $11 for students with a current fee card. Tickets can be ordered through Ticketmaster outlets or charged by phone at 233-1888.