John Prine

I saw John Prine at the Jack Singer last night!!! I was grinning and laughing and singing and aching in my heart so much that I got a headache.

I wrote a review for Beatroute, which they didn't publish. Beatroute is in my bad book.

Anyway, the show:

John Prine has been combining three chords and the truth since the early seventies, when he was hailed as "the next Dylan", but the man on the auditorium stage this rainy Monday night was no graceful elder statesman of country-rock. Looking like a Beatle in his black suit, and hoisting a big-bodied acoustic guitar, he skipped onstage to an explosion of applause, shouts and whistles. Backed up by his band on electric guitar and upright bass, Prine started immediately into "Spanish Pipe Dream"."We're feeling a bit frisky tonight!" he confessed, kicking out his leg and doing the twist whenever the music moved him. I've never experience such a boisterous, excited atmosphere in the Jack Singer.

Prine and his band delivered songs from his rich back catalogue, including favourites like "Please Don't Bury Me". Of note was a slow, introspective version of "Angel From Montgomery", with mandolin and a haunting electric guitar solo. Partway through the evening, Prine performed a set of solo acoustic songs, which put the focus on his direct, often humourous, and sometimes heart-breaking lyrics, as in the songs "Donald and Lydia" and "Sam Stone". Prine's band rejoined him for a fully electric rockabilly rave-up on "Bear Creek Blues". After almost two hours, the evening culminated with "Lake Marie", a nine-minute-long song of love and death, with spoken verses that always returned to the chorus, "Standing by peaceful waters, whoa wah oh wah oh!" You could say Prine took us to church.

Opening act Sarah Watson, formerly of Nickel Creek, joined John Prine for the encore. Her clear, plaintive voice blended well with Prine's rough croon on the songs "In Spite of Ourselves" and "Paradise".


Set list:

Spanish Pipe Dream
The Torch Singer
Picture Show
Six O'Clock News
Mystery Song!!!
Please Don't Bury Me
Whistle & Fish
The Glory of True Love
Crazy as a Loon
Angel From Montgomery
Souvenirs
The Frying Pan
Donald & Lydia
That's the Way the World Goes Round
Sam Stone
Bear Creek Blues
Saddle in the Rain
Hello in There
Lake Marie
ENCORE (with Sarah Watkins):
In Spite of Ourselves
The Late John Garfield Blues
Paradise