CONCERT REVIEW: JOHN PRINE

Above: John Prine sings "Souvenirs" at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2004.

John Prine with Maura O'Connell

Feb. 3 at the Uptown Theater

For a guy who has written so many great lyrics, John Prine is a man of few words, at least during his live shows. So be it: Less talk means more music. Saturday night, Prine and his sharp-dressed two-man band (guitarist Jason Wilber and bassist Dave Jacques) performed at the a very sold-out Uptown Theater (about 1,700 in attendance), and they filled two solid hours with two dozen of his best songs.

His voice may be cracked, scratched and dented by age and the throat cancer he vanquished, but Prine, 60, can still deliver his songs with whatever emotion is necessary: humor, sadness, melancholy, poignancy or joy. 

When he did chat with the crowd, he typically said something brief but funny. Before "Glory of True Love," he mentioned the song's co-writer, Roger Cook, and said: "I had my wife in mind when I wrote this and was hopin' he didn't."

Before "In Spite of Ourselves" with Maura O'Connell, he said with some chagrin: "Nobody tell Iris," as in Iris DeMent, former KC resident, who recorded the song with Prine for the album of the same name. (O'Connell also joined him on "Long Monday" and "Takin' A Walk," cuts from his 2005 album, "Fair and Square." )

What he said after "Your Flag Decal ..." -- Jesus don't like killin, no matter what the reason's for -- wasn't funny but it got a big cheer: "I'll sure be glad when I can put that one away." Knowing he was in Missouri, he changed the lyric in "Illegal Smile" to "the judge's name was Ashcroft," which got laughs, cheers and a few boos.

Comedy and politics aside, mostly this show was about his music and his lyrics, which can be incomparably trenchant and poignant all at once. Prine writes in simple prose, but he conveys truths and sentiments that are as universal as they are deep and complex.

The crowd this evening was a blend of a few generations, but most looked like they were boomers who bought "John Prine" when it was first released nearly 36 years ago. During "Illegal Smile," when he sang the line "And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen," it prompted laughs and cheers of recognition and resignation.

That was one of the night's better moments. Others: "Souvenirs," "Hello in There" and "Sam Stone." And if I hear it 1,000 more times before I die, I'll still never get tired of hearing him sing "Angel From Montgomery." He flubbed the lyrics to "Big Old Goofy World" but made  up for that with a flawless rendition of "Paradise." He could have gone on for another two hours; he has enough material. And if he had, I'm guessing most of this big, appreciative crowd would have chosen to stay instead of leaving for the big cold world outside.   

Setlist: Spanish Pipe Dream / Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore / Six O'Clock News / Storm Windows / Souvenirs / Grandpa Was A Carpenter / Fish and Whistle / Glory of True Love / Long Monday / Takin' A Walk / Angel From Montgomery / You Got Gold / Donald and Lydia / Dear Abby / Illegal Smile / Sam Stone / Bear Creek Blues / She Is My Everything / Ain't Hurtin' Nobody / Hello in There / Lake Marie. Encores: Big Old Goofy World / In Spite of Ourselves / Paradise.

Photo by GWENDOLEN CATES

Maura O'Connell: She and her guitarist John Mock opened the show. After taking care of some business (getting The Star photographer in) I caught only the last two songs and they were splendnd:  "Blessing," the verse/prayer most Irish-American parents teach their offspring ("May the wind be at your back and the road rise to meet you and your soul rest at last in the hollow of God's hand"); and then a great cover of Van Morrison's "Crazy Love." She is Irish all over: a bit burly with fiery red hair and a big, glorious voice that easily filled the big theater. She's on "World Cafe Live" on Feb. 18.   

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[John]

"Knowing he was in Missouri, he changed the lyric in "Illegal Smile" to "the judge's name was Ashcroft," which got laughs, cheers and a few boos."

Well, maybe it was because he was in Missouri.

But he sang it that way a couple of years ago when I saw him in Houston.