PRINE IN CALIFORNIA CONCERT REVIEWS

HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL, Speedway Meadow Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, CA
Oct 2, 2004 

By: Keith
Hey Ya'll, I have posted some pics of John Prine at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. He was great, of course! This link also includes pics of some other folks who played including Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, Steve Earle, etc. If you are not interested in those then you can find the Prine Pics on pages 3-4. Hope you enjoy them and gimme a hollar if you were at the show! http://www.pixagogo.com/8174965459

Civic Auditorium Santa Cruz CA
September 27, 2004   Support: Mary Gauthier

By: WALLACE BAINE - Sentinel staff writer
September 30, 2004
PRINE AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2004/September/30/style/stories/07style.htm
    If I’m editing the Great American Songbook, before "This Land is Your Land" gets in, before "Oh, Susanna" gets in, I’m making room for John Prine’s "Angel From Montgomery." 
   Though he looks like the guy in front of you in line at the hardware store, Prine is that kind of American icon, a craftsman who makes literate, meaningful songwriting sound not only effortless but kitchen-table real. 
   Watching Prine perform Monday night before an adoring crowd at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, it occurred to me that Prine couldn’t be more heartland-American if he’d been born in the back seat of a ’37 Packard parked in an Iowa cornfield. 
   He’s so American, in fact, I wonder how he translates to audiences from other cultures. I mean, we all know what he’s saying in "Dear Abby" — "You are what you are and you ain’t what you ain’t" — but to other cultures, is that kind of line some sort of befuddling exotic American thing akin to tuna casserole? 
   Prine certainly didn’t have translation problems at the Civic, thanks to a crowd eating out of his hands. Dressed all in Johnny Cash black, Prine came out to rapturous applause and launched into a few of his classics, supported by a guitarist and bass player. 
   Early on, Prine explained that the song he was about to perform had been retired for years because of its irrelevance — "I had it stuffed and hung above my fireplace," he cracked. But, he added, he was performing it again by "special request of the president ... It wasn’t a formal request, but boy he’s just asking for it." 
   That song? Prine’s famously acerbic Vietnam-period political ballad "Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore." 
   The election-year jab out of the way, Prine settled in for a two-hour show, dancing deftly between his early material and songs from his early 1990s mid-life renaissance. He gave audiences a tantalizing taste of what’s to come with a couple of songs from his latest work, set for release next March: a sobering ballad of quiet desperation called "I’m Just Getting By" and a soon-to-be fan favorite about the coldness humans are capable of, a song that contains the evening’s only other political swipe. 
   Prine, who will be 58 in October, strikes an interesting figure on stage. With a chest like a hot-water heater and a middle that suggests the man knows his way around a plate of bacon and eggs, Prine is nobody’s idea of Ricky Martin. 
   Having battled throat cancer a few years back, he is left with a voice like a rusty old saw blade. Those hooded Chinese eyes, those rabbit teeth, that riotous gray pompadour, all enhance Prine’s appeal since that appeal is rooted in an avuncular ordinariness. 
   The guy’s your neighbor, your uncle, your meat cutter. Just like his songs, Prine seems approachable and real. He wouldn’t know pretentiousness if it bit him in the ear. 
   Prine punctuated his songs with stories of his Army days, Fats Domino records and misheard lyrics. He didn’t have to regale the crowd too much that way because, of course, his best songs are stories. He made sure to hit on the highlights of the greatest-hits package, including "Dear Abby," "Sam Stone" and "Hello In There." 
   But Prine’s most spirited performances came from his 1990s work, songs like "Jesus the Missing Years," "The Sins of Memphisto" and "Ain’t Hurting Nobody." The most moving moment of the night was Prine’s nakedly emotional performance of a song he wrote to perform at his ex-wife’s wedding, the beautiful "All the Best." 
   Supported by young guitarist Jason Wilbur, tasteful to a fault in his accompaniment, and bassist Dave Jacques — think a pony-tailed Gene Siskel — Prine built up to a rockin’ finale, a transcendent version of "Lake Marie," perhaps his most overlooked great song. 
   Helped out by singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier, the evening’s opening act, Prine rolled out for a two-song encore and then, too suddenly, the night was over. 
   Oh, and "Angel From Montgomery," that heartbreaking ballad sung from a female point of view that Bonnie Raitt made into a beloved touchstone of Americana music? It was there too, somewhere in the middle of the set list, and for a moment or two, John Prine left behind his just-folks persona and inhabited the role of American musical icon. 
 You know, it fits him pretty well. 

By: Mercury News
PREVIEW
  Guitarist, singer and songwriter John Prine brings his original country and Americana sound to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium tonight.
  Prine first got widespread notice in 1972 for his self-titled album which included the hits ``Illegal Smile,'' ``Hello in There'' and ``Quiet Man.'' Prine continued writing and performing his music throughout the 1980s. In 1991 he won a Grammy for his album ``The Missing Years,'' which included an appearance by Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
  His works also have been included in feature films and have been recorded by numerous artists including Bette Midler and Bonnie Raitt. He's performed duets with Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Melba Montgomery, Trisha Yearwood and others.
  John Prine
  Where: Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz
  When: 7:30 tonight
  Tickets: $38
  Information: (408) 998-8497

By: google
September 23, 2004: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2004/September/23/style/stories/06style.htm  
Dossier on... John Prine 
BACKGROUND: 
John Prine’s long and fruitful career began with an appearance at the Westlake Hospital in Maywood, Ill., in 1946. After a stint with the U.S. Army in Germany and a job at the post office, Prine re-emerged at an open mike night at a local bar. After a few beers, he realized he could sing better than most of the guys going up to the microphone. He ended up singing "Sam Stone," "Hello in There" and "Paradise," and was promptly offered a job by the club’s owner. Prine eventually grew from a local singer and songwriter to a legend with national acclaim, several records under his belt and collaborations with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Trisha Yearwood and Emmylou Harris. A battle with cancer in 1998 slowed him down, but only for a while. 
HIS WAY: After dealing with major record companies for several years, Prine didn’t feel that his visions were best utilized by the big guys’ way of doing business. In the early ’80s, he took a break to rethink his career path and ended up in Nashville, where he formed Oh Boy Records with manager Al Bunetta and his associate Dan Einstein. He hasn’t looked back. 
GETTING TECHNICAL: In 2001, Prine’s record label released its first DVD Video project, "John Prine Live from Sessions at West 54th." It includes the entire one-hour special from the original PBS broadcast, outtakes and an extensive interview conducted by host John Hiatt. The DVD is one of the first releases from an independent label to be mixed in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. 
LYRICS: "It was Christmas in prison and the food was real good/We has turkey and pistols carved out of wood/I dream of her always even when I don’t dream/Her name’s on my tongue and her blood’s in my strings." ("Angel from Montgomery"). 
THE GIG: John Prine will be performing on Monday at 8 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 207 Church St. Tickets are $38 plus service charges and can be obtained at the Civic Auditorium box office, by phone at 420-5260 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

Venue: Hanford Fox Theatre, Hanford, CA
Date: September 24, 2004 - Support: Mary Gauthier

By: Phil
Here's the setlist: 1. Spanish Pipedream 2. Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore 3. Souvenirs 4. Fish & Whistle 5. Grandpa Was A Carpenter 6. Picture Show 7. Pretty Good 8. I’m Just Getting By 9. All The Best 10. Angel From Montgomery 11. Long Monday 12. The Bottomless Lake 13. Dear Abby 14. That’s The Way The World Goes ‘Round 15. Crazy As A Loon 16. The Other Side Of Town 17. Sam Stone 18. Bear Creek 19. That's Alright By Me 20. Ain’t Hurtin’ Nobody 21. The Sins Of Memphisto 22. Hello In There 23. Lake Marie Encore: 24. Sweet Revenge 25. Some Humans Ain't Human 26. Paradise

By: Jared
I just got back from my third JP concert at the Fox Theatre here in Hanford, California. This was the funnest experience I've had at a JP show. My first two shows were in 1999 and 2001. Shortly after the 2001 show I turned my dad on to John's music and he told me he wanted to come with me the next time I went...I just didn't think it was going to be a three year wait! Well, it was definitely nice to see John again and it was worth the wait. My dad loved it. And it was nice to go to a JP show with someone for a change. Unfortunately, I attended the first time by myself. John opened with the standard Spanish Pipedream, which featured some overly-amplified vocals. This problem seemed to soon be fixed. John cleverly introduced the next song, Flag Decal, saying it was being played at the request of George W. Bush. It's amazing how a song written so long ago has such a strong meaning today. This was not the only political/anti-Bush reference of the evening -- this made me VERY happy! Souvenirs was more beautiful than I remembered it being in previous years. Picture Show was fun. I'm Just Gettin' By, a new song, proves that John still has it. The Wal-Mart Super Center reference was quite funny. (New album in March '05!!!!). Long Monday, another new one, was very nice. The new album is sure to impress. At this point, John is on stage alone. Bottomless Lake is always a crowd please. This part of the show turned into somewhat of a VH1 Storytellers. John told some very funny stories - spoken and sung. The next song I am unsure of its title - I'm calling it "Crazy as a Loon". The chorus went "This town'll make you crazy as a loon..." The Other Side of This Town was very humorous. The trio of songs - Bear Creek, Alright By Me, Ain't Hurtin Nobobdy, rounded out the rockin' out portion of the show. Very fun. The always mesmerizing Hello In There was finished with John saying "I love you, mom". Simply beautiful. An energetic Lake Marie closed the set. Before the encore, an extra mic stand with a lyric sheet taped on it was brought over next to John's mic. It was a long shot, but I was hoping John Mellencamp was going to come out. He had been shooting a music video for his new single here in Hanford for this past week. I knew both Johns had collaborated in the past, musically or otherwise, and thought is was possible, but then it clicked it was most likely it was going to be Mary Gauthier, the opening act. The encore started with Sweet Revenge, my favorite JP song. The new song (Some Humans?) with the now infamous Bush/Iraq line was next. John replaced the expletive in the song for the more tame "hot shot". Which I guess was a good thing for this very conservative town. I definitely wouldn't have minded hearing the unedited version. Paradise, with Mary Gauthier guesting on vocals, closed the show. I didn't see Mary's opening set. I don't think I missed much - I wasn't a fan of her voice from what I heard on Paradise's chorus. I would've preferred John to sing it by himself. Great show, decent crowd. Some stupid woman, sitting in the fourth row in the left section sang very loud, and badly. Also, some people tried to create some rhythmic clapping during some songs. People in Hanford have NO rhythm. Anyway, those are my only complaints. Thanks John!

By: Mooch
I have been a Prine fan since the early 1970's and finally made one of his concerts this year. He is such a multi talented artist great music and great stories the had a packed house rolling in laughter. He played for about 2 1/2 hours then came back for a standing ovation. And closed with Paradise one of my favorites. He preformed Sam Stone, Whistle and Fish, Souvenirs, Hello In There and a lot of others plus cuts from his soon to be released album. He has such a great stage presence. The mix of fans where from about 12 to 80 years old proving that John's music is timeless. James

By: Monk Mooch
I started listening to John in the early 70's and he just blows me away with his music it is like no other. After more than thirty year of listening to John I finally got to see him in person and walk away amazed as the first time I heard him on record. John Prine music is simply just that his own look at life sometimes comically sometimes serious but always John Prine. I never get tired of his songs Sam Stone, Paradise, Donald and Lydia and all the others are as fresh today as they were in my mind 30 some years ago. The diversity of his fans ranged from about 14 to 80 years of age. All were on their feet with strong standing ovations. John is truly a master of the mic. He played for about 21/2 hours He had the whole crowd rolling in the isles with The Car In the Lake and singing with him on Lake Marie. Long live John Prine.

Christopher Cohan Center (Cal Poly) San Luis Obispo, Ca
September 25, 2004   Support: Mary Gauthier

By: Jim Branch
The show was tremendous! John played flawlessly and his voice got better and better as the night went on. John played for almost and hour longer than expected...more than two hours! This was my first time seeing him although I have been a fan since 1971. The last song before the encores, Lake Marie, was way too loud, but I resisted covering my ears. I am glad to say that I have seen my hero.

Luther Burbank Center for the Arts/Santa Rosa, CA
Date: September 22, 2004 Support: Mary Gauthier

By: Irene
Since I didn't see any reviews on the concert in S.R., I just thought I'd add this venue to the list of crowd-pleasing events. I am a long time JP fan from Juneau, AK and I hadn't seen him in concert since he visited us back in the early 80's. I had taken the ferry down from Haines especially to see him...he did a solo and totally took the audience. That same feeling all these years later came through as I ventured down to the lower 48 to see and hear one of my folksong heroes!!!! The lyrics are timeless/his presentation comfortable...

Laxson Auditorium, Chico California
September 21, 2004 - Support: Mary Gauthier

By: Coreen Larson
Prine protests another Dirty Little War
  http://www.orion-online.net/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/09/29/415a0e30b903c
    Nostalgia for the simple yet poignant anti-war folk music of the late '60s could be seen in the genuine smiles and open affection shared by the crowd watching legendary folk singer/songwriter John Prine on Sept. 21.
    The anti-war songs from the '60s and '70s proved to be just as relevant at Laxson Auditorium for the seemingly liberal audience as they did when they were first performed. The packed house barely had a chance to sit down when Prine and company briskly walked on stage straight to the microphone. 
     Belting out "Spanish Pipedream," the song he is thought to be most famous for, Prine sang, "Blow up your TV, throw away your paper/ Go to the country, build you a home/ Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches/ Try an' find Jesus on your own." He kicked the crowd into gear, delivering one of the songs they came to hear with the first number.
     Prine was accompanied by two talented string musicians: Jason "Shorty" Wilber, who played guitar and mandolin, and David Jakes, who played a huge double bass with a "slap and tickle" technique on the strings. The trio was fun to watch and they created a rich sound with their instruments. 
     Prine, who has been performing since 1971, is a legend in the music world and many artists cite him as an influence and see him as a genius songwriter. Bonnie Raitt, who made Prine's "Angel From Montgomery" popular in the '90s, is one of the musicians who have recorded his songs and spread their popularity.
     Prine sounds like a cross between Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. He has a clear chord-strumming guitar style that he was humble about, at one point telling the audience, "These are the same three chords I always play."
     When Prine sang "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" he told the audience that he had to pull the song out of retirement after a request from the president of the United States. "He was nostalgic for his draft-dodging days from the Vietnam war," Prine said, and the crowd roared with laughter and cheers. 
     He sang to the audience's delight with a hint of sarcasm -- as if he were singing the old song to Bush himself. "Your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore/ They're already overcrowded from your dirty little war/ Now Jesus don't like killin' no matter what the reason's for/ And your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore." The relevance of the anti-war song about Vietnam from 1970 to the here-and-now politics was ironic.
     Prine's songwriting style is simple. The message in every song is comprehensible and often touching. He has the ability to make the audience laugh, weep and, most importantly, think about injustices and trials of war.
     "Sam Stone" chronicles the aftermath of war for a family man who returns from Vietnam with "shattered nerves" and "shrapnel in his knee." The song ends with a morphine addiction and a family that has been forgotten: "There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes."
      Prine sang the sad but honest lyrics about the consequences of war to a silent house, and the audience's emotional response was palpable. 
      On the lighter side, a humble and gracious Prine told many stories between songs, making the audience laugh. He seemed to be enjoying his audience every bit as much as it enjoyed him. 
     His new songs have the same social conscience as the songs he brought back from 30 years ago. At one point he told a story about visiting an old flame that wasn't happy to see him.
     "I felt about as welcome as a Wal-Mart Superstore," Prine sang. The audience cheered that line so loudly it was impossible to hear the chorus of the song.
      Much of today's music lacks an honest social conscience. It was an honor to see a performer who has spoken up for his beliefs for so many years. It was also a thrill to be a part of an audience that appreciated the simplicity of a true folk singer.

By: Tom Gascoyne - http://www.newsreview.com/issues/chico/authors/tomgascoyne.asp
ANGEL FROM CHICAGO 
newsreview.com | http://www.newsreview.com/issues/chico/current/review.asp  
  To my mind, John Prine is one of the best American songwriters over the last 35 years. His work can have an audience laughing, angry and teary-eyed, sometimes within the framework of a single song. 
  This week his voice, never all that smooth, was a little rough and guttural, a condition for which he apologized, blaming years of acid-reflux disease. He had an operation for throat cancer a few years ago, and the story goes that when doctors learned he was a singer, they hesitated going in for fear they'd ruin his singing voice. 
  "You ever heard me sing?" Prine reportedly asked the doctors, before telling them to do the surgery.
  The Chicago-born troubadour played close to three hours to a nearly full house in Laxson Auditorium Sept. 21, and by the end he had the crowd in his hand. He smiled and joked and seemed to genuinely enjoy himself and what he was doing on stage.
  Silver-haired and portly and looking a bit like Charles Bronson in his later years, the black-clad singer pulled out a lot of old tunes and mixed in a few new ones, including, "Just when you got the world off your back, some hot-shot from Texas starts a war in Iraq." 
 He opened with what could be considered a signature song, "Spanish Pipe Dream," that has the chorus "Blow up your T.V., throw away your paper,/ Go to the country, build you a home,/ Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches,/ Try and find Jesus on your own."
  His second song, one he said he'd "stuffed and hung over the fireplace" long ago, never thinking he'd have to pull it out again, was hauled down and brought out by the request of the "draft-dodger in the White House." And, as was inevitable for the times in which we live, he played it, much to the delight of the decidedly liberal audience: "But your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore,/ it's already overcrowded from your dirty little war,/ Jesus don't like killin' no matter what the reason's for,/ and your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore." 
  Prine was joined on stage by two fine accompanying musicians, Jason, "Shorty" Wilber on guitar and mandolin and David Jakes on bass. | But he shone brightest when playing solo and hit his stride, his voice twanging beautifully and guitar picking impeccable, when he sang "Angel from Montgomery," a song, once recorded by Bonnie Raitt, that can make a grown man cry. | Prine's songs are as clever, funny, catchy (they rattle around in your head the next day) simple and yet somehow complex. But most of all they are sincere as their author. He means what he writes. | He told stories between songs, including ones about his father, William, who was born in Kentucky before moving to Chicago and having three sons. 
  "We were raised like we'd be moving to Kentucky some day," Prine recalled, remembering his father fondly. 
  For the final song of his encore, he played the nostalgic and sad "Paradise." 
  "When I was a child, my family would travel,/ To western Kentucky, where my parents were born,/ And there's a backward old town that's often remembered,/ So many times that my memories are worn./ And daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County,/ Down by the Green River, where Paradise lay,/ Well I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in askin',/ Mr. Peabody's coal train has hauled it away."
   And earlier, when he played his ode to old people, "Hello in There," he said, "I love you Mom," at the end. It wasn't hokey or contrived; it was heartfelt. 
  Opening the show was New Orleans-born Mary Gauthier, who is sort of a female Prine writing songs about cigarettes and kitchenettes and living under a bridge next to a golf course. She admitted early on, "As you can tell, I've listened to a few John Prine songs." 
  She joined her mentor on stage at the end to sing harmony on "Paradise."

By: J Bibbo
photos and full review at: http://www.synthesis.net/music/feature.php?fid=4173
  When buying a ticket for the show, I wasn't surprised when the woman at the window asked if it was for a class requirement. It wasn't. I had been looking forward to this since the 2004 Chico Performances season was announced. It's too bad that not a lot of younger people know about - or have to be required to see - John Prine. He has been writing some of the most honest, funny, sad and true songs for 40 years, 17 albums and the creation of his own record label. Needless to say, such a man has had a great impact on many aspiring songwriters, one of whom opened for him last Tuesday.
  Mary Gauthier was visibly excited and a bit nervous, not only to be opening for a man she referred to as one of her biggest inspirations, but to just play Laxson. "I'm savoring this," she said, about halfway through her set. "Trust me, I don't play nice places too often." Her lyrics spoke of hard living; living under bridges, getting high, being a drunk, running away at 15, and of course, the heartbreak of relationships: nothing nice. While her subjects were dark there was also wry humor delivered with sharp comic timing. From her first song, "I Drink," to her last, "Transvestites in Limousines," Gauthier charmed the crowd, and was a great introduction to Prine.
  John Prine came out and went straight into "Spanish Pipe Dream." He followed with what I've always heard is a highlight of a Prine show; speaking to the audience. He introduced his next song as one he had long ago "stuffed and placed over the fire place," but he had recently gotten a "strange request from the Whitehouse" to bring it out again: "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven," a song that illustrates Prine's articulate use of wit and absurdity to convey big issues and serious subjects, in this case the use of patriotism to promote war.
  Prine admitted that there are only about three chords in all his songs and his voice has gotten even more gravelly over time, but no one was there for anything but the words. He played many of his classic songs that have been covered by many other artists such as Bonnie Raitt, to whom he dedicated "Angel from Montgomery." While her version may be the more famous, watching Prine on stage sing "I am an old woman, named after my mother / my old man is another child that's grown old," he was that woman. Prine's ultimate talent lies in his understanding and lucid communication of who people are. Like Gauthier said, his brilliance is his simplicity, taking the smallest details and the biggest abstracts of life and reducing them down to their truest elements. That is why his songs were so sad, funny, hopeless and exhilarating over the course of the show - because life is.
  Prine was mostly accompanied by a standup bass and electric guitar player to take the solos. The show went from the roaring rendition of "Lake Marie" to his solo heartbreaking version of "Sam Stone." He also played a song from his new album, which comes out on April Fools day of next year (no joke), which ought to be required listening to anyone interested in writing of any sort.

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