John Prine FLORIDA Concert Reviews

Archer Performing Arts Center at Key West High School Auditorium 
KEY WEST, FL  Feb 27 & 28, 2004 -- Support: Greg Brown - surprise appearance by Iris DeMent

By: jerry
Enjoyed the Pensacola concert Sep 2003. but the two we attended in Key West Feb 27,28 were far superior both in content and quality of Mr Prine's voice, the addition of Iris Dement was certainly a welcome surprise. The more we see this exceptional songwriter the more it feels like coming home to your core beliefs or an old time gospel meeting rather than a staged performance, this is truly a performer who will be remembered 50 years from now as a writer of exceptional insight and compassion, apologize for sneaking in during the sound checks but just couldn't resist. Thank you again John Prine but how about Orlando next tour, Hard Rock seems like a perfect venue especially during tourist season.

By: Bob & Karen
Talk about a great way to enjoy a John Prine concert. Both nights for us were in the front row. We have been John Prine fans for over 30 years but never saw him in concert. From the start when Greg Brown opened with Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans" until John ended the night with everyone joining in for "Paradise", the concert was beyond belief. Greg Brown has a dynamic voice and to hear him up close was incredible. John Prine came on stage opening with "Spanish Pipedream" and continued for a full two and a half hours. John did everything we wanted and more. John Prine not only amazes you with lyrics, but his personal talk with the audience shows you how much he appreciates his fans. John performed "Souvenirs", "Six O'clock News", and so many others throughout the evening. To hear him do "Sam Stone" & "Hello in There" in person was especially meaningful to us. Surprise guest, Iris DeMent joined John for "Milwaukee Here I Come", "We're Not The Jet Set", and let's not forget "In Spite of Ourselves". Iris DeMent, besides being a talented songwriter herself, has one of the most powerful voices we have heard. Iris added so much to an already fantastic concert. John Prine's band consisted of Jason Wilbur on electric guitar, mandolin and dobro. Dave Jacques performed on electric bass and upright bass. These two are musicians with an inner talent that would mesmerize the classically trained. Simply put, both of John's Key West concerts were phenomenal. Thank you John for coming down to Key West.

By: Chris Howard
  Within the acoustically pleasing and aesthetically lacking confines of the Key West High School Auditorium, Greg Brown opened for John Prine on Friday and Saturday nights. Thanks to my birthday and a generous mother, this 25 year old made the 1500 mile journey from Dallas for the shows. The three hour plane flight was a small price to pay for a true Brownhead/Browniac/or whatever the proper term is (I refuse, however, to consider myself a Brownie… in my opinion, that fan-group name is way too close on the cheesiness scale to Barry Manalow's "fanalows"). The crowd on both nights was much different than any crowd I had ever seen. I would describe it as a crowd full of washed-up hippies…and I think that all meanings of "washed-up" apply. Perhaps my favorite moment outside of the concerts was that someone used the word "far-out" in a conversation with me...something I thought was only in history books about the sixties. In a pinkish-orange tank top, a visor of similar color, green comfortable pants, and dark sunglasses Greg came out to the stage on Friday night.  
  One of the speakers on the left side of the stage was bad, which made the lows of Greg's guitar and voice somewhat unpleasant or unintelligible at times. It was a quick set--just over 40 minutes--with very little dialog. Greg looked out of his element as an opener in a bigger venue. When he took the stage, the spacious auditorium was still bustling with people taking their seats, and this continued throughout his set. Clearly unfamiliar with Greg's music for the most part, the audience didn't have the level of attentiveness possible at a smaller venue. I think this, along with Greg not being the headliner, attributed to his quick, quiet demeanor on Friday night. With the bad speaker no longer and a livelier crowd, Greg seemed more spirited Saturday night. He looked more like a rock star, too, wearing a dark suit with a flashier collared shirt than normal. Of course, the visor and sunglasses remained. 
  The auditorium's acoustics shined during this set as Greg's voice settled into the space like ice cream into a cone. Many a fan, including the man sitting next to me, was won-over by his performance. The guy next to me asked which CD of Greg's he should buy first? Talk about a difficult question. John Prine's set was also incredible. Although pretty much the same show both nights, his energy and rich flavor were unmatched on stage. Iris joined him for about 5 songs each night. I can see why Greg was attracted to her. Wearing a simple summer dress, she looked like she had walked straight out of a rural Iowan church on a Sunday evening. Yet, her fresh haircut would have made any guy say, "Diane Keaton who?" It was definitely one of the most shocking and hilarious moments of the night when she did a duet with John Prine in which she sang about a lover, "he's got balls like a big brass monkey." Wish you could have been with me in Key West for damn good shin-dig.

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