John Prine MISSOURI Concert Reviews

Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO
March 5 2004 -- support: Iris DeMent

By: clemsontoby
I have seen John over a dozen times. The first time was in this exact place 20+ years ago. A great night. The local lady, Iris Dement was fun and John Prine sang so many great songs, it was unbelievable. He knows how to mix the old with the new. Personally, I have heard the old songs so many times, I like the new songs more now. The only downside (and this is minor), is that he didn't tell as many stories this time. The Jimmy Buffett reference was great. However, because of a last minute scheduling issue, my wife could not attend the show. I brought my 11 year old daughter. It was her first concert ever and to be honest, she wasn't a huge John Prine fan. Her tastes are more Avril and Hillary than Prine and Tom Waits. So, what I wanted to do was let her, in her own words say what she felt about the show. So here she goes: Iris Dement had some good songs. I didn't know any of them, but I still enjoyed them. I think that she did a really good job playing the piano and knowing that she is from my hometown made it even better. I knew a few of the John Prine songs and some were new to me. I had been looking forward to the stories my mom had told me about, but he didn't tell anything except for the "Happy Enchilada" song. It was overall a good concert to go to except for the annoying lady behind me who was either screaming "Play the fish song!" even though he had already played Fish and Whistle or tapping on the back of my chair( offbeat I may add). I am glad that I could go to this concert anyway. My favorite songs were Fish and Whistle, Lake Marie, That's the Way that the World Goes `Round and the duets with Iris Dement. Well, that is what my daughter though. I only had to help her with the naming "That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round". Other than that, that is what she thinks. Not too bad for a 6th grader. Would you of listened to John Prine in 6th grade? It always amazes me how happy he and the band look when they are playing. I couldn't imagine looking happy playing a song that I have played over a 100,000 times, but they do! It is great to witness people loving what they do. Thanks John, Thanks Iris, Thank you Jason. Thank you Dave.

By: Vickie
Way too much Iris Demit. Worst John Prine concert I have been to.

By: TIMOTHY FINN The Kansas City Star
Complete article: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/8127031.htm?ERIGHTS=-4748281926328108381kansascity
John Prine gives devoted crowd a wealth of souvenirs
Reviewed: March 5 at the Uptown Theater -  Audience: 1,800 (sellout)
John Prine with Iris DeMent
  Halfway through a show that exceeded two hours and included more hits than a Jackie Chan flick, several fans in the sellout crowd started shouting out requests. Apparently even John Prine can't please everyone all of the time.
  His show at the Uptown Theater on Friday drew a standing-room-only crowd, and those who didn't hear what they shouted for still got their money's worth: more than two dozen songs and at least a dozen jokes, yarns and one-liners from the best American songwriter this side of Bob Dylan.
  Now nearly 60 and well into his fourth decade as a recording artist, Prine performs with the warmth and measured zeal of a guy who's at least casually aware of how glad he is to be alive. The throat cancer that couldn't kill him and the radiation that killed the cancer have cost his voice some luster, range and register, but he has adapted surprisingly well.
  After his friend and duet-partner Iris DeMent warmed up the full house with a 30-minute set that included two new songs, Prine and his longtime backup duo, Jason Wilbur and Dave Jacques, came out and immediately plowed into Prine's big, fat catalog of countrified folk tunes.
  They opened with three from “John Prine,” his still-perfect debut album: “Spanish Pipedream,” “Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore” and then “Six O'Clock News.” Before “Souvenirs,” he remembered his old friend and collaborator, the late Steve Goodman, one of two dedications he'd make this evening. The other was even more touching: to his mother as he ended “Hello In There.”
  DeMent came out about halfway through the show to reprise several songs off the “In Spite of Ourselves” album. She took the Melba Montgomery part in “Milwaukee Here I Come” and then played herself on the three other songs. It's still funny to hear her sing her randy role as the disgruntled housewife in “In Spite of Ourselves.”
  It's tempting to say he closed with some of his best material, but he's written so many durable songs it's also tempting to say he left a lot out. He played “Sam Stone,” one that lots of people were yelling for. At first his voice wasn't quite up to “Sins of Memphisto,” but he eventually recovered. By then he'd done nearly two dozen songs, including a new one, “I'm Just Gettin' By,” that fit right in with all the classics. But he still had three more songs in him: the gothic “Lake Marie”; his sermon on teenage pregnancies, “Unwed Fathers”; and then the cold and nostalgic “Paradise.” DeMent joined him for that one, too, and when that song ended, more than two hours after the show started, the crowd stood and cheered and lingered as if it wanted this to go on all night. The thing is, Prine has enough material to accommodate them

John Prine with Iris DeMent SETLIST: Spanish Pipedream, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Six O'clock News, Souvenirs, The Late John Garfield Blues, Fish and Whistle, Picture Show, I'm Just Gettin' By, All The Best, Angel From Montgomery, The Way the World Goes Around, The Other Side of Town, Sam Stone, Milwaukee Here I Come, (We're Not) The Jet Set, Let's Invite Them Over, We Could, In Spite of Ourselves, Bear Creek, That's Alright By Me, I Ain't Hurtin' Nobody, Sins of Memphisto, Hello In There, Lake Marie, Unwed Fathers, Paradise

By: Tripp - STL
As usual, JP had his magic last night. The guy is a true survivor who gave his heart and soul to those of us fortunate to have been there. The entire show spectacular, Sam Stone and new song, "I'm gonna go for a walk..." are resonating with me still.

By: ben chambers
This was my first Prine show. I can't wait to see him again. Nice long set. I think he played for nearly 3hrs. Iris was great too!

By: Ranger Mark
OUTSTANDING!!!! So happy to hear them do "Flag Decal" life is getting very political and JP still aint afraid to be a part of it like the '70's. Whole new set from 2002 Ranger Mark

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