JOHN PRINE CONCERTS IN KENTUCKY 2005

Louisville Palace, Louisville, KY
April 30, 2005 With Support from Leon Redbone

By: Jason

John was beyond great. I had excellent third row seats from the OhBoy presale and here's the setlist: 

By: Ginger Jones
The concert was awesome as per usual for a John Prine concert. i was not disappointed. I love whenever he adds personal commentary and when he shares from his heart to the audience I feel like I have been given an extra special personal gift. I can listen to his cd's all day and night; yet to have him take the time to add comments, insights, etc. just completes the whole experience in a way that nothing else does for me. it makes me smile a secret smile deep within. my brother and I go to see john whenever he is anywhere in the Indiana vicinity. We have had our tickets since the moment they went on sale to the Louisville event. Friday morning of the show I got a wake up call from my brother finalizing plans to go the evening show. and then the next call I received was that my brother was horribly hurt and had been lifelined to Dayton Miami University. I was by his side all day until later in the afternoon. All of a sudden I realized what I had to do. I felt compelled to go to the concert in Louisville without him in my brother's honor. I made it in time for john but missed Leon redbone. I didn't enjoy the show as much as when shared with my brother because together the joy of the experience of the show is amplified x ?.... anyway, I loved the show. However I cried a lot thinking how great the show was and how I wish my brother were there at my side. how I sat praying and hoping he would recover from his accident. some might think my leaving my brother and attending the concert wrong. but thankfully my instinct was correct in going. I bought my brother the new fair and square cd. My brother woke up on Saturday and by Sunday he had recovered miraculously and was released. (he had been pinned in a gate he was on a call to work on, his breathing had been cut off, his heart had stopped for three minutes) (a passer by stopped and got him out of the gate with a screwdriver and hammer and gave him CPR and saved his life). What a miracle. anyway, my brothers only regret? that he missed the John Prine concert. wow. we sat for awhile together mostly in silence while listening together to the new cd. we shared smiles and head shakes as we marveled to the song writer genius songs that speak right to your heart of hearts. John touches you and makes you think and recollect and remember and sigh and grin and shake your head for sure. we love john and I love john a whole lot more in combination with another who loves him; my brother.

By: cathyk39
This was my first time to see Prine in concert, despite being a fan for many years. I was thrilled and impressed to see how he could turn songs I've heard a thousand times into a new experience. I'm also delighted to note that his new work is vigorous and lyrical and, in some cases, just rockin'! My 14-year-old daughter was experiencing her first concert ever and she was enthralled--didn't take her eyes off the stage once. Its a real testament to the timeless and truth of Mr. Prine's music that his fans cross generations. Leon Redbone was a fun opening act and I enjoyed hearing his renditions of old classics. As for the politics--any one who is a fan of John Prine's should be able to figure out which side of the political spectrum he leans toward. I will ALWAYS applaud those who are brave enough to speak truth to power.

By: Jeffrey Lee Puckett - Courier-Journal Critic
John Prine's simple brilliance serves him well
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050430/SCENE04/50430002  
  It's amazing what John Prine can do with just a few words, especially when so many others fail using so many more..
  "I wish you love and happiness/I guess I wish you all the best/I wish you don't do like I do/And ever fall in love with someone like you."
  It looks easy on paper, doesn't it? But try putting it to music and making everyone's heart curl up even as they laugh. That kind of brilliance — simple, effective, memorable — is why Prine has been making records for 35 years.
  Last night at the Louisville Palace, which was so thoroughly sold out that even a few of Prine's Kentucky cousins had trouble getting in, he gracefully proved why he remains one of our finest song writers. Prine worked through a set that included a generous selection of classics and several strong songs from his new album, "Fair & Square." Nearly every one was a marvel of precision, cutting to the chase by squeezing a world of meaning into a handful of lines.
  Even a chestnut like "Angel From Montgomery" sounded fresh as Prine, guitarist Jason Wilbur and bassist Dave Jacques slowed it down a few, pretty notches, milking it for new meaning more than three decades after it was written. They did the same for "Hello In There," a cautionary tale about growing old which Prine dedicated to his Aunt Elizabeth, who is in her early 90s.
  How does Prine do it? He has stayed alive, for one thing — maybe the most important thing. His songs aren't filled with notions you learn in books, or from watching television.
  You need an ex-wife to write "All the Best," the song quoted above. And you need a few hard years under your belt to write "That's The Way That the World Goes 'Round," a love letter to survival. "It's half an inch of water and you think you're gonna drown/That's the way that the world goes 'round." That half-inch is lethal at age 21. Twenty years later, you welcome the half-inch and brace for the deluge.
  It's called timelessness, and no one does it better than Prine.
 Opening act Leon Redbone wasn't timeless so much as frozen in time. He turned the clock back with a charming set of standards such as "Shine On, Harvest Moon" and "I Ain't got Nobody." The latter, Redbone said, was a request from Emmett Miller, who has been dead for 43 years.......

By: Butch
My wife and I traveled from Memphis to Louisville to see the show and it was well worth it. I’ve seen him many times through the years, here in Memphis and in other cities; driving distance anyway. The Palace is a great venue. I’ve never been a Leon Redbone fan but that’s okay. I was never a Jimmie Dale Gilmore fan until he opened, here in Memphis, for Prine several years ago. Tonight I’m Gonna Go Down Town…..you get the picture? Yep, a Jimmie Dale Gilmore fan now. It’s good that John chooses a variety of opening acts so we, as fans, are exposed to them. That’s my two cents worth. Back to the show….I thought John’s voice was pretty good; with the cold and all. We sat down in the pit, third row. Even though the seats were left of center; great seats none the less. The sound was good. However, on the “rocking” numbers the sound seemed to be a little extreme and over-powered Prine’s vocals. The political comments didn’t bother me and I voted for the guy; twice. Heck, I even laughed and clapped at the comments. I think we could all lighten up a bit in the political realm. Again, just my two cents worth. That’s the way that the world goes round………

By: Jeremy
What a great show. However, with Leon Redbone as the opening act it made the concert a little less than it could be. However I am used to openers like Iris Dement and Todd Snyder who are awesome. If I had it to do over with I would have stayed in the bar until Prine came on and I don't even drink. Prine was in full force last night. He was excited and so were the fans. He pulled out some old ones that I don't remember him doing in the last couple of shows I have seen - Dear Abby, Fish and Whistle, That's the way that world goes round - with an extended story in the middle which was great. I do agree with the lady who wrote a review from last night's show as well - I could have done without the Bush remarks. Of course I was in the minority as everyone cheered him on and I sat there wanting to boo, but it wouldn't have been heard. Overall good show! Glad to hear some new songs.

Venue: The Palace Louisville Ky.
John Prine gave a really great (sold out) show. He seemed to be enjoying himself and the fans were pumped. The evening for me however was spoiled when John insisted on forcing his political views and opinions down everybody's throat. I did not pay to hear a performer trash our president. Just because he has a microphone does not give him the right to denigrate George Bush in front of an audience who PAID for entertainment not political commentary. I would just like to say: Hey John, shut up and sing!

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