Jan 28, 2006 Blanche M Touhill Auditorium, St Louis, MO. With band -Jason Wilber, Pat McLaughlin and Dave Jacques. Maura O'Connell with James Mock as support

 By: Reeda Buresh, webmistress of the Prine shrine
  Wow, what a night.... The sky was fat and so were our spirits, all swelled up with another fine Prine time! Read my ramble here:

By: Ellen Futterman
John Prine - ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH - 01/30/
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/reviews.nsf/concert/story/181503392F4F1B02862571060014A535?OpenDocument  
  It’s only January, too early to predict the top concerts of the year. Still, singer-songwriter John Prine raised the bar so high Saturday night, it’s hard to imagine many other performers leaping over it. 
  Touring behind his “Fair & Square” CD released last year, Prine and his crack three-man band played for 2 1/2 hours before a sold-out audience at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. 
  The show included many songs from the new CD as well as perennial favorites like “Six O’clock News,” “Fish and Whistle,” “Sam Stone” and “Souvenirs,” which Prine dedicated to the late Steve Goodman. 
  Part of the appeal of a Prine concert is how his signature raspy vocals interpret his storytelling lyrics; he brings them to life with humanity and conviction. Part of the appeal, too, is how he introduces the songs. 
  For example, in doing his part to secure marital bliss, he suggested every husband write a love song. “That way when you’re in hot water, you can walk around the house humming it.” Then he launched into “She Is My Everything,” from “Fair & Square,” which he wrote for his wife, Fiona. 
  Pushing 60, Prine is graying and paunchy around the middle, but he shows no signs of slowing down.(and he’s also had his share of health problems). 
  A highlight among the show’s many was an acoustic solo portion that featured “Donald & Lydia,” “Dear Abby” and the hilarious, rarely done “Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian.” A champion of regular Joes and Janes, Prine drew big applause during “Some Humans Ain’t Human,” about people who lie, cheat and deceive, when he sang, “Some cowboy from Texas/starts his own war in Iraq.” 
  A gorgeous version of “Hello In There,” was followed by a high-voltage rendition of “Lake Marie.” The latter showcased Prine’s guitar prowess (and a pumping left leg) as well as his band’s stellar musicanship. 
  Throughout the night, Jason Wilber provided sparkling lead guitar, slide guitar and mandolin. Dave Jacques moved effortlessly among the standup bass, electric bass and cello. And kinetic Pat McLaughlin showed his skillfulness on mandolin, electric guitar and backing vocals. 
  Adding to the evening’s success was opening act Maura O’Connell, whose powerhouse vocals and winning personality wowed the crowd. 
  She joined Prine for “Angel From Montgomery,” doing justice and then some to the Bonnie Raitt parts, and for the last song of the encore, “Paradise,” which also brought to the stage Prine’s much taller brother, Billy Prine. 
  The gritty ballad “Paradise” is the song that Prine often ends with. It’s also the best way to describe the show. 

By: St Louis Post Dispatch
  Had John Prine not given the world any more than the three compositions he played the first time he got up enough courage to go onstage - "Sam Stone," "Hello in There" and "Paradise" - he'd still be remembered as an amazing (if short tenured) talent. But that was more than 35 years ago, and Prine's subsequent classics include "Dear Abby," "That's the Way That the World Goes Round," "Souvenirs," "Angel From Montgomery," "Unwed Fathers," "Christmas in Prison" and many more. In recent times, Prine survived a bout of ill health - cancer, no less - but returned last year with "Fair and Square," his first album of all-new material in some years. For the most part, it's less pointed than his previous efforts but still full of homespun wisdom, good humor and, yes, a few thorny comments here and there. Prine has mellowed a bit, perhaps, but he's still doing his legacy proud. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/stories.nsf/visitstlouis/story/63CC1F608EB33B3F86257101005242B0?OpenDocument

By: Ashley
  John Prine Lives On! Last night B and I went to see John Prine at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. 
  read it here http://redheadedlefty.blogspot.com/2006/01/john-prine-lives-on.html  

By: Alicia, Marion, IL
Excellent concert...as always! Heard some of the "old" stuff rarely played in concert like "The Late John Garfield News" Of course Mr. Prine could sing about the Southern Illinois cornfields and it would sound Great! Hey maybe that could be inspiration for a song since Mr. Prine will be in Carbondale next month! Thanks for the great music and Congrats on the Grammy!

By: buche
  a soothing i have not experienced since seeing billy joel play warm-up for harry chapin. i have listened to fair and square ten times in seven days. johns music and jason's guitar work were constantinople

By:
can we get him to do a concert CD?

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