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JOHN PRINE INDIANA CONCERT REVIEWS 2008


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Evansville | Bloomington

Fri October 24, 2008 John Prine in Evansville, IN at the Centre. opener: Kate Campbell. Back Up Band: Jason Wilber & Dave Jacques

By: Roger McBain

Full Review here at the Courier Press
   After the horrible amplification, the indecipherable lyrics, the lost melodies and the deconstructed rhythms of Bob Dylan’s unintelligible concert at Mesker Amphitheater in August, I truly needed to hear John Prine in The Centre Friday night.
   As I knew it would, Prine’s concert restored my faith in the power of a great artist to perform live with energy, clarity, expression and with respect for the material, his fellow musicians and for the audience that’s paid to hear him.
   Playing to an enthusiastic, and in a few cases, over-oiled audience of more than 900, some of whom could be heard whooping, shouting and dropping beer bottles on the auditorium floor throughout the performance, Prine played and sang for more than 1 3/4 hours, Friday, running through 21 songs from his more than 37 years of recordings.
   Except for a few songs, where the amplification on Prine’s electric guitar muddied the mix, the sound was clear and clean, especially when the 62-year-old singer/songwriter played acoustic instruments.
   The lyrics, the instrumental intricacies and the expressiveness of Prine’s sandpapered voice shone through, giving The Centre an almost coffeehouse feel at times, a honky-tonk atmosphere at others.
   That intimacy was enhanced by the fact that in addition to the loyal audience that always turns out for Prine in Evansville, a large contingency of his family, some of whom still live in and around Muhlenberg County, Ky., was in the house.
   Playing solo some of the time, performing with David Jacques on acoustic and electric bass and Jason Wilber on electric guitars, mandolin and harmonica most of the time, Prine took the audience through a score of his best-known songs, opening with “Spanish Pipe Dream,” a fast-moving fantasy about a sage stripper’s advice to a soldier, which begins with “Blow up the TV.”
   His aging voice was more expressive than ever on “Hello in There,” a lament for the invisible elderly; in “Souvenirs,” his wistful look back at fading memories of a passing life; and in “Sam Stone,” Prine’s eulogy for a wounded, morphine-addicted veteran who returns home “with a purple heart and a monkey on his back.”
   The ageless wag winked through, however, in whimsical reflections on popular culture, personal foible and outlaw pleasures, including “Dear Abby,” “Whistle and Fish” and “Illegal Smile.”
   Starting from a clean, simple solo introduction, “Angel From Montgomery,” built to a pure, resonant beauty that lifted the hair on the back of my neck when Jacques and Wilber slipped in on bass and electric guitar.
   Prine wrapped it all up with an encore that brought the concert home in more ways than one. He invited his “baby brother” Billy Prine, who towered over the singer, to join him for the encore finale, a rendition of “Paradise,” his ode to a Muhlenberg County, Kentucky town devoured by coal mining.
   The concert also offered a Prine-time Evansville introduction for singer/songwriter Kate Campbell, who offered intriguing reflections on our fascination with cultural and religious icons in “Everyone Knows Elvis” and “Looking for Jesus.”

 

 


 

Sat November 14 John Prine in Bloomington, IN at the Indiana University Auditorium, UWGB Campus - opener: Pat McLaughlin. back up band: Jason Wilber, Dave Jacques

By: Lukas Olsen
SET LIST
1. Spanish Pipedream
2. Picture Show
3. Six O'Clock News
4. Far From Me
5. Grandpa Was A Carpenter
6. Fish And Whistle
7. Glory Of True Love
8. All The Best
9. Angel From Montgomery (w/false start)
10. Long Monday (solo)
11. Bottomless Lake (solo)
12. Blue Umbrella (solo)
13. Dear Abby (solo)
  14. That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round (solo)
15. Sam Stone (starts off solo then band returns)
16. Bear Creek*
17. That's Alright By Me*
18. She Is My Everything*
19. Ain't Hurting Nobody*
20. Hello In There* (John flubs the first line)
21. Lake Marie
* Encore
22. Storm Windows*
23. Paradise*
John Prine: acoustic & electric guitars Jason Wilber: electric guitar, mandolin, harmonica
Dave Jacques: electric & double bass *w/Pat McLaughlin on acoustic guitar or mandolin



By: written by Sandy and posted by a fan Sandy's blog
John Prine see the full Blog review and more here: http://maplegrove.blogspot.com/2008/11/john-prine.html
   We saw John Prine in concert in Bloomington, Indiana, last night. Our friends who went to see Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with us last summer insisted we would love him. We did. I was only familiar with one John Prine song, "Grandpa Was a Carpenter" which was on the NGDB's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album. Terry bought that CD when our kids were little and they both loved the song and knew every word.
   John Prine is 63 but looks older. Fans say he never was handsome in the pop star way, but his face has weathered into that of a folk or blues singer of old who lives out the lyrics of his songs. His songs are stories and the concert was a beautiful peek into his heart. He and his band played for about forty-five minutes, then the band left the stage and Prine played accoustic guitar and sang solo for about thirty minutes, then the band rejoined him for the last forty-five minute set. He played with amazing energy for the entire two hours and then pleased his loving fans with two songs for an encore. His songs range from silly to profound, blues to ballads, lively to mournful. Most of the audience appeared to be faithful fans who knew every word of every song.
   In the first video above, Prine is playing along with his young lead guitarist. This young man is from our hometown and now lives in Bloomington so the crowd gave him a homecoming welcome. John Prine at the IU Auditorium in Bloomington, IN photo copyright bivesterWe didn't know this until we ran into his sister-in-law and her mother before the concert. They are friends of friends from our small town who weren't in town for the concert, but were Christmas shopping. Later, at the concert Terry ran into an old friend from our hometown who now lives in Bloomington and he told Terry the same thing about the lead guitarist. It's a small, small world in southern Indiana!
   If you ever get a chance to see John Prine in concert, you won't be disappointed. Warning: song lyrics will stick in your head for days afterward and you'll want to see him again.
   A bonus: as we left the auditorium at 11:00 p.m., the first snow flakes of the season were falling.

By: bivester - http://whatweneedismusic.wordpress.com/
  i’ll post a full review of the show later tonight or tomorrow, in short… what a show last night. just amazing. awesome. it is just sheer joy to watch this man perform
   PHOTOS: John Prine @ Indiana University Auditorium/Bloomington (11.15.2008) - ©bivester -->> http://picasaweb.google.com/bivester/JohnPrineIndianaUniversityAuditoriumBloomington11152008#

By: Casey Jones

It was my forth time to see John. (Iv'e turned so many people on to his music since 1976, I can't count them. Most of them were at this show.) This show was the best. First time Iv'e seen him with a band. What a great show. The intro act was great too. Iv'e been playing guitar for 35 years. If I practised 12 hrs a day for the rest of my life, I still wouldn't be as good as this guy. Can't wait till next time.

By: indymomkelly
I have been a John Prine fan for over 30 years and had not seen him before. For years I had listened to friends talk about seeing him play and I envied them so. Pat Mcglaughlin (sp?) warned up and was great. I bought 2 tickets and hoped my best friend could go with me because she introduced me to his music when we were just babies ha..ha... She was unable to go and my 15 yr old daughter stepped up and saved her mother from making a 6 hr round trip drive alone. Even though she could not really be considered a "fan", she really enjoyed him. She also commented on how many bald heads there were in the seats in front of us. I commented that there were also some folks with holes poked in their faces and metal things coming out like her, she laughed. John was incredible, he is still so full of passion. Me and my girl, we had us some fun = >.


Venue: il. - wi. - co. - in. - ky.
Date: 2008
By: crusher

Review

  All shows this year have been very good shows with John feeling good and wearing his happy feet each night...each show was special in it's own way.
   Chicago I was fortunate enough to spend about a half hour visiting with Steve Goodman's Mom, what an honor that was for me!!!  We talked about so much, she shared some good stories about growing up in Chicago, the old neighborhoods they lived in, how it's all changed...good stories of Steve and John in younger days when I first got to enjoy their music. It was a wonderful visit to say the least, she is a real interesting lady!!!
   In wisconsin 40 of us got together on a Feb. winter night for a snow and ice storm with temps of 30 below zero wind chill, it was so very nasty outside but with great music and warm hearts like Reeda, Darlene, Char and many others inside. It was a great night to be in Whitewater Wisconsin. Lots of hotels sold out that night, and the next day it warmed up to about minus 25 and we all made it home safe!!
   The show with EmmyLou at RedRocks ampitheater outside of Denver was just amazing. John was just ON that night, as was Dave and Jason...the music sounded so very nice, it's an amazing place to see John Prine play his treasures. The trip included 2 nights of camping in a "yurt" (igloo shaped canvas tent on a raised deck) near Redrocks at "Bear Creek". and 2 nights camping in rocky mountain national park in my cot-tent with only 1 night in a very chili snowstorm. I laid down in a thunderstorm and woke to 3 inches of snow! The second night it was rather warm, only got down to the 40's (outdoor showers were ALMOST warm)... every chill I felt was so very much worth the show at Redrocks, thanks so much John !!!
   The last 2 shows were on a solo road trip a couple weeks ago so I'm still recovering. Things come back to memory each day. I remember sound checks and dinner where we all talked about how much we all love Reeda ... I think we might have called her too?? (yes you did :) twice
- maybe an Indiana show coming up this month, I think Char might be going and need company at the show!!!
Wish you could have all been there.... stay warm and safe everyone! ~ crusher

 

 


 

 


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