Fri April 25, 2008 - John Prine at the Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord, NH. Opener: Chris Knight. Back Up Band: Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques

By: Tom Spine
   Sunday, April 27, 2008
   Concert Report: John Prine @ Capitol Center for the Arts
   Full Blog review is here
   Hey, look at that - we saw a concert at a venue other than the Tupelo Music Hall! Patti and I went up to Concord on Friday night to see John Prine at the beautifully restored Capitol Center for the Arts.
   While perhaps not as widely known as he should be, John Prine has somewhere around 20 albums under his belt, dating back to his self-titled debut album in 1971, which happens to be number 458 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. He has won two Grammy awards - in 1991 for The Missing Years, and in 2006 for Fair and Square, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. Of all this, though, I suspect John is most well known for writing "Angel from Montgomery", which has become a signature piece for Bonnie Raitt. Prine's deceptively simple lyrics somehow make each and every song almost instantly familiar, telling stories of depth and complexity with simple phrases and nothing extraneous; "Angel" is no exception:
   John's two-hour set opened with three up-tempo old favorites, "Spanish Pipedream" (also known as "Blow Up Your TV"), "Picture Show", and "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore". John was accompanied by a bass player (Dave Jacques, I think - playing both stand up and electric bass) and a guitar player (Jason Wilber, I think - playing both electric guitar and mandolin), and the three of them cranked the energy level for these three songs, instantly getting the audience enthused. "Flag Decal", a sarcastic commentary on patriotism and war, is just as relevant today as it was in 1971:
   The next three songs slowed the pace down. First up was "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness", which Nanci Griffith did a beautiful cover of on her Other Voices, Other Rooms album. Next up was "Souvenirs", dedicated to the memory of Steve Goodman (they co-wrote it), and then "Far From Me."
   And so the set went, mixing the pace every few songs. John played five songs solo in the middle of the set, including "That's The Way The World Goes 'Round" with its now obligatory "happy enchilada" story before the final chorus.
   But John tells a wonderful mistaken lyrics story in which a fan once asked him to sing the song about the enchilada. John replied that maybe she had him confused with another songwriter, "perhaps Jimmy Buffet, he writes songs about food!" But the fan insisted it was John's song. "You know, the song about the happy enchilada":
   John's solo portion ended with the band returning during "Sam Stone." As with "Flag Decal", this heart-wrenching story of the tragic effects of war on returning veterans is as relevant today as it was in 1971
   "Sam Stone" has been called "the best Dylan song Dylan never wrote", and Dylan actually showed up unannounced at the Bottom Line in 1972 and backed John on harmonica on the song. Johnny Cash also covered "Sam Stone", although Johnny changed "Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose" to "Daddy must have hurt a lot back then, I suppose".
   After "Sam Stone" John switched from acoustic to an electric guitar and the band ripped through the Carter Family's "Bear Creek", "That's Alright By Me", and "She Is My Everything", the latter written for his (third) wife:
   After all that electric energy, it was time to bring the pace down with perhaps the saddest song of all, "Hello In There"
   For the encore, we got both "Illegal Smile" (with big audience sing along on the chorus) and "Paradise." I remember John once telling a story in which bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, after hearing John sing "Paradise", remarked that it sounded like a song which he himself had written but had forgotten all about. John says that was the best compliment he had ever received about one on his songs.
   We had a full two hours of Prine, and the audience was with him every step of the way. The opening act was Chris Knight, who I had never heard of before but who clearly had a few fans in the audience. His 30 minute set was well received. He's got a gravel voice full of Tennessee drawl, but his songs sounded a little too much straight country for my taste.
   The set list...
Spanish Pipedream (aka Blow Up Your TV) / Picture Show / Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore / Speed of the Sound of Loneliness / Souvenirs / Far From Me / Please Don't Bury Me / Fish And Whistle / The Glory Of True Love / Crazy As A Loon / Angel From Montgomery / / Solo: // You Got Gold / Blue Umbrella / Dear Abby / That's the Way that the World Goes 'Round / Mexican Home // Band returns: // Sam Stone / Bear Creek / That's Alright By Me / She Is My Everything / Hello In There / Lake Marie // Encore: // Illegal Smile / Paradise
  Opening act, Chris Knight: //
   Enough Rope / Old Man / To Get Back Home / William / River Road / /Encore:// It Ain't Easy Being Me

By: Tom
Here's the set list from Friday night in Concord, NH...
Spanish Pipedream (AKA Blow Up Your TV) Picture Show Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore Speed of the Sound of Loneliness Souvenirs Far From Me Please Don't Bury Me Fish And Whistle The Glory Of True Love Crazy As A Loon Angel From Montgomery Solo: You Got Gold Blue Umbrella Dear Abby That's the Way that the World Goes 'Round Mexican Home Band returns: Sam Stone Bear Creek That's Alright By Me She Is My Everything Hello In There Lake Marie Encore: Illegal Smile Paradise Opening act, Chris Knight: Enough Rope Old Man To Get Back Home William River Road Encore: It Ain't Easy Being Me

By: SALLY
WE SAW JOHN LAST NIGHT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. IT WAS A WONDERFUL CONCERT! JOHN JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER. THE SHOW WAS SO ENJOYABLE AND THE AUDIENCE WAS GREAT, AS THEY WERE QUIET SO YOU COULD REALLY HERE EVERY WORD ALONG WITH THE MUSIC. HE SANG ALL OUR FAVORITE SONGS OF COURSE AND TOLD A FEW JOKES ALONG WITH THEM. HE DID A LOT OF SMILING TOO. .HE IS THE BEST........AND SO TALENTED !! I HOPE HE COMES BACK SOON....PLEASE....

By: Ima Prinefan
A not so great picture of the the concert - but it still sparks a great memory http://www.flickr.com/photos/d-a-v-e-f-o-s-t-e-r/2442434946/

By: dd1957
I have seen John perform many times, and it is always very pleasurable. His concert in Concord however was really special. His voice was in very good form. Really good. His stories were good as always and by the end of the night the audiences attachment to his songs and to him personally was very apparent. It is almost impossible to leave one of his concerts with out hearing someone who is new to his music say "He is awsome". Thank you John.

By: suelu
How was the concert, fantastic! I had been the week or two before to his concert in Minneapolis which was excellent. I enjoyed the concert in Concord even more, maybe because I was sharing it with loved ones. I mean it was the BEST. I took my adult daughter and her husband neither of whom had been to a Prine concert...they loved it. "You've Got Gold" was my favorite of many favorites sung that night. John, I hope you will be alittle closer to Minneapolis again soon.