Sep 11, 2010 John Prine plays the Sovereign Performing Arts Center Reading, PA with support from Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques. Opening: Jason Wilber.

By: Stephanie Caltagirone
Read the Full Review here - Originally Published: 9/13/2010
   Low-key Prine displays pure genius
   The singer-songwriter known for his dry wit offers many highlights and several rarities from a catalog stretching back to 1971.
   Reading Eagle Press
   Singer songwriter John Prine performs on guitar at the Sovereign Performing Arts Center Saturday night.
   John Prine is a master of his craft, a singer-songwriter extraordinaire whose sly, dry wit and occasional absurdity can bring tears to your eyes and a smile to your face.
   His face and distinctive voice show every one of his 63 years - he's beaten a recent bout of cancer and he's got a catalog that stretches back to 1971. His songs have been covered by Bonnie Raitt and Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan have named him one of their favorite artists.
   He'll never show up on the radar of MTV. He and his two-member band dress in understated suits for his concert instead of outlandish costumes. And I don't think he swore once (although I'm so inured to it from years of rock concerts that maybe I just didn't notice).
   But at Saturday night's concert at the Sovereign Performing Arts Center, his faithful gathered to call out song titles, sing along to two solid hours of original music and worship at the man's feet.
   I've seen Prine a few times over the years and the man simply gets better with age. And while I can enjoy the energy of good metal, Prine is pure genius backed only by a guitarist and a bassist while he strums an acoustic guitar.
   Whether he's talking about love, small-town life or Russian space monkeys, his humor is always evident. And many of his songs have a bite to them, which he always delivers with a smile.
   He has too many gems to pack them all into a two-hour show and when the audience seized the opportunity to call out song titles as he tuned his guitar, he deadpanned, "I know them all," and had the audience in the palm of his hands.
   He hit many highlights and pulled out a few rarities.
   He reached back to his first album for "Angel From Montgomery," made famous by Bonnie Raitt, and the evocative "Paradise."
  "Bruised Oranges (Chain of Sorrow)," "Fish and Whistle" and "Glory of True Love" joined crowd favorites "Picture Show," "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" and "Souvenirs" for a warm reception from the crowd.
"Space Monkey," which he said "I figured I had to learn to play it again after 28 years" when a local brewery told him they wanted to name a beer after it, elicited more than a few laughs, including his own.
   Every song tells a story and "Christmas in Prison" and "Grandpa Was a Carpenter" create dioramas for the listener and some are just masterpieces of craft, like the exquisite "Lake Marie" and haunting "Sam Stone."
   When the band left him onstage alone, he shone on "The Sins of Mephisto" and "You Got Gold," and the character study of "Donald and Lydia."
   Prine could have played another two hours and the audience would have gladly given him their time.
   Opening for Prine was his guitar player, Jason Wilber, who showed a gift for storytelling and humor. "Ghost Light," the Elvis-fantasy "King for a   Day" and "The Ballad of Amazing Grace and Sideshow Dan" highlighted his six-song set.
   Read the Full Review here

By: zonerman

Notes: Band: John Prine Dave Jacques Jason Wilber. Opener: Jason Wilber. John Prine took the stage at 9PM. Length: 2 hours

By: Sheriff- Arcadia

Set List - another fine time for John Prine John Prine 9/11/10 @ Sovereign Perfoming ArtsCenter, Reading Pa. 9:05pm Spanish Pipedream Picture Show Speed of the Sound of Loneliness Crooked Piece of Time 6 O’ Clock News Souveniers (for Steve Goodman) Grandpa was a Carpenter Christmas in Prison Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow) Fish and Whistle Glory of True Love Angel from Montgomery 10:00pm The Sins of Memphisto **solo** You Got Gold ** Donald and Lydia ** That’s the Way that the World goes “Round ** Space Monkey ** Sam Stone ** 10:35pm Bear Creek Lake Marie 10:58pm Paradise *** Encore***

Feb 19, 2010 Merriam Theatre, Philadelphia, PA- John Prine with back UP by Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques. Opener Sara WatkinS

By: Tom Tiballi

http://citypaper.net/blogs/criticalmass/2010/02/22/concert-review-sara-watkins-john-prine-marriam-theater-219/
Sara Watkins & John Prine @ Merriam Theater, 2/19
  http://citypaper.net/blogs/criticalmass/author/tom-tiballi/
  http://www.countmeoutblog.blogspot.com
  Sara Watkins, not at the Merriam
  The lobby of the Merriam Theater was packed with old folkies in well spun wools. On stage, beyond a sea of bald heads twinkling like stars in the limelight, stands Sara Watkins — barefoot and alone. By the time I find my seat, Watkins, formerly of Nickel Creek fiddles and croons her way through her first two songs. (Read my interview with Watkins)
  “Oops,” says Watkins as she straps on an acoustic guitar for her next tune. “How about you guys have a conversation with your neighbors for 15 seconds while I go get a few things I need, starting … now!” After scampering back on stage, Watkins dove right into the first of three songs off of her 2009 acclaimed self-titled debut. Watkins isn’t known for her guitar-playing, and her slender hands don’t always hit the note they reach for, but it only serves to punctuate her voice calling out “Lord Won’t You Help Me” to the rapt house. Watkins’ set, like her album, was a beautiful arrangement of heartfelt originals intertwined with folk classics. Her transition into Robert Earl Keen’s “Feelin’ Good Again” was met with raucous applause. Sandwiched between “My Friend” and “Where Will You Be,” two originals that could very well become every bit as classic as the standards she sings, Watkins went straight for the audience’s jugular with Linda Ronstadt’s “Different Drum” and Nickel Creek’s “Anthony.” Watkins sparsely plucked her fiddle through the verse of her closer, John Hartford’s “Long Hot Summer Days,” before the instrument erupted in a bellowing wail as the tune progressed, and ended with her stepping away from the microphone to howl out the chorus into the night.
  Amid great applause and anticipation, headliner John Prine, and his band, including Dave Jacques and Jason Wilber, entered a stage where guitars outnumbered people 3:1. I had never heard of John Prine before this show (gasp!), and besides some serious folk-crunch, didn’t know what to expect. I quickly saw what all the fuss has been about for the past … oh … four decades. Prine can spin some serious yarn, and I soon found myself wrapped up in the stories each song served to tell
   “I wrote this song with a buddy of mine from Bristol, England. But I prefer to write songs by myself,” croaked Prine, before belting out “Glory of True Love.” “That way, I know when they’re over with. Plus, there always comes a time when I look over at the other guy and wonder ‘What in the hell is going on in there?’ With this particular song, I had my wife in mind at the time, and I was kinda hoping he didn’t.”
  Not long after, Sara Watkins joined me for a few of Prine’s songs, including a rendition of “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round.” In my good ear, I heard her softly singing the chorus in harmony, under her breath: “That’s the way that the world goes ‘round, you’re up one day, the next you’re down. It’s half an inch of water and you think you’re gonna drown, that’s the way that the world goes ’round.” She told me to pay special attention as Prine goes into a story of a woman who misheard the line about “half an inch of water” and instead asked him to play his song about “a happy enchilada.” “You must have me confused with Jimmy Buffet,” he cracked. Not long after, Watkins headed back to the stage to join in the
grand finale, her sweetly powerful voice knitting together with Prine’s raspy growl on each of the three duets they left audience with to savor.
   Where not three hours before there had been a room of old folkies’ reminiscing of John Prine concerts long since passed, the lobby was abuzz with talk of Watkins. As she made her way into the foyer, barefoot and beaming, new fans quickly swarmed around her; she took the time to personally thank them on their way to the door, signing autographs and scurrying backstage for more CDs once the first batch sold out.
  Watkins Set: 1) ???— Anyone know?

Hit me up in the comments! http://citypaper.net/blogs/criticalmass/author/tom-tiballi/ 2) Miss My Kisses 3) Lord Won’t You Help Me 4) Feels So Good, Feelin’ Good Again 5) My Friend 6) Different Drum 7) Anthony Where Will You Be 9) Long Hot Summer Days
  John Prine Set: 1) Spanish Pipedream 2) Picture Show 3) Aimless Love 4) Six O’clock News 5) Souvenirs 6) Grandpa Was a Carpenter 7) Fish and Whistle 8) Glory of True Love 9) Angel from Montgomery 10) The Sins of Memphisto 11) Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow) 12) Please Don’t Bury Me 13) Donald and Lydia 14) That’s the Way that the World Goes ‘Round 15) Sam Stone 16) Hello in There 17) Lake Marie -Encore- 1) In Spite of Ourselves 2) Late John Garfield Blues 3) Paradise

By: DC
When John walked onstage I laughed, I smiled and a tear came to my eye. I continued to laugh, smile and wipe away tears for the next couple hours....great show, thanks John!

By: blow me jones
I've spent my last nickel on a J P concert, it's the same old boring shit as 15 years ago, time to get some new songs and a real band.

By: joedownj
How often does one get to see a great performer who carries his life in the lines on his face and his Milwaukee beer belly. His voice crackling on the edges doesn't seem to matter because it looks like he's happy and for a coupe of hours having fun. John Prine is cool; and for him, three marriages and cancer still hasn't gotten him down. This concert was about more than words and music; it's about a 'feller still trying to figure things out'! Go John. Go Jason. Go Dave. Have fun and show people there's nothing better than a good song and some cold beer!

By: Mike P.
Just another of the great shows John Prine has put on for an ever expanding fan base, 8 to 80 we were all entertained. From start to finish (Sara Watkins' , with the voice of an angel, opened and came back out for the encore) we couldn't ask for more. I felt like John visited his earlier work more than any part of his expansive collection. I can only hope I didn't spoil anybodys good time as I caught myself singing along early and often. Unlike seeing some of the other artisits we've listened to for the past 35 years, age doesn't matter when it comes to John Prine. The more he plays and sings the younger we both seem to feel. If by some chance of fate I never get to see John Prine perform again I couldn't be more pleased how this last one went down. Let's just hope there's more to come.

te seventies and have been onboard since. I would just like to thank john prine for over thirty years of this incredible ability he has.