PENNSYLVANIA
The Mann Music Center Philadelphia, Pa.
June 1, 2002
By: mrjimioth
My wife and I drove from New York to catch the show since we missed John when he played in Albany in April. As always, the Prine man put on a hell of a show. Considering his recent setbacks I thought his voice was as strong as ever and the open-air Mann did not affect the quality of his music. Philly has always been pretty good to Priner since I first saw John play in 1971 at the Main Point in Bryn Mawr .Thirty-one years and countless concerts later, I feel that I don't need Yellowstone because I have my national treasure. Thanks John for all the good times you have given me and my friends....
By: Beth Nurse424u@aol.com
This was the 3rd time for me to see John Prine. I saw him once before @the Mann, and I also saw him @ the now defunct Valley Forge Music Fair. This most recent concert was the best show of the three-most definitely. He was absolutely
excellent. He played for 2&1/2hours without a break. The concert took place in an outdoor
pavilion, and it was a very hot night. Not to worry, it didn't affect his performance. He played all of his older songs:
Souvenirs (which he dedicated to Steve Goodman), Please Don't Bury Me, Grampa Was a Carpenter, Paradise, Spanish Pipedream, Sam Stone, Fish and Whistle, Angel From Montgomery, Illegal
Smile which he had the audience sing), Hello in There, Your Flag Decal..., etc.etc.etc. He also played three songs that I never heard before-I especially liked the one about the smile of the clown-can anyone help me out with finding it on disc? I do not know the name. And he played some tunes from more recent CD's-singing both the male and female part of "In Spite of Ourselves." My favorite part of his show was when he played alone, without the other 2 band members. It was breathtaking. Can't wait till he comes back to Pa. again. I will be there!
By: Rich B.
Having never seen John Prine before in concert, I did not know what to expect. I was absolutely amazed at how a 50-something year old musician who was treated for throat cancer a few years ago could sing so passionately for 2 hours with a voice that sounded as lively as it does on his recordings from over 25 years ago! I was pleasantly surprised that John's
play list included many of his classics. His rendition of Hello In There was particularly powerful on Saturday night. His encore included Please Don't Burry Me, Illegal Smile, and Paradise - a great way to end a terrific performance by one of the greatest singer/songwriters in America!
By: Mike Carahaly
The day and evening was like a dream. We parked the car under a shady tree in the top lot of The Mann, there wasn't anyone else who did... Getting out of the car we could hear J.P. warming up with his sound check, NICE! My brother and two friends and I shared two guitars, warming up with Prine songs until Dar Williams took the stage. With 5th row seats, we knew we'd be positioned for an incredible evening. Perfect weather in very mellow setting, John Prine put on a magical show. Whistle and Fishing is such a treat to hear, I still have it singing in my head. Angel From Montgomery was simply beautiful, goose bump material - you could hear a pin drop during some parts of the song - the same can be said for Sam Stone. Lake Marie couldn't have been any better, except that the Italian sausages were "cookin" instead of "sizzzzlin". Illegal Smile and Paradise were performed beautifully. John Prine's bassist and guitarist are the perfect compliments to John's performance. Great performance guys, see you in Kalamazoo!
By: Tony Tomeo
It is Monday morning and I am hung over from a John Prine Saturday night special. Two and a half hours of non stop "reeling in the years." I left thinking, "God he played all of my favorite songs," until later when I realized he only played about half of them. I left exhausted. I can't imagine how he and the band felt! It was incredible energy. The last time I saw him was in a little coffee shop in Ithaca, NY. I waited too long! Three guys (two guitars and a bass and as Arlo would say "songs to sing, stories to tell, legends are wrote.
If you are out there, thanks John.
By: Robert McGwier
I have been to a few of these "old guys on tour again". None
can compare to Prine's appearance. John came on at 8:40 after
a terrific warm up by Dar Williams. He played nonstop until
11:15 with the single exception of the obligatory two minute
walk off during a boisterous call for encore. John came back
on and did "Hello in There", "Sam Stone", and he and Dar shared
"Paradise". The show was great, the encore brought tears to
my face and joy to my heart. John Prine is still absolutely
on top of his game, playing several new songs and many from
his latest CD's. His rendition of "Illegal Smile" and his
solemn irony in "Sam Stone" have lost none of their power to
move. The part of Mann under the roof was packed and the
weather was great. John delivered.
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