Wolf Trap Filene Center,  Vienna, Virginia
May 31, 2002 - John Prine and Delbert Mc Clinton

By: Prime Priner
A legion of prime Prine fans braved heat and humidity in an open outdoor setting to see John Prine last Friday night. John donned an acoustic guitar most of the evening, accompanied by a big bass fiddle and another electric guitar. Talented as ever, insightful, and humble, John performed solo for the middle half of the show. All three wore those black suits the entire evening. Egad, get those men a fan to go with the flyswatters! I'm an old biased Prine fan from the early years who was able to bring my 22 year old daughter to the concert. She generally only knows commercial radio and CD's. It was eye-opening and she's been humming 'Dear Abby', laughing, and making noises about buying a couple of CD's to go along with my father's day 'Souvenir's' t-shirt. If you're a longtime fan of John its good to see him back and enthusiastic and if you're a newfound convert, welcome to where paradise plays. Music to accompany life. There's a pretty good review in the Washington Post today (Monday) if you're interested in non-biased critiques. Here's wishing John's mom all the best too.

By: Crazy Caps Fan Dave
    Delbert opened up for Prine @ 8PM.. He ran through a flurry of songs, unfortunately I didn't know any of them since I'm not much of a Delbert fan.
    Prine came on stage at 9:05 PM and ripped through a one set 2 hour show. He had only a stand up bass and a back up guitarist. NO DRUMMER!!!
    It was a flashback concert from around 1972 I'd say. Very heavily laced with his trademark bluegrass style, stories and humor!
    He opened with "Souvenirs" which he dedicated to his Mother who was in the hospital and traditionally in Prine fashion.... Steve Goodman (may God rest his soul).
    As in typical Prine style, each song was introduced with a little story.
    When J.P. hit "Sam Stone", the venerable story about a Vietnam Vet who comes home and eventually finds there is nothing left to live for and dies a Heroin junkie, there was not a dry eye in the entire Filine Center. You could hear the entire crowd humming the chorus when John stopped singing. Even I was moved by it.
    The song list (and not in any particular order):
    Souvenirs, Killing the Blues, Storm Windows, The Oldest Baby In the World, Angel From Montgomery, The Sins of Memphisto, All the Best, Spanish Pipedream, Sam Stone, Late John Garfield Blues, Dear Abby, Fish and Whistle, Ain't Hurtin' Nobody, Lake Marie, Bear Creek (by the Carter Family Singers), Hello In There
    J.P. finished up the night around 11:15 with a standing ovation 10 minute extended rendition of "Paradise" which brought the house down in the way only John can.
    Seeing as how J.P. time machined us back to the "Bitter End" in 1972 Greenwich Village, sadly missing from the song list Friday night was: Illegal Smile, Sweet Revenge, Please Don't Bury Me, and.... Christmas In Prison.
    About halfway through the concert, you could tell that the humidity was taking a toll on the 50 something year old artist as his voice cracked a couple of times.
    Wolf Trap Filene Center is a beautiful facility to see a show at and if you have lawn seats, you can bring in baskets and coolers with wine and food!
    A very laid back show that was filled with what appeared to be about 4 different generations of Prine and Delbert fans.
    Our seats were directly center stage, about 30 rows from the stage!! Could not ask for better seats.
    Food, bathroom and "refreshment" facilities are plentiful at Wolf Trap and the crowd was very mellow.
    The rain held off until about 30 minutes after the concert ended. It was as if Mother Nature herself was a Prine fan for the evening.
    This was my second Prine show in 8 years and even though there was a little more gray hair, John Prine still continues to deliver 150% on stage.
    All in all, an OUTSTANDING evening with one of America's greatest storytellers IMHO!!!

By: Val in Virginia
John Prine is the ULTIMATE entertainer. His concert at a packed Wolf Trap did not disappoint. Each song draws in the listener, and even those who are able sing the songs in their sleep attend to the clever lyrics and creative musical arrangements. Backed by a couple of very talented musicians, John's circa two-hour show provided the crowd with an ear-pleasing mix of near-ballads, jams, and old stand-by's. Old-timers, youngsters, and everyone in-between seemed to have a great time and really got into the show. It certainly was a HOT evening, but John is S-O-O-O cool! Here's hoping he returns for the 2003 season.

By: Peacefull Waters
    John put on yet another stellar performance. Wolf Trap is a great venue, and aside from a little too much humidity, it was a wonderful evening.
    The set list was fairly similar to recent shows. John did mention that his mother had entered the hospital that evening. He went on to say that he spoke to her over the phone and she requested that he play Souvenirs for her. Some of the staples that weren't played were, Far from Me, Illegal Smile and PDBE, but it was good to hear some alternates such as Biggest Baby in the World and a song from the Carter family (Sorry, don't remember the title).
    His single song encore was of course Paradise.
    Love the man, love the tunes.

Legendary Songwriter John Prine with Special Guest  Delbert McClinton at Wolf Trap

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chris Guerre, Media Relations Manager (703) 255-4096 or chrisg@wolftrap.org

    Vienna, VA­-Hailed by Billboard Magazine as "a prolific producer of insightful, melodic vignettes and a tireless touring troubadour," archetypal singer/songwriter John Prine makes a stop at Wolf Trap's Filene Center with special guest Delbert McClinton on Friday, May 31 at 8 p.m.
    After more than 20 albums, and as many years of touring, legendary musician John Prine continues to win fans with his mix of folk, country, rockabilly, and storytelling. In 2001, he released John Prine Live from Sessions at West 54th, a DVD showcasing 65 minutes of performance footage, including material not aired in the original PBS broadcast. It also contains an insightful, one-on-one interview with Prine conducted by the show's host, John Hiatt.
    His latest album release, 2000's Souvenirs, is a collection of some of his most popular songs. The 15 tracks were recorded at the Cowboy Arms Hotel & Recording Spa in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by Prine and longtime collaborator, Jim Rooney.
    Prine began playing the guitar and writing songs at just 14, but did not become a full-time musician until much later. First, he worked as a postman and served a term in the U.S. Army in West Germany. In the 1960s, he decided music was his calling and joined the Chicago folk scene. With the help of country legend Kris Kristofferson, he was signed to Atlantic in 1971. After a few album releases, he switched over to Asylum Records. Then, in 1980, decided to form his own record label, Oh Boy Records. His long-time manager Al Bunetta co-founded the label. Aimless Love became Oh Boy's first release.
    In 1986, he earned a Grammy nomination for German Afternoon and won a Grammy for 1991's The Missing Years, which featured Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. The album sold over 600,000 copies and gained him a high profile tour opening for Bonnie Raitt.
    Prine made his film debut after singing on the soundtrack of John Mellencamp's Falling From Grace. He also visited Britain as host of their popular series, Town and Country. His musical tours have taken him across the country and around the world, and such legendary artists as Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler, and Don Williams have covered his songs.