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Prine show diary:
#33 02/09/08 Whitewater, WI
#3203/10/07 Davenport, IA
#3108/26/06 Des Moines, IA
#305/10/06 Madison WI
#295/08/06 Wausau WI
#2801/28/06 St Louis, MO
#2710/01/05 Nashville, TN
#26, 254/14-16/05 Atlanta, GA & Birmingham, AL
#2410/06/04 Vote For Change Des Moines IA
#234/23/04 Des Moines IA Civic Center
#22, 213/26-27/04 Madison & Milwaukee WI
#209/05/03 Champaign, IL
#194/19/03 Cedar Rapids, IA
#184/18/03 Peoria, IL
#179/13/02 Kalamazoo, MI
#165/19/02 Green Bay, WI
#155/18/02 Rockford, IL
#149/28/01 Lincoln NE
#11, 12, 134/4-6-7/01 Oshkosh, Milwaukee & Madison WI
#109/29/00 Ames IA
# 92/26/00 - Maywood, IL
# 811/20/99 Chicago, IL
# 711/13/99 Nashville, TN
# 6, 5, 46/7-8-10/99 Crushfest Madison, LaCrosse & Milwaukee, WI
# 38/16/97 Wogstock Tales in Indianapolis, IN
# 23/22/97 Peoria, IL
# 11995 My Prine Story & the start of the Prine Shrine
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~
~
 THE
SHOW MUST GO ON!
John Prine with Pat McLaughlin
Sept 5, 2003
The Virginia Theatre
Champaign, IL
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by Reeda Buresh, webmistress of the John Prine
Shrine http://www.jpshrine.org |
| The Virginia is a 1548 seat theater that must have really been something to see
in its heyday. It first opened on Dec 28, 1921
with live performances and silent movies. In much need of repair the Champaign
parks district took it over in 2000 and began renovations. John
Prine's sold out performance is as rich with beauty and history as this old
building.
Pat McLaughlin, a fellow Iowan and favorite of this webmistress
opened the show in his clucking strut like manner. He's just as much fun to watch as he is to
hear with his method of keeping the beat that is an art form in itself.
(forgive me for slaughtering the titles, they must be on his NEW CD
"Next Five
Miles"
1. Can't take that away from me
2. Little Child. Tiny Town
3. Bop and Weave. now look at you
4. I never intended
" I think I might have to break a string with this song"
- 5. I wish I would (one of my favorites)
6. This old house Down here City line - "My wife hates this
song"
7. It's All Right To Be A Redneck (made famous by Alan Jackson)
8. She's Gone
9. Julia |
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Out in the lobby - sales were booming at the Oh Boy booth. New John
Prine tee shirts and koozies drew long lines, as well as flyswatters, keychains and Prine, Mclaughlin and Wilber
CD's. They were flying off the table with the speed of a lost dog. They're available
in the USA at ohboy.com. Stock up
with at least 2 Koozies, because you will no doubt lose one and
that's okay.. It's your part in promoting' Prine!
(that was the commercial break)
Now back to the show. |
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John Prine, Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques took their places on stage
and opened with the standard "Spanish Pipedream" also
know as "Blow Up Your TV"
the song that confuses everyone and is probably one of the top Prine songs
the shrine gets questions about due to the title and popularity. They
followed it up with the heartbreaking "Six O'clock news" Prine's
song of incest loosely based on something that had personally happened
to someone dear in his life.
I winced as he sang, it sounded like it hurt at times, it was obvious that John was having a difficult time getting his
throat to comply with his plans to put on a show. "My voice is kind of screwed up" he
explained as he opened a bottle of water and looked into the mug on his
comfort table. He explained that had gone to the Urbana clinic earlier
that day and told the doctor that he'd been playing for 30 years
but
only had to cancel a couple of times. As he spoke to the doctor he passed on the latest greatest miracle drugs - the
prescription ended up with 'A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Prine
sipped his tea and honey then chased it down with "Souvenirs"
dedicated to Steve Goodman.
- next -
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