Boise, ID
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Boise, ID |
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Reeda's note: The Boise Concert was cancelled for Oct 25, 1997 and rescheduled for Oct October 29. The following review was only played inside the Wise Old Geezer's head. He had a little fun with me on this...and even if it really didn't happen - it's still worth the read - I fell for it hook line and sinker..until WOG stopped laughing and realized that I believed.
WANDERING
AROUND BOISE, IDAHO Situated on the western edge of Idaho, the city of Boise appears quiet and serene to the visitor passing through. A small capitol city, Boise is a clean and neat version of the old west. Surrounded by hills, mountains, sagebrush, cattle, and beautiful country, the initial look is of a most pleasant city. Downtown was unusually quiet for a Saturday, it seemed. The sun beat down and held temperatures at near the mid-fifties. A Mexican dinner for lunch served in an authentic cafe was quite good, and I enjoyed reading the restaurant's short review of the upcoming Iris DeMent-John Prine show that was due this very evening. Tied in with Boise State University, the Morrison Center is a beautiful newer building sitting on the edge of the campus, just a few blocks away from this day's big football game. The red bricks fit in well with the green manicured lawn about the building. Signs behind the Center, when approached up closely early in the afternoon, gave the news: "Prine Concert Canceled. Rescheduled for Wednesday, October 29." This is a concert I will not be attending, and so I look forward to Monday night's event at Eugene, Oregon, some 550 miles from here. Certainly the extra day's rest will bring a great show to those in west-central Oregon. POTATO STATE GIVES STARCHY WELCOME TO JOHN PRINE
An eager audience cheered when the auditorium announcer informed the 1500+ crowd that John and his band had just arrived, on snowmobiles, from the mile-high city. Cold but cheerful, the band assembled quickly on stage, and to help warm their chilled fingers, they all hummed and whistled along to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", beating numbed hands against their legs trying to return the circulation. The crowd was surprised and cheered. John quickly took his cues, moving rapidly into "Amazing Grace" without any accompaniment, while Jason and Phil quietly did "high fives" in the darkened backdrop, trying desperately to get feeling in their hands. David amused himself by cupping his hands and blowing in them, creating an eerie yet catchy bass counterpoint to John's "wretch like me" lines. The Morrison erupted in cheers, the modern building's warm padded seats giving fans respite from the cold breaths emanating from the stage. John announced, "It's a pleasure to be here in... wherever we are," and then announced his next song. "I wrote this with Keith Sykes back before World War II." Then he started plucking tentatively at the ice-covered strings of his guitar, and launched into "Everybody Wants To Feel Like You." Phil's accordion, apparently still a little cold, was stuck and Phil's efforts to play along caused his elbows to pump in and out rapidly just to hit the few notes he could coax out of the instrument. The wind created by his movement was most helpful in warming up the band, and a steady stream of melted water drained from the corner each time he hit an "E" chord. The crowd's reaction to Phil's efforts caused him to offer a big smile, and as John put his mittens back on at the end of the song, Phil stepped forward, adjusted his hat, straightened his checkered tie, stood straight as he could in his striped suit, and launched into a rousing version of "Mandy" that would have brought tears to even Barry Manilow's eyes. Renewed with the warmth emanating from the audience, John suddenly seemed to come alive. "I not only heard Little Richard singin' Tutti Frutti from the top of a telephone pole, I learned the song!" He then broke into the song with yells from a surprised audience that sang along with him in all the choruses, and then screamed as he finished that song and launched into "Long Tall Sally." David's bass seemed to be adjusting to room temperature. Formerly forced to tap-dance with the songs to get the beat across to the audience, he picked up the microphone from the floor and placed it on the stand, and then launched into a rare solo with a slap-bass beat to "All The Lord's Chillun' Gots The Blues," which brought the house down. As John attempted to take back the show when David ended, Jason glided out as if on cue and with Phil and David the three met on the left side of the stage. By the look on John's face, he appeared to be very surprised at his crew. As Phil went down on his knee and went into an impassioned version of "Mammy," John's head suddenly began bobbing uncontrollably to the beat, and he joined in with them, and his dance steps during the finale with David and Jason were in exact lock-step as they danced about the stage as if in a parade. The crowd seemed to enjoy every minute, and the applause was heavy as the spotlight on Phil was faded out as he ended the song. By now John and his band had this crowd in their spell. "I'll try," answered John when the crowd started screaming out titles. His "Heartbreak Hotel" was done without effort, and the next request, "Diggin' Up Bones," was met with much applause. As is usual, all good things must end. John and his
band seemed to enjoy the crowd, and invited them all back next week, on Wednesday night,
October 29th, for another concert. When he announced that there would be no additional
charge for that next show, the screams of appreciation led him into his traditional
closing number, "Why Me, Lord?" It was a fine ending to another good show that
never was.
SET LIST, JOHN PRINE, BOISE,
IDAHO, 1. YOU GOT ME, BABE (with Sonny Bono) --band begins to thaw-- --frostbite problems persist-- --John leaves, takes a break, band continues, with
Eric, Mitchell-- --John returns, kicks band off stage-- --encore-- 
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