Louisville, KY

PALACE THEATER IN LOUISVILLE A SELL-OUT:
JOHN PRINE WAS HERE!

The Palace Theater in downtown Louisville was THE place to be Sunday night.

In one of the most beautiful restored settings around, John Prine and his collection of musicians brought an enthusiastic crowd to their feet time after time. John's suit-coated co-conspirators, Jason Wilbur, David Jacques, and Phil Parlapiano combined to present a show that rocked the Louisville audience to its soul.

Not content to wait until their turn on "Illegal Smile," this crowd sang along on many of the numbers, and this may have been the first time this observer has ever heard an entire audience sing along to "Sam Stone," from start to finish.

John is still deep in his relaxed mode from the recent vacation, and his music and stage presence attests to the value of occasional rest from his demanding schedule. Relaxed, at ease, and in good cheer, the mood was caught by the fans, sent back to John via reaction, and then returned again.

This was a show of energy, animation, and enthusiasm. John's rapport with the audience was unquestioned. When he sang, they listened. When wry lines were delivered, laughter was heard. When the sound threatened to shake the stucco off the walls, the crowd swayed back and forth.

A near-sellout crowd for the second night in a row demonstrated the following that this American Troubador is now enjoying. As people cheered, it was obvious under the blue glow from the ceiling lights that these appreciative yells were coming from people who weren't even born when "Pink Cadillac" came out! Yet they knew all the words to songs from years before...

A walking phenomenon now, John continues to thrill audiences wherever he chooses to play. His name is spoken with both reverence and excitement. It has become a generic word for a great time. In a world that constantly seeks "cool," John is...without even trying to be...and...that's why he is....

The Palace Theater performance was nothing short of tremendous: constant feedback from the audience kept the smiles on John's face, and he knew where he stood with his audience throughout. An advantage of singing indoors is this immediate, full understanding; outside can lose some of the energy into the atmosphere before it fully reaches the stage. John heard and John reacted, and nearly one hundred admiring fans held watch for yet another hour after the show to get an autograph from their icon.

  WANDERING AROUND LOUISVILLE
-- Jerry Briggs (WOG) Aug 17, 1997

Located in downtown Louisville, the Palace Theater was a most impressive venue for the presentation of a John Prine concert.

Built in the 1920's, it is fortunate to have had tender care through its years. It stands today as a beautiful structure, both inside and out, and gives any person entering a sense of awe as the doors open into a 30-foot high shiny-tiled lobby.

Located most of the length of this lobby to the left is a bar complete with speakers for the drinkers to hear just what is happening in the theater itself, which is across the lobby and inside the nearly sound-proof thick doors.

Inside, the first impression is of being at an outdoor concert. The blue painted walls recessed behind pillars gives that feeling, and a starry blue sky is seen due to the indirect lighting on both it and the walls. An almost Moorish aura is felt by the seated patron.

Acoustics are perfect. There is clear sound at every seat, and a control board in the center of the auditorium allows the operator to assure that sounds stay that way. John's show, reviewed elsewhere, was excellent, and was enhanced by this fine theater. No mosh pit in this place....ever...

After the show, a stairway below the stage revealed several dressing rooms off a long, long hallway. The steam pipes heating the building were in full view down here, but all were painted nicely with an enamel paint and were ornamental as well as functional.

The walls were blanketed with graffitti, most of it greetings from past performers. Sheryl Crow's "hi" was spotted, and there were literally hundreds of others. An inspection of the wall found the "Thanks A Million, John Prine!" that I was seeking. This has been on the wall some time, and was on my list of "things to find" while at this theater. "Rainbow" had alerted me to watch for this....
The band was downstairs, and each member expressed their apologies for the previous evening's rainout of the Wogstock Crowd. They were expecting us, and were sincerely sorry to miss the gang. John himself also apologized, as did Mitchell. Of course, they had no control over the weather, but they were most gracious in passing along their regrets at this unfortunate turn of events.

Phil Parlapiano had prepared tapes for Wogstockers wishing to purchase them, so he, too, was not happy with the way things had turned out! He is hopeful that Chat Room Visitors follow the link to his page and order one directly from him. Phil has been known to answer his e-mail, personally....

RB was there, but was quite deluged with fans and didn't talk with me. His music is continuing to reach more and more people, and with his stage presence he is developing a following. It is nice to see fans appreciate his opening act.

Chat room regulars will be interested to know that Ben Lewis, of OH BOY records, attended this show, and he was also backstage. Ben, ever genial, promised to one evening stick his head into our chat room.

Pictures were taken of David Jacques and his wife Valerie, and Jason Wilbur and his girlfriend, Michelle. These photos will be available soon on these pages, so be watching!

There was a sense of excitement and euphoria backstage. Lots of smiles, especially from Mitchell! This evening had been a great success, and it was felt by all. A few days off was in the future, and the mood left by this final concert, the sixth since John's return from vacation, was up, up, up. "The scientific nature of this extraordinary band/ was to go on out and play the best they could!" And they did....

--ŠJerry Briggs (WOG)--August 17, 1997