By: Joseph Carver
John Prine + Josh Ritter
Full Review here/
   After a prolonged introductory applause John Prine leaned into the microphone and said, “This is my first time here. I think I’ll stay awhile.”
   Regardless of what direction you travel from, The King Center is difficult to find. Connected to the Brevard Community College in Melbourne, Florida, the 1200 seat theater is a gem hidden amidst the camouflage of strip malls and chain restaurants. John Prine fans that made the effort to find the center were rewarded with a similarly exhaustive tour through what may be the most eclectic songbook of any living American songwriter.
   Idaho native Josh Ritter opened the show, accompanied only by his guitar. He ripped through six quick songs with “Harrisburg” and “Kathleen” serving as highlights. He also tried to inject a bit of political humor into the evening, starting a song by saying, “Sarah Palin went to the University of Idaho. I knew we would contribute to the end of the world. I just didn’t know how.” The crowd, seemingly split on politics, uniformly responded to Ritter’s modern folk songs and animated delivery. Steering clear of songs from his critically acclaimed 2007 release, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, Ritter instead leaned toward the more sparsely produced tracks from his early records. Despite the brevity of the opening set, Ritter attracted a huge crowd of fans as he signed the CD’s offered in the King Center merchandise section. He was mum on rumors of a 2009 release but made it clear to everyone he hugged (which was everyone) that he was honored to be playing with John Prine.

  After a thirty-minute break, the lights went down and the unassuming legend took the stage. Partnered with Dave Jacques on stand up bass and Jason Wilber on guitar, Prine launched into a fifteen-song set that touched nearly every fan favorite, but did so with vitality thanks, mainly, to the arrangements. He opened with “Spanish Pipedream”. After a prolonged introductory applause he leaned into the microphone and said, “This is my first time here. I think I’ll stay awhile”. And he did.
   Met again with a roar of applause, he lit into a forty five-minute set that included “Fish and Whistle”, “Six O’clock News”,” Angel from Montgomery”, and “That’s the Way the World Goes Round”. The latter came attached to a great story about misunderstood lyrics, the similarity in the phrase “inch of water” and the word “enchilada,” and a crack about Jimmy Buffet’s affinity for writing songs about food. Each was a success. The Florida crowd registered its approval again as Wilbur and Jacques left the stage.
   For the solo part of the show, Prine shared a few stories. An attentive fan may have concluded that none of them were new, but they were told with such a professional flare that they remained fall-down funny. After saying that he would never forgive himself for getting so close to Cape Canaveral and not playing his only astronaut song, he played fan favorite “Space Monkey” followed by “Hello in There”. He dedicated “She is My Everything” to his wife Fiona. He laughingly told the tale of writing “All the Best” as a response to being asked to sing at his ex-wife’s next wedding. With the introduction of “Sam Stone” his backing musicians re-joined him to wrap up the set.
   Throughout the night, both Jacques and Wilber managed to be remarkable without being intrusive. In fact, Wilber may very well have been invisible were it not for the absence of the band’s trademark suit (left in a hotel the night before according to Prine). Nonetheless, his solo work was spectacular and tasteful. Jacques subtle shift between stand up and electric bass fit perfectly with Prine. Were this a three-piece fronted by an unknown it would stand as remarkable. To see them interact with a songwriting lesson made it all the more memorable.
   The set ended with a rocking version of “Lake Marie”, a staple of Prine’s live shows that has become more powerful over time. After a strong ninety minutes, Prine left the stage to a standing ovation. Moments later, after an extra microphone was set up on stage, he walked back out with his band and Josh Ritter in tow. They finished with a three-song encore that ended with “Paradise”.
   The King Center was a perfect fit for Prine. A more raucous club setting would surely have drowned out the softer moments of the set. The sound was impeccable and the events on stage were broadcast via two big screen televisions to the packed crowd in the balcony.
   The temptation, watching the two wordsmiths from different generations play side by side, was to view the stage as past and present in one place. Given Prine’s tireless performances and peerless song writing, that would be a mistake. Prine, like Ritter, is still very much at the top of his game. And I know a thousand Floridians who would agree.

By: Jim Abbott
Full review here
   "I've never been here before, so I'm gonna stay a while."
   That admission, tossed out early in John Prine's fine Saturday show at Melbourne's King Center for the Performing Arts, was a good line. No matter that the iconic folk singer had been to the concert hall before. I know because I was there, too, for a splendid show in 2002.
   Maybe that first-time notion comes from the way that it never seems like Prine is rehashing old material, even though the bulk of his signature songs reach back to the early 1970s. Each performance has the snowflake quality of a new creation, which is the kind of magic one gets from a master.
   Prine, now 61, opened with one of his most reliable oldies on Saturday, the rollicking "Spanish Pipedream."
   That country ditty and the sweeter "Six O'Clock News" illustrated the surprising range of his two-man backing ensemble.
   Guitarist Jason Wilber used his black Telecaster to conjure twangy chicken-picking leads, pedal steel guitar effects and greasier bottle-slide riffs. Dave Jacques thumped along on upright bass, occasionally using a bow to add warmth.
   At the center, of course, was the singer himself.
   In addition to the classic material, Prine offers some of the best song introductions around. He chatted amiably about his early days, writing songs such as "Souvenirs" on his Chicago mail route. He recalled for the crowd how he first imagined that he had come up with a song so complicated that he couldn't play it on guitar, then realized "it was just the same three chords I always used."
   Just like Hank Williams, Prine is capable conjuring plenty of images with those three chords. His dedication of "Souvenirs" to his old pal Steve Goodman was sweet.
   Prine's sly humor was on display all night, most obviously on a well-timed monologue in the middle of "That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round." That bit, another well-worn one, tied together Fats Domino, "grumbly beans," half an enchilada and Jimmy Buffett.
   Another good line: Prine's introduction for "All the Best," off 1991's Grammy-winning The Missing Years, as a song suitable for use "if you ever get an invitation to your ex's wedding and they should ask you to get up and sing one."
   So it went for a solid 2 hours. Even then, folks were shouting out requests.
   "I know 'em all," Prine joked. Even better, he still sings them as if it were the first time.

John Prine at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL on Sept 19, 2008. Back-up Band: David Jacques and Jason Wilber. Opener: Josh Ritter

By: Bruised Orange

As usual no one left disappointed! The show was wonderful from the first song to the last. John sounded wonderful, looked liked he was enjoying himself and sounded great. John sang many of the old favorites which keeps us old timers coming back time and time again and shared little stories between songs as only John Prine can do. We are all so blessed to have John Prine in our lives, may he continue enriching the world with his musical gifts for many years to come.