What's not to like about John Prine, I ask you? The folksinger is a walking legend among songwriters in America. When I heard he was coming to Sacramento, I immediately snagged tickets for center stage, third row. My husband feels a particular affinity for Prine, I suspect, because they are both from Chicago (my husband was probably all of 7 when Prine hit the music scene there). They both know Roger Ebert. Ebert supposedly gave Prine his first review.
When we walked into the historic Memorial Auditorium last night, it was one-third full. I wondered if the Crest was unavailable on Saturday. The chairs were the folding kind and adjoined, making me feel like I was flying Delta in economy class, but unlike Delta my knees weren't up against the seat in front of me. A guy on a cell phone was in my seat, so I tapped his shoulder. I thought about tapping his head, but that wouldn't have been polite.
The seat swiper said he was from Minnesota -- Martin County, on the Iowa border, where his 94-year-old grandmother owns 160 acres. He was drinking a beer, but I could have sworn I saw a sign upon entry about no alcoholic beverages allowed. He had a Missouri accent; you can't tell people you are from Minnesota when you have a Missouri accent. You can learn a lot about people in 30 seconds.
Josh Ritter opened the show, and my husband was instantly pleased, especially since Ritter wasn't on the tickets. That just told me that my husband has been too busy to Google the John Prine tour. Josh is such a smiling fellow -- always a big grin when he sings, and there's a bit of Bruce Springsteen in him, of which he's fully aware, I suppose.
Except Ritter sang two too many numbers because the audience was getting restless. Somebody in the audience yelled out, "Where's John Prine?" But that didn't phase Ritter. At one point during his performance, he asked the light engineers to turn off all the lights and played on a dark stage.
After an intermission, John Prine appeared, looking fabulous for a 62-year-old who has survived cancer and radiation treatment from 10 years ago. His band members are bassist Dave Jacques, who also plays electric and double bass, and Jason Wilbur, electric guitar, banjo and mandolin player extraordinaire. All three wore brown suits and ties. Prine's suit was a bit darker brown, and he wore a deep chocolate shirt with a light-blue tie.
Prine played all the old favorites: Dear Abby, Hello in There, Angel from Montgomery, the goofy Fish and Whistle, and my sentimental pick, Lake Marie. I expected to hear more of his new stuff, because an all-oldies line-up is more reminiscent of a casino show than what you expect to get in Sacramento at a live performance. But I wasn't complaining.
The show lasted until way, way past my bedtime, much longer than other shows I've been to recently, and ended at 11 PM. If the chairs had been more comfortable, people would not have been squirming toward the end. But it was worth it to stay awake to catch Ritter and Prine together for a few last songs. For 3 hours, I didn't once think about real estate, sacramento short sales nor my hectic schedule.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, coming May 15th
Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub
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