John Prine
Capitol Theatre
New York, NY
April 12

John Prine took the stage and launched into “Spanish Pipedream,” no introduction, not even a pause. Energy like that means more coming from a 66 year old, and it’s easy to see how, back at age 25, Prine wasn’t in New York a day before being offered a record contract. Before that he was a singing mailman, working his postal route in Chicago and writing songs like “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You, Into Heaven Anymore,” a satiric anti-war tune that he laments is still in vogue. Rounding out the band were longtime bassist Dave Jacques and guitarist Jason Wilber, who took his first solo on harmonica during “Six o’clock News.”

Prine’s voice deepened to a rasp after his bout with throat cancer in 1998, which suits his melancholy songs even more, and oscillates easily between folk, rock, or the slightly doo-wop twist on “Taking a Walk.” Prine continued through a string of his hits as the crowd shouted for their favorites, though everyone could agree on “Angel from Montgomery,” which speaks to Prine the country cowboy, not “much to look at/ just a free rambling man.” He flubbed slightly on “You’ve Got Gold,” a reminder of how lyrically complex his songs are, even if the guitar work tends towards modesty. Still, the show was far from over and the crowd was already on it’s third of six standing ovations.

“Illegal Smile” showcases Prine’s unusual humor, where jokes are interspersed with anecdotes and morbid realities. The takeaway moment however, was Prine sharing the spotlight with a lone fly, swatter in hand, describing how the late Roger Ebert came to write his first concert review in 1970, sparking his career. He dedicated “Sam Stone” – another reminder of his first hand experience with the Vietnam War – to Ebert, and eventually ended the set with “Lake Marie.” The latter is part story, part melodic release, and perfectly encapsulated by Bob Dylan’s comment that Prine’s songs are “midwestern mind-trips to the nth degree.”