Ok, so here goes. Some have you have maybe read that I take classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music, as does our own chicagowineguy. My current class is the Old Crow Medicine Show ensemble. Great fun, but already I digress. Every year they have a fundraiser , bringing in a big name and charging $200 a pop Last year it was Loretta Lynn. This year was the man himself,JP. I had no choice but to scrape up the dough and buy a ticket. So I did.
Cut to March 6. Typical fundraiser stuff, silent auction, fancy finger food, free beer. A rumor had been floating around that there were going to be some photo ops with john before the show. I get there at 6, do some deep breathing exercises to calm down a little, and head in. Walked around for a while and checked out the auction. Some cool stuff, but after spending $200 for a ticket, not much left in the fun budget, so I refrained from bidding. Lots of people there, and when I say lots, I mean bazillions. Walked into a little side room to get to the other side of the building. Room probably holds about 10 folks. Those 10 and about 80 more were jammed in there like sardines. Hmm, I say. So I fight my way through the crowd, and sure enough, there he was, but totally surrounded, I kind of bypass the crowd around him, but I'm still within a few feet and that was good enough for me. Just as I'm passing him, the crowd seems to thin a bit, and we find ourselves looking right at each other. Here's my big chance. The rest is a bit fuzzy, but went something like this.
Me: How you doin.
JP: Good. Hey man., I like your jacket.
Me: Thanks. Have a good show.
And then the crowd closes in again and it's over.
I immediately headed back downstairs, left the building, walked across the street to my car and got in. Just sat there and thought about how I just met John Prine. Sort of. Called my wife, called my daughter, would have called Killdeer if I'd had his number, just to gloat.
Calmed down after a bit, and it was time for the show. Sweet little theatre, about 400 seats, none further than 45' from the stage. U-shaped venue, about 20 rows downstairs, with a 3 row balcony directly over the seats below. I sat in the last row of the balcony, stage left. If JP was 12 o'clock, I was about 3. JP comes out with his guys, (Jason Wilburn on guitar, David Jacques on bass), which was a surprise. I thought it was just gonna be John. Immediately ripped into "Spanish Pipedream" and we were off. He was battling a bad throat, and had to stop in the middle of a couple of songs to grab a swig of what he called Irish Cough Medicine. Anyway, he'd play a couple, then tell a story, a lot of them about his time as a student at the school, his life in Chicago, and how he got started.
3 1/2 hours later it was all over. He had sung everything one might expect, plus a couple pleasant surprises like "Fish and Whistle" and " Jesus, the Missing Years". Also, a very touching version of Steve Goodman's "My Old Man".
All in all, it was one hell of a night and worth every penny. Joe, you're in for a great time !
Cut to March 6. Typical fundraiser stuff, silent auction, fancy finger food, free beer. A rumor had been floating around that there were going to be some photo ops with john before the show. I get there at 6, do some deep breathing exercises to calm down a little, and head in. Walked around for a while and checked out the auction. Some cool stuff, but after spending $200 for a ticket, not much left in the fun budget, so I refrained from bidding. Lots of people there, and when I say lots, I mean bazillions. Walked into a little side room to get to the other side of the building. Room probably holds about 10 folks. Those 10 and about 80 more were jammed in there like sardines. Hmm, I say. So I fight my way through the crowd, and sure enough, there he was, but totally surrounded, I kind of bypass the crowd around him, but I'm still within a few feet and that was good enough for me. Just as I'm passing him, the crowd seems to thin a bit, and we find ourselves looking right at each other. Here's my big chance. The rest is a bit fuzzy, but went something like this.
Me: How you doin.
JP: Good. Hey man., I like your jacket.
Me: Thanks. Have a good show.
And then the crowd closes in again and it's over.
I immediately headed back downstairs, left the building, walked across the street to my car and got in. Just sat there and thought about how I just met John Prine. Sort of. Called my wife, called my daughter, would have called Killdeer if I'd had his number, just to gloat.
Calmed down after a bit, and it was time for the show. Sweet little theatre, about 400 seats, none further than 45' from the stage. U-shaped venue, about 20 rows downstairs, with a 3 row balcony directly over the seats below. I sat in the last row of the balcony, stage left. If JP was 12 o'clock, I was about 3. JP comes out with his guys, (Jason Wilburn on guitar, David Jacques on bass), which was a surprise. I thought it was just gonna be John. Immediately ripped into "Spanish Pipedream" and we were off. He was battling a bad throat, and had to stop in the middle of a couple of songs to grab a swig of what he called Irish Cough Medicine. Anyway, he'd play a couple, then tell a story, a lot of them about his time as a student at the school, his life in Chicago, and how he got started.
3 1/2 hours later it was all over. He had sung everything one might expect, plus a couple pleasant surprises like "Fish and Whistle" and " Jesus, the Missing Years". Also, a very touching version of Steve Goodman's "My Old Man".
All in all, it was one hell of a night and worth every penny. Joe, you're in for a great time !
