If Bob Dylan werent already from the Midwest, John Prine would easily be the frontrunner for the title of Bob Dylan of the Midwest. But since Dylan is from Minneapolis, Prine, who hails from a Chicago suburb, will have to settle for being the John Prine of the Worldwhich isnt really settling at all. Prine is Dylans folk contemporary, and the two raspy-voiced troubadours have long formed a mutual admiration society. But when Dylan went electric, Prine stayed true to his largely unamplified roots. Last year, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant drenched Prines Killing the Blues in honey, just as Bonnie Raitt did with his Angel from Montgomery. Whats more, Kris Kristofferson once said, Prine is so good, we may have to break his thumbs. Lucky for us, the bearded badass never followed through on that threat, not yet anyway. With Dan Reeder. MIKE SEELY
Sat., April 17, 8 p.m., 2010
