John Prine Readies First All-New Album in 13 Years, Plots 2018 Tour
John Prine, whose 2017 highlights included headlining the Newport Folk Festival, releasing his first-ever book, John Prine Beyond Words, and winning Artist of the Year at the Americana Music Honors & Awards ceremony in September, already has a memorable 2018 shaping up, including a spring tour and the release of new music.
Prine kicks off the trek with a co-headlining show on April 13th, featuring a solo appearance from Sturgill Simpson at
Tickets go on sale beginning Wednesday, December 6th (pre-sale), and Friday, December 8th (general on-sale date). Every ticket sold for these upcoming shows (with the exception of the May 11th concert in Beaver Dam, Kentucky) will include a copy of the singer-songwriter’s forthcoming album on CD. The new LP will be Prine’s first consisting of original music in 13 years. More details about the upcoming record are expected soon. Prine’s Fair & Square, his last LP of new solo material, was released in 2005 and earned him a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. More tour dates are expected to be revealed in the weeks to come.
Margo Price, who teamed with Prine at this summer’s Newport Folk Festival for a surprise performance of “In Spite of Ourselves,” will appear at the June 2nd stop in Norfolk, Virginia. Originally recorded with Iris DeMent, the tune served as the title cut of Prine’s 1999 duets LP.
Recently, actor Bill Murray visited Prine backstage and while flipping through Prine’s Beyond Words songbook, released last April, recalled that during a depressive state his friend Hunter S. Thompson told him he would “have to rely on John Prine’s humor” to get him through it. In the video above, Murray reveals that the song that finally lifted him out of his funk was “Linda Goes to Mars,” from Prine’s 1986 LP German Afternoons.
Here are John Prine’s 2018 tour dates:
April 13 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall (with Sturgill Simpson)
April 14 — Philadelphia, PA @ Merriam Theatre (with Kurt Vile)
April 25 — Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
April 27 — Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
April 28 — Champaign, IL @ Virginia Theatre
May 11 — Beaver Dam, KY @ Beaver Dam Amphitheater (album not available with ticket purchase)
May 12 —Indianapolis, IN @ Clowes Hall
May 19 — San Diego, CA @ Balboa Theatre
May 23 — Folsom, CA @ Harris Center
May 24 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
June 2 — Norfolk, VA @ Chrysler Hall (with Margo Price)