JOHN PRINE
8 p.m., Robinson Center Music Hall. $36.50-$46.50.
Few singer/songwriters toe the line between whimsy and poignancy
like John Prine. Reared in the late-’60s Chicago folk scene, Prine
caught the ear of Kris Kristofferson, who was key to helping him land a
record contract. With a quick succession of albums in the early ’70s,
the country-folk crooner struggled on the charts, but on the strength
of songs like “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone” and “Grandpa Was a
Carpenter,” he became much beloved among his fellow performers. Bette
Midler, the Everly Brothers and other artists covered his songs, and
Bob Dylan appeared anonymously at one of his early shows, backing him
on harmonica. In the years that have followed, Prine’s refused to be
pigeonholed, recording a decidedly non-folk album with Stax guitarist
Steve Cropper, forming his own record label and putting out an album of
duets featuring Prine’s favorite “girl singers.” In 1998, Prine was
diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. He underwent surgery and
treatment. Ten years later, at 61, he’s still trucking along as ever
before. Last year he released “Standard Songs for Average People” with
bluegrass legend Mac Wiseman. His voice has a bit of a sandpaper edge
to it now, but don’t expect that to do anything but add weight to his
deep catalog. The groove-folk collective Kane Welch Kaplan opens.