John Prine

Friday, June 28, 2013 • 8 p.m.

Photo by Jim Shea

Long considered a “songwriter’s songwriter,” John Prine is a rare talent who writes the songs other songwriters would sell their souls for. Evidence of this is the long list of songwriters who have recorded gems from his extensive catalog, including Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, the Everly Brothers, John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, Ben Harper, Joan Baez and many others.

“He’s so good, we’re gonna have to break his fingers,” Kris Kristofferson once said after being justifiably stunned by a Prine performance. Bob Dylan remarked, “Beautiful songs... nobody but Prine could write like that.” Recently honored at the Library of Congress by US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, Prine has been elevated from the annals of songwriters into the realm of bona fide American treasures.

More information: website | facebook | myspace 

Carrie Rodriguez

Photo by Sarah Wilson

From her deep Texas/Americana roots to her modern heart-breaking folk, Carrie Rodriguez delivers. Her voice is beautiful and strong, defiant and sweet. Together with her fiddle playing, the classically trained violinist has established an impressive roster of touring, recording, and co-writing affiliations with Lucinda Williams, Rickie Lee Jones, John Prine, Mary Gauthier, Alejandro Escovedo, guitarist Bill Frisell and others.

Her latest release, Give Me All You Got, deals with a few dark themes, which is not surprising given that one of the first songwriters who inspired Rodriguez in her early teens was Leonard Cohen. “I listened to Leonard for a year and dwelled in the deep lowdown feelings he helped me feel,” she recalls. The sound of the new album, however, is “a little more infectious, rather than contemplative,” according to producer Lee Townsend.

More information: website | facebook | twitter | instagram  

Table Rock City Stage Performer: Kites & Crows

Kites & Crows will be performing two sets on the Table Rock Stage from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
For more information, visit Kites & Crows on their website or facebook.