Seeing John Prine in person, hearing him sing his brilliant songs live on stage, was a gift cut short by his 2020 untimely death from covid complications at the age of 73. His songs have been covered by many, including locally by a Michigan-based group of musicians who honor John Prine’s legacy with tribute concerts they perform around Michigan and the Midwest. They granted the Ark audience a joyful evening of Prine’s music on Sunday, December 21st. The nearly sold out theater was filled with a wide range of ages, a testament to Prine’s impact on generations of fans.
Recognized for his admiration of John Prine’s music, Grand Rapids-area musician and Earthworks member Mark Lavengood has spent the last 10 years traveling with a group of singer/songwriters performing John Prine tribute shows. The group that performed at the Ark featured three solo musicians Jen Sygit, Grace Theisen, Chris Zehnder and the house band: Loren Kranz, Dutcher Snedeker, and Jerry Wenger.
The evening began with Mark “Huggy Bear” announcing “It’s Prine Time!”, kicking off the show with “Everything is Cool” from Prine’s 1991 album “The Missing Years.” Mark has a strong twangy voice, is hot on the guitar, and has an energetic and delightful stage presence. Mark then invited to the stage Kalamazoo-based singer/songwriter Grace Theisen for her solo of “Summer’s End.” She exudes confidence onstage, with a sense of humor and a soft, lovely voice. Mark returned to the stage with a slide guitar, joining Grace on a duet of “Angel From Montgomery.” They ended with Prine’s fast-paced “Be My Friend Tonight.” Next up, Chris Zehnder, a powerful singer/songwriter from the band Hatchwing Rider, came out to perform two impressive solos of “Spanish Pipedream” and “Long Monday.” Mark then joined Chris on their riveting covers of “Souvenirs” and “Grandpa Was A Carpenter.” They sounded great together and had a fun rapport with each other. The last solo appearance was Jen Sygit, one third of the Lansing-based all-female string band Stella! With her beautiful dynamic voice, she performed “That’s the Way the World Goes Round” and “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness.” After a short break, Mark brought out his band, made up of musicians from SE and West Michigan, featuring drums, piano, electric bass, and harmonica. They performed “Illegal Smile,” “Please Don’t Bury Me” and, with Mark on a Fender Stratocaster, “Yes I Guess
They Oughta Name a Drink After You.” The band then left the stage, leaving Mark to perform a bluesy solo of Prine’s poignant song “Sam Stone.” Grace came back out to join him on “Fish and Whistle.” Chris Zehnder returned to the stage for two more dynamic solo numbers, “Muhlenberg County” and “Living in the Future.” To end the show, the entire troupe came out for a rousing performance of “Angel From Montgomery,” followed by a crowd-pleasing encore of “Pretty Good.”
I’ll say the show was way more than pretty good! Though having John Prine on stage would have been magical, it was a joy to spend an evening hearing songs from his vast songbook, skillfully and cheerfully interpreted by the Michigan musicians. To add to the evening’s upbeat feeling, the audience of Prine aficionados didn’t have to sing quietly to themselves — they were invited to sing along throughout the show. Much laughter was heard as well, as the troupe shared stories and anecdotes and confirmed their gratitude for Prine’s genius. I highly recommend getting to the Ark if Mark Lavengood returns with his John Prine Tribute group.