Pure Prairie League; Cooper River Park Pennsauken, NJ 8/6/09

[jimmy19029]

Nice to see good old PPL back in our area again after five years. The last time they were here, they played a few miles down the road from this park.

Veteran Philly d.j. Michael Tearson did the intros, happy that the rain we had earlier in the day had vanished. And indeed it was a beautiful night to be out and about.

A month ago for the 4th of July Freedom Fest, it had been wall to wall people and traffic, but I much prefer these little intimate shows that draw only a few hundred. Plus, you're able to park, walk right across the street and you're there with no traffic jam to worry about on the way out.

"Next time we should drive from Nashville", said bassist Mike Reilly, "Ughh, U.S. Air...oops, watch it. We know this is a major hub for them. But we're just glad to arrive here all in one piece."

It was a treat for me to finally see them with pedal steel guitarist Fats Kaplin, who also added his great fiddle playing prowess to songs like Gettin' Over You, I'll Fix Your Flat Tire, Merle and Don't Go Confessin' Your Love. Fats had been unable to make the show I saw five years back.

When introducing Gettin' Over You, Reilly explained that it was from their most recent album, All in Good Time, which took twenty four years to put out. And our next one might take another twenty four...," he laughed.

The best thing about PPL today for me is the presence of singer/ guitarist Craig Fuller, who had co-founded the band in Ohio back in 1970 but was gone from the group by the time most of us fans outside of Ohio knew who they were. Craig is composer and singer of their best known song, Amie. He returned to the group when it reformed eleven years back.

And new singer/guitarist Donnie Clark is a nice addition to the group. He lead sings on Misery Train and both their 1980 hits, Let Me Love You Tonight and I'm Almost Ready, while drummer Rick Schell now does the honors on Two Lane Highway.

I'll Fix Your Flat Tire, Merle, from their Two Lane Highway album, is a gentle poke at the great Merle Haggard, and the band preceded that one with one of Merle's own, It's Not Love But it's Not Bad.

Right Before Let Me Love You Tonight, Craig was looking for the full moon, which emerged from behind the clouds a few minutes later looking awesome. "Ahh, there it is...," Craig sighed.

After Mike gave us a rousing version of Pickin' to Beat the Devil with an extra verse I've never heard, Craig led them into Little Feat's Six Feet of Snow, a song he'd played many times while he was the singer in that band.

The regular set closer, Amie, got many of the ladies and their teenage daughters up dancing, after which came encores of Little Feat's Willin' and I'm Almost Ready.

The guys were out pretty quickly to the autographs table and I thanked Craig for giving us all a chance to finally see him front the band after we'd missed out all those years ago. "Pure nostalgia now", Craig said smiling. After I asked about their two year lay off in 2002-2004, Rick explained that it was because he was busy doing some other projects. I also got to tell Mike we were glad he was back and healthy again after his recent medical troubles. "Thanks," Mike said, "KNOCK WOOD"!


Setlist:

Tears
Kansas City Southern
Early Morning Riser
Two Lane Highway
Gettin' Over You
It's Not Love, But It's Not Bad
I'll Fix Your Flat Tire, Merle
Let Me Love You Tonight
Don't Go Confessin' Your Love
Misery Train
Boulder Skies
Pickin' to Beat the Devil
Six Feet of Snow
Fallin' In & Out of Love/Amie

Willin'
I'm Almost Ready

[Don]

Great review. One Question. Didn't Craig sing the original lead vocals on Two Lane Highway?

[jimmy19029]

Thank you Gunbot. Craig was gone from the band by the time Two Lane Highway was recorded. Larry Goshorn was the original singer on that song.

[Don]

Thank you Gunbot. Craig was gone from the band by the time Two Lane Highway was recorded. Larry Goshorn was the original singer on that song.

Got it, thanks.