Brandi Carlile Takes the Americana Stage for John Prine’s 80th Birthday Celebration

By Wil Comstock

MCAU Contributing Writer

Northern Lights and Oh Boy Records celebrate John Prine’s 80th! 

Hosted by Brandi Carlile, 9/16/2026

     Miraculously, once again, I was able to grab a front row seat to this glorious event.   This year each artist performed a John Prine song.  Some even had personal stories to tell.

     Several years ago, Brandi Carlile, was one of the guest artists on a cruise ship with Prine.  In her cabin, Brandi’s wife, Catherine, was beside herself trying to quiet their first-born child.  She handed the baby to Brandi.  Remembering what her mother once told her about quieting babies, Brandi made an enclosure, circling the baby with towels to make her feel secure.  She then reached for her curling iron and began doing her hair for John Prine’s encore, a duet about to take place in a few minutes.  Hearing a crash, Brandi turned around to see the baby on the floor, now screaming, with blood all over.  With tears in her eyes, she handed the baby to her wife, saying she had to get downstairs to the show.  When John came backstage, Carlile was waiting with a trembling upper lip and a few tears running down her face.  When John asked if she was okay, she explained what happened.  He replied, “This won’t be the last time you make your wife cry, or the last time you drop the baby.”  Making Brandi smile.  They went on stage and sang the tune, “Angel of Montgomery.”  That was the song Carlile chose to sing today.

     With Chauntee on cello and Monique on violin, the supremely talented Sister Strings delighted us with Prine’s “Caravan of Fools,” for which they received a standing ovation.  Girls! When is your album coming out?

     Emily Scott Robinson did a warm and lively performance on “Spanish Pipeline,” a favorite of mine.  While Olivia Wolf did a little tongue in cheek on “Long Monday.”  Sean McConnell had many in tears on his rendition of “Hello in There.”

     Brandi’s cousins The Carlile Family Band (teenagers Caroline and J Jay) contributed “Summer’s End.” Caroline told us that when she was a little girl, her parents told her to hold one of their hands when getting off an elevator.  When on an elevator at a folk event, Caroline reached up and grabbed a hand. It was John Prine’s!  Her mother snaped a photo!

     Riley Downing did a heartfelt rendition of “The Other Side of Town” with his Missouri working class vocals.  And who could forget Tré Burt’s delivery of “The Late John Garfild’s

     Surprise guest Tommy Prine, John Prine’s son, sang his father’s first breakup song (written when he was just 19), the heartbreaking “Far From Me.” It’s great to see him walking in his father’s footsteps while at the same time carving his own way as a singer-songwriter.

     Thanks to Northern Lights for another great show!

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