John Prine on Cayamo 2012
By Ken Paulson Four of the best minutes in a week full of great music on Cayamo came as Iris DeMent joined John Prine on “in Spite of Ourselves,” their very funny duet from the album of the same name. Prine is always a professional, and his shows with Dave Jacques and Jason Wilber are well-paced, spanning his best work of the past four decades. The three shows this week were no exception. But Prine absolutely beams when there’s a shift in the routine, and he was clearly having a good time with Iris. She stayed for “Unwed Fathers” and the finale “Paradise.” Prine has been on the Cayamo cruise before, but he hasn’t quite gotten over the sensation of singing while trying to hold onto your balance. He told the audience that if they see any performers who aren’t having a problem with their footing, “they’re drunk.” One early show finished at 7 p.m. “I haven’t been done with a show this early since I played the matinee at the Earl of Old Town,” Prine recalled.