[upbeat guitar music]
[audience applauding and cheering]
- Tommy Prine: How's it going, Mile o'?
Doing all right?
It's my first time in Appleton.
That is how you pronounce it, right?
- Audience: Yeah! - All right, cool, let's go.
But thank you all so much for coming out today.
It's kinda hard to describe the feeling
when I come to a city for the first time
and I walk out into a room of just a whole bunch
of beautiful people that decided to come and hear my songs,
so I really appreciate you guys
for spending the time with me today.
Thank you.
[audience applauding and cheering]
["Purple Paint" by Tommy Prine]
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? Well, I never doubted the colors she chose ?
? A gallon of red, grab a couple of those ?
? And maybe some blue
? Then we'll call it a night
? Whatever is clever or better than white ?
? And she colors my life
? When I can't decide
? Or I'm running in circles
? And I used to just hide
? In the absence of light
? 'Til she gave me purple paint ?
? There's no way around it
? It's all gotta go
? Start staining the ceiling
? Don't inhale the smoke
? Let's have some fun with it
? Let's have a drink
? If you can't reach the corner ?
? Just stand on the sink
? And she colors my life
? When I can't decide
? Or I'm running in circles
? And I used to just hide
? In the absence of light
? 'Til she gave me purple paint ?
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? Well, I never doubted the colors she chose ?
? Colors so close that they might touch my nose ?
? And never's a long time to not see the light ?
? And never say never
? I love you, good night
? She colors my life
? When I can't decide
? Or I'm running in circles
? And I used to just hide
? In the absence of light
? 'Til she gave me purple
? She colors my life
? When I can't decide
? Or I'm running in circles
? And I couldn't live right
? When my canvas was white
? And she gave me purple paint
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
[audience applauding]
Thank you.
Thank y'all.
So, sometime last summer, my wife comes up to me.
She's like, "Hey, babe, I gotta run
"and do some errands for the evening.
Could you do me a favor while I'm out?"
And I was like, "Anything, babe.
Just say the word, I got it."
Mistake one.
[audience laughing]
She goes, "While I'm out running errands and you're at home,
could you paint the front porch?"
[audience laughing]
I was like, "No, dude, I don't wanna do that.
"This sounds crazy.
I won't even finish in time."
And she's like, "All right, sounds good.
"I think we've reached an agreement.
I'm gonna go run errands and you'll paint the porch."
I was like, "You got it, for sure.
Easy-peasy, consider it done."
So she leaves.
I don't paint the porch.
But what I did do was I wrote a song
explaining why I didn't wanna paint the porch.
[audience laughing]
I tell you what, she wasn't as impressed as you guys just were
when she came back home.
But she laughed, like, halfway through the song
when I showed it to her, and I was like,
"I'm off the hook, let's go."
This song is called "Fire and Fuel."
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? Would rather go insane than paint my porch ?
? I'd rather get some fire and fuel ?
? And fashion me a torch
? Yes, I'd rather go insane than paint my porch ?
? And I'd rather hit my head than clean my car ?
? I'd jump right off a roof
? To prove that I'd take it that far ?
? Yes, I'd rather hit my head than clean my car ?
? 'Cause I'm not lazy
? I'm just bored
? And every single day
? Has the same things in store
? All the magic
? Has gone away
? But maybe that's just how I feel today ?
? Would rather sleep outside than build a fence ?
? I'd be a leader for the bugs
? And for the birds, a president ?
? Yes, I'd rather sleep outside than build a fence ?
? And I'd rather shave my hair than mow the lawn ?
? I'd use a pair of tweezers
? Make it last all night long
? Yes, I'd rather shave my hair than mow the lawn ?
? 'Cause I'm not lazy
? I'm just bored
? And every single day
? Has the same things in store
? All the magic
? Has gone away
? Or maybe that's just how I feel today ?
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? But I'd rather move a mountain than lose you ?
? I'd send a spy to heaven
? Make sure there is room for two ?
? Yes, I'd rather move a mountain than lose you ?
? 'Cause I'm not lazy
? I'm just bored
? And every single day
? Has the same things in store
? And all the magic
? Has gone away
? And maybe that's just
? How I
? Feel today
[audience applauding]
I feel like I bring authenticity and honesty.
The crux of my job is to be as vulnerable
and as honest as I can be,
even if I'm writing a song about not doing my chores at home
and my wife being upset at me.
Honesty is the best policy,
not just, like, in interpersonal relationships,
but also in music.
It's been incredible.
I didn't really know what I was, like, walking into,
but they've been turning away people
because it's been too packed at all of my sets so far.
So it's been, like, kind of, like, unreal in a way.
I'm like, "Whoa, like..."
So it feels really amazing
when I come to a city for the first time.
Just people show out so hard for me.
It just, I really feel the love here in Appleton,
so that that makes me really happy
and makes me want to come back.
[laughing]
["Mirror and a Kitchen Sink" by Tommy Prine]
[upbeat acoustic guitar music]
? Juliet and Romeo
? Didn't meet down at the rodeo ?
? I think there's something special ?
? About what you don't know
? Keep the world on their feet
? It seems to me that you know it all ?
? You learned it over beers with the Pope last fall ?
? And built yourself a castle with a big glass wall ?
? Everybody knows you're proud
? And I think that I'll win
? Every single argument
? But now it's you and me
? A mirror and a kitchen sink
? So what's the difference between you and me? ?
? I tell you right now, it's a couple teeth ?
? And then I decide whether to not or be ?
? Crueler than I already am
? So here we are again, my friend ?
? You beat around the bush and you build a fence ?
? Nobody knows what you really meant ?
? Not so sure that you do
? And it's true
? And I think that I'll win
? Every single argument
? But now it's you and me
? A mirror and a kitchen sink ?
[upbeat acoustic guitar music]
? So Romeo and Juliet
? Didn't kiss first then become friends ?
? There's always gotta be a middle and end ?
? No one's gotta know how it starts ?
? You say words that make you brave ?
? And then you realize that you share a brain ?
? Oh, here it goes right down the drain ?
? Faster than your eyes can see ?
? And it's me
? And I think that I'll win
? Every single argument
? But now it's you and me
? A mirror and a kitchen sink
[audience applauding]
Thank you.
There are some amazing songwriters here.
I suggest you go check as many of them out as you can
'cause songwriters are the lifeblood of music.
I'm telling you.
[audience applauding]
["Ships in the Harbor" by Tommy Prine]
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? It must be the morning again
? The sun through the window
? Felt good on my skin
? So it must be leaving soon
? As it should
? And I saw the bluebird again
? She pointed it out in the yard on our fence ?
? So it must be leaving soon
? As it should
? When I'm standing by the water ?
? It's harder and harder
? It's why I get sad when there's ships in the harbor ?
? 'Cause they must be leaving soon ?
? As they should
? And I got to see an old friend ?
? We laughed and stayed up 'til it came to an end ?
? 'Cause we must be leaving soon ?
? As we do
? I tend to get lost in the stars ?
? I waste every night wondering where we all are ?
? And how we must be leaving soon ?
? As we should
? When I'm standing by the water ?
? It's harder and harder
? It's why I get sad when there's ships in the harbor ?
? 'Cause they must be leaving soon ?
? As they should
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? It takes time to know when you're wrong ?
? And it takes even longer to put it all in a song ?
? And I wish it was easy, too
? Like he did
? When I'm by peaceful waters
? It gets harder and harder
? I'd do anything
? Just to talk to my father
? But I guess he was leaving soon ?
? As we do
? And, yeah, I guess he was passing through ?
? And I am, too
My name's Tommy Prine, thank y'all so much.
I'll see you somewhere down the road.
I love you, thank you.
[audience applauding and cheering]
[upbeat music]