The moniker “An Evening with Pure Prairie League” means more than just the band playing the hits “Aimee,” “Let Me Love You Tonight” and “Still Right Here in My Heart,” said longtime bassist and lead vocalist Mike Reilly.
“The main thing is the audience,” he said. “The audience, for some reason, is still growing after more than 53 years. The age-spread coming to our shows runs from 16 to 70 and 80, and that’s because there are people who grew up listening to our music during the ’70s, and there are people who grew up listening to the music because their grandparents or parents made them listen to it.”
Still, it’s gratifying for Reilly, who also manages the band, to know people still want to see the band play live, which it will during a three-night residency from June 21-23 at the Egyptian Theatre.
“People will still spend their hard-earned dough to see these old farts go out and throw it down,” he said. “And that puts a responsibility on our shoulders to make sure we’re playing better than ever.”
Although Reilly, who joined the band in 1973, will not perform the Egyptian Theatre run, due to retirement from the touring, he says the audience will be in good hands with the current lineup — pedal steel guitarist John David Call, drummer Scott Thompson, keyboardist Randy Harper, guitarist Jeff Zona and bassist and vocalist Jared Camic.
Camic and Zona have been with the band since 2021, according to Reilly.
“Jared is a great singer and great player, and the main thing is that he is a very accomplished bass player,” Reilly said. “He has a degree in music for upright bass and jazz, and it’s great to have someone who is so accomplished jumping in and taking my place.”
Camic also impressed Reilly at his audition.
“He came prepared, because he had learned every song on all of our albums, and he also played the same stuff I did on stage,” Reilly said. “So, when we told him he got the job, I told him, ‘This is your gig, and I want you to put your own stamp on these songs.’ and he said, ‘I will, but you played some great stuff, and I wanted to keep up the tradition.’ And I didn’t pay him to say that.”
Reilly said Pure Prairie League wouldn’t be the same without John David Call, who co-founded the band in 1970.
“He’s the oak, and he’s the rock,” Reilly said. “He’s the stabilizing force, and his playing and approach to the pedal steel guitar is the cornerstone of our music. He’s 78 years old, and he’s playing better than ever. So, with him, Scott, Jeff and Randy the band is hitting on all cylinders.”
Although Reilly has retired from the road, he does make appearances with the band from time to time.
“We do a Rock and Romance Cruise every year, so I’m always down for that,” he said. “But I promised my wife after 50 some-odd years of touring that I would be home more. The funny thing is I actually spend more time running the band than I did while I was touring.”
When he is playing with the band, Reilly enjoys introducing new songs to the audience.
“The band is playing a song called ‘Modern Problem’ that we started back when I was still touring,” he said. “But then there are songs that the band has dug up from its past. Many people call them ‘deep cuts,’ but we call them ‘dust balls,’ because they have been sitting in the closet since 1972 and 1973.”
Those songs include “Angel No. 9,” “Woman” and “Call Me, Tell Me.”
“It’s always a treat for fans to hear these songs in the current context,” he said.
Reilly fondly looks back on his time with Pure Prairie League.
“We never were the Eagles, but we did pretty well for ourselves,” he said. “Any band that can stay together, never throw a punch, still play the music and enjoy it all, is an accomplishment. And as far as I’m concerned our biggest artistic achievement is being able to perform all these years at a high level, every single time. That may sound a bit pretentious, but it’s the truth.”