WINNIPEG -- It was spring training for the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

A sold-out crowd of 1,650 gathered in soft seats at the Walker Theatre last night instead of on tarps to watch folk legend John Prine without fears of being eaten by mosquitoes.

"It's been awhile since I played indoors here," he said with a chuckle.

Kicking off with Spanish Pipedream, Prine, 55, delivered an awe-inspiring retrospective of songs from throughout his 30-year career, accompanied by a stand-up bassist and electric guitarist.

Prine's voice is still as smooth (in its own way) and reassuring as ever, despite a well publicized battle with throat cancer a few years ago. He was even able to hit the high note at the end of the classic Angel of Montgomery, delivered early in his two-hour set.

Dressed in a striking black suit, the storyteller held the audience in awe as he sang a mix of ballads and straight-up rockers. And with a recording history stretching back to 1971, Prine has the arsenal to lead the crowd on any kind of journey he desires, which wasn't always easy, as the surprisingly rowdy middle-aged crowd shouted out numerous requests between songs.

He did get around to playing most of them anyway, including Six O'Clock News, Grandpa Was a Carpenter, Dear Abby, Donald and Lydia and Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian.

Between songs he told stories about his life and what inspired him as a songwriter, coming across as witty and self-depreciating.

Prine even talked about his hip replacement surgery last year, when he had his joint replaced with a new titanium substitute.

"The doctor said it will last between 20 and 30 years, and I said, 'That's great, it will last longer than I will,' " he said to a roar of laughs.

But after the surgery he couldn't drive, so he wrote the song The Other Side of Town, about a man who likes to travel in his mind.

"He doesn't have a whole lot of money so he doesn't go very far," he said.

At press time Prine was singing his Vietnam-War-inspired Sam Stone.

Nashville based singer-songwriter Greg Trooper opened the show with a 40-minute set of solid, humorous songs, even getting the crowd to participate in two singalongs.