February 7, 2000
Welcome to the new Over the Rhine web site.
Welcome home. You have found the definitive resource for all things Over the Rhine. We hope this trove of words and images will answer a few questions, raise a few eyebrows, make you smile and perhaps bring a tiny bit of the sea to your eyes as you remember, discover, uncover and wander around freely. We hope that you feel obscure places and faces inside of you waking up, warming to new possibilities. We hope that you leave here feeling somehow replenished and that as you step back out into the crisp night air you find yourself saying, I want my life to be a work of art.
Keep in mind that this is a work in progress. Only God can speak a universe into being and even then it supposedly took six days and was exhausting.
Our dream is that eventually you can come to this place and find the lyric to any song we've recorded, freely print out the music of a song you were hoping to perhaps have sung at your wedding, grin with us at bygone days, learn more about the gifted array of musicians that have helped us take these songs around the world and back, check out when you might have a chance to share an evening of music with Over the Rhine and maybe even get yourself a picture of that beautiful dog.
Many people have discovered our recordings more or less the same way that the ancient city of Babylon was discovered: by digging. We hope the fact that you can readily obtain any Over the Rhine recording right here doesn't take too much of the fun out of the whole thing. But this place you've found is also our little storefront to the world. It's our very own porch sale. It's our vegetable stand. And we keep it well-stocked with homegrown goodies. Leave the money in the jar, and help yourself. We're probably off working somewhere else. Yeah, probably in that place we used to call The Imaginary Apple Orchard.
But thanks for stopping by. Come back often. Breathe deeply. Roll over. Good Dog.
Yours truly,
Linford and Karin
Dear Grace,
It's all greek to me.
There may come a day when it is not enough to touch you with words. In the meantime, I choose them carefully and recklessly. I look for the curves and the pulse in the language and try to wrap something around you that will warm you and cause your soul to arc, your spirit to spark.
Yours and mine, God knows.
Look deep down your hollow belly inside and ask yourself in the dark if it's true: does any of this really make any difference at all?
Is the skin that separates your beating heart from mine really just the smoothest kind of barbed wire?
Wait. Just how alone are we anyway?
So what if I dream about keeping a journal with you? Would that make me your audience and you mine? We would write our secret universes within and so far only love can make me lift a pen anyway.
So here goes.
Write me.
You have to pick up the pen and move it, she whispers.
You have to leave a crumbtrail of words or you'll never find your way back. You have to step out into the words a hungry orphan and hold hands with someone along the way. You have to be as good to words as you know how and some night when you least expect it you'll find them being good to you. Even later you'll learn to trick yourself into believing someone cares.
She looks away. Oh yeah, one more thing. Inspiration comes afterward, not before.
And this is the story of how my life became a true story.
Hello everyone,
It's me Oh Lord again and Jesus we are off to quite a start here, aren't we? Talk about "ripping handfuls of pages from ...memoirs and calling it music." I'm up here in the attic of the Grey Ghost, the rest of the house is asleep, and I'm looking out the window on an unremarkable morning, stunned. I have found the secret of eternal life. I now know how I want to live and it's so obvious I don't know if I should risk telling you this secret or not, but I will. Before I can talk myself down.
I am going to die.
These few words, if I embrace them, will tell me what I must do with this gift of too-large life I've been given. Oh, but it's so hard to hear. I have to practice.
I am going to die. I, am going to die.
All of us here on this sweet terrain are terminal. I hold these words close and I am free.
I'm thirty-five, so by the law of averages I figure my life is half over. Half of my life is virgin soil, untouched by any plow. Amazing. I was given a garden and I've only tilled up half of it. I was given a day, and the entire night remains intact, unlived. I was given a woman and she is only half undressed. The bottle of wine, half empty. The book, half written.
The desire to write burns in me now like the burning bush Moses encountered in the wilderness: it burns in me always but is not consumed. I want to leave behind some token of gratitude for the time here on earth I was given. I want to tell my version of what it was like to be part of this family we call humanity. I want to say, Hey, I saw that. (Did anyone else?) It's one of the few gifts I can imagine giving to myself. It's one of the few gifts I can imagine giving to others.
Half over? And now life ups the ante and says, I am dimensional and careening and full of surprises. No man or woman knows me. No man or woman knows the day or the hour when the needle lifts from a particular spinning life, when the music ceases quite suddenly to play audibly. All quiet.
In other words, I can't say for sure that I've only travelled half the distance. I may be farther along and further in than I know. So to live a good day is to live that day as if it were my last. This key can unlock the double-bolted door of what it means to be truly alive. Or as my friend Jack is prone to say, It's our last night on earth. Again.
So yes, somedays I flounder and lay about in the mud like a hog on valium. And I don't know why some days are so hard to redeem, to cash in. God looks down and says, This one's on me son. Enjoy. It's the gift of a brand new day or night and you'd think I'd make love to this day and we'd ride off into the sunset together, and I'd lean over and say, I'll never forget you. Ever.
But maybe the day sits yawning out in the car while I'm standing in line at the bank with a fistfull of unpaid bills. Or the wistful new day walks in and her skin is glowing, she's lighting up the whole world and I'm thinking about filing my taxes, one of the cats just threw up, and the answering machine is full, blinking. The day wants to be swept off her feet and sometimes the best I can come up with is surfing the channels in some hotel room, half awake. Or maybe the day whispers, I came all this way for you, and it's a drive-thru for dinner?
But when I hold the given words close, which I do now increasingly, I become a student of life. I am given clues always now, and I try to listen. And the mundane begins to bleed together into a larger sense of purpose which I continue to discover. Somedays I choose wisely, the hours are my lovers and I am heartened. The rest of the time, I forgive myself and try to smile. I am going to die. But I'm also going to live for awhile.
OK, I should probably rein it in a bit now. This is an announcement list after all, so I should announce things. (Other than, I am going to...) But I'm addicted to giving you the best that I know how. I polish this string of five and dime pearls until they shine, get my courage up, walk across the playground and hand them to you, hoping for the best.
Maybe this is how my father felt after pouring his heart out in the pulpit like a bottle of perfume to the little church full of coal-miners in Fairpoint, Ohio. He steps back after the benediction like a blind man who has seen the face of God and lived, his soul raw and trembling but somehow strangely quieted and at rest. The sanctuary is still as a tomb. Somebody walks forward, turns around, and says, Are there any announcements?
Bubbles had a seizure again last Tuesday. The youth will roast wieners before the softball game. The women's sewing circle is having a potluck.
I'll ease into it.
Starting with a few books... On Michael Wilson's recommendation, I picked Oscar Wilde's De Profundis off the shelf. I had been having trouble falling asleep after the tour ended. Wrong book to pick up before bedtime. I read until 5am, mouth agape. It has entered my short list of Most Important Books I Have Known. A rending document of utter loss and redemption. "Pleasure for the beautiful body, suffering for the beautiful soul..." Highly recommended. Am finishing Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Looking forward to hearing her speak at the writers' festival at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan next week. I expect to smile a lot. (Karin finished Travelling Mercies and praises it often.) (Karin and I will be performing after Anne's talk.) Also looking forward happily to seeing Maya Angelou perform again. There is no other word for what she does. She's a one-woman greatest show on earth.
Karin and I arrived home safely after sitting in again with Cowboy Junkies on their Winter Waltz, and doing more recording with them in Toronto. The daffodils are in bloom here in Ohio, although the weather has turned chilly. We managed to steal time to perform as Over the Rhine quite often while we were on the road. (Thanks to those of you who were able to look us up.) We enjoyed our trip to Seattle and Spokane, and loved playing in all those record stores here and there, little living room concerts.
And overtherhine.com has sprouted just in time for Spring. It has been fun watching this garden grow. We anticipate adding to it significantly, but it's a good point of departure for what we envision. Stop by. We welcome your feedback.
This summer, my old roommate from college will be working with me to transcribe many of the Over the Rhine songs that have become your friends in recent years. We will be developing a library of music which will be freely available at overtherhine.com. Those so inclined, will be able to print out copies of this new music and accompany themselves at a piano, or flesh out the songs with an acoustic guitar on the tailgate of a pickup truck out West. We've received hundreds of requests for printed music for songs like Rhapsodie, Little Genius, Paul and Virginia, Latter Days, Poughkeepsie, Weak In the Knees Across the Sky, Moth, June etc. We are finally getting around to addressing this need.
There's also a blank canvas alongside each recording at overtherhine.com where we invite listeners like you to submit your reviews of songs and albums. It often occurs to us that in the letters we receive, our music is discussed more intelligently and in-depth than it sometimes is when professionals review the recordings. If a song has made a deep impression on you, or you feel one recording stands out as the definitive OtR work to date, please take some time to share your thoughts and impressions. We feel our listeners' insights will be of interest to many. Including us. We've received a few submissions and are anticipating many more. Help us tell the story. Remember, the people here are not shy.
There's also a little out of the way place at overtherhine.com called Over the Radio. In this room there is a list of the radio stations currently playing the Virgin/Backporch re-release of Good Dog Bad Dog. Tune in and roll down the car window. Spring is coming. Most of the Backporch campaign has focused on college radio so far, but this will be broadening in coming weeks. If your favorite station isn't listed, consider giving them a call. Or e-mail us and we'll have Virgin follow up.
We've been fairly pleased with Virgin/Backporch so far. They recently surprised us by announcing the impending release of a compilation which contains All I Need is Everything. Other contributors include Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Crowded House, Cowboy Junkies--Hello! You can go to the site for more info which will be posted soon. Starbucks licensed several songs for in-store air-play and people have been commenting on hearing Over the Rhine while they contemplate the day's caffeine rush. And the release date for the new Over the Rhine recording has been set: September 12, 2000. The days promise to be quite full, and we may not be able to be in touch as often as we would like, so if you want to keep your finger on our pulse, overtherhine.com will be the place.
Finally, the most practical reason the website exists is to let you know when we can be together. When dates are confirmed we forward them to our webmaster and they magically appear the next morning. One date that was confirmed this morning may merit a special invitation.
Over the Rhine will be taping another segment for CBS This Morning (now called The Early Show) on April 5th in Manhattan. CBS would like to invite an audience to be a part of the performance this time, and if weather permits, we are going to play outdoors around noon in a courtyard/plaza that holds about 150 people. (There is no charge to be part of the audience.) We'll post more details on the site as they become available. Join us if you can for this foray into television sets around the country.
More importantly perhaps, that same evening, (Wednesday, April 5th), Over the Rhine will be performing at a small off-Broadway theater in New York City called The Lambs Theater, at 130 West 44th Street between 6th and Broadway. ("The Lamb Goes Down Easy on Broadway.") Doors 7:30pm, Show 8:00pm, Tickets $15 at the door. (General Admission, all ages welcome.)
Karin and I have increasingly been contemplating living for a time in New York City. It is a city which you can positively become drunk on. You lift the glass, the wine runs red out of the corners of your mouth and down your neck and there is laughter.
We have learned to open our arms to the palpable energy of this place. We walk into the Met and everything changes. The subway pulls into Grand Central Station and something dies and is born again that we can't put into words. These waves of beautiful people pouring down Park Avenue--the city is being washed clean by the broken and renewed dreams of the many who are called here, and the few who are chosen. And we are adrift in this tide of humanity, unmoored and reeling. We are Americans in New York. And we dream of playing in this city more often.
Kiss an April day full on the mouth and join us in America's greatest city for an evening of music which promises a voice in full-bloom, earthy music crying out for roots in this weedy, overgrown world we love with our lives. (Some of us are born better lovers than others. Some of us long to be reborn so that we can love better.)
I think that's about it. There's a Weimaraner waiting for her run.
I long to hear these words sung, flung at the sky by a real set of lungs. I hope to see you.
In the meanwhile, live a little.
Still skinny as sin,
Linford
P.S. As I write this, nearing the end, I receive two phone calls, one from our office, one from Ric Hordinski. A friend of ours, Gene Eugene (Andrusco), died unexpectedly in his sleep. (He couldn't have been much older than I am, I think to myself.) I don't know what to make of this sad news. Gene fronted his own band, Adam Again, which was never widely recognized in the world at large. I saw people dance to this band after midnight who were so lost in the music that they couldn't have told you their own names, tears of joy stinging their eyes. Gene recorded and mixed a handful of Over the Rhine songs on eve: Should, Sleep Baby Jane, Birds, June, Bothered.
Gene, we only know that we must follow sooner or later. Thank you for the gifts you gave us. The Cuyahoga River on fire...
Farewell for now.
y
March 23, 2000
Hello again already,
We realized after our office dispatched my letter yesterday that the paragraphs were butchered en route leaving a rag tag trail of words a mile long that looked as if they'd been drug along the bottom of the Ohio River all night by someone trolling for catfish. Now if you're like me, you hate this with a pure and bitter hatred. Please rest assured that we will do everything in our power to make sure this never happens again. I don't blame you if you abandoned the affair a few lines in and moved on with your life.
The good news is, these letters are now archived at overtherhine.com. You can go to the site and read a clean version if you so desire.
When somebody asked if there were any announcements, I forgot to mention a few important bits of information.
After six years downtown on Court Street, our offices have moved. Please make a note of this new contact information:
New address:
Over the Rhine
Post Office Box 12078
Cincinnati, Ohio 45212
New phone: 513.731.6837 (731-OVER)
New fax: 513.731.9668
The e-mail address remains OtRhine@aol.com
And again, our new website is overtherhine.com
Karin and I are playing a little syndicated radio show this coming Monday, March 27, in Lexington, KY. The "live" audience tickets are sold out, but there is a live webcast at woodsongs.com that will begin around 6:45pm EST. I'm told that an interview and whatever tune we play for an encore will be available at kentucky.com following the performance. We will also perform in Lexington on Monday on WKYT TV (CBS), on a program that airs at noon. And on radio station WRVG at 3pm. Kentuckians will say, Ok, Ok, that's enough now. Go on back to Ohio.
And the show that will be keeping us up at night:
Over the Rhine in concert in New York City at The Lamb's Theater, 130 West 44th Street between 6th and Broadway. ("The Lamb Goes Down Easy on Broadway.") Doors 7:30 pm, Show 8 pm, Tickets $15 at the door. (General Admission, all ages welcome.)
overtherhine.com for more info...
Thanks for listening.
Bon courage,
Linford Detweiler
March 28, 2000
Hello again,
Just a quick note to invite you once again to join Over the Rhine on April 5th in New York City for a full day of music, dizzy heights and who knows what all. For those of you who would like to be part of the studio audience for Over the Rhine's performance on CBS This Morning (The Early Show), here are the details.
Admission is free and all ages are welcome. ***Please RSVP by e-mailing your name(s) to CBSEarlyshowaudience@yahoo.com to let them know you are planning to be there to see Over the Rhine perform. Direct your note to Steven Kimbrough. (We will be giving away Good Dog Bad Dog posters to all who attend, plus other treats courtesy of Virgin Records and The Imaginary Apple Orchard.) Come to the CBS Building just South of Central Park at the corner of 5th Avenue and 59th Street. (767 5th Avenue.) Ask for Alexandra or Steve. If weather permits, we'll be performing outdoors in a courtyard. ***Be there at 10:30am.
We don't watch a whole lot of TV so it'd sure be nice to see some familiar faces nearby. If we're going to crawl into television sets around the country, we would just as soon you got down on all fours with us. (Wag tail here.) Good dog.
And the concert that makes us grin from time to time: that same evening, (Wednesday, April 5th), Over the Rhine will be performing at a small off-Broadway theater in New York City called The Lambs Theater, at 130 West 44th Street between 6th and Broadway. ("The Lamb Goes Down Easy on Broadway.") Doors 7:30pm, Show 8:00pm, Tickets $15 at the door. (General Admission, all ages welcome.)
We're curious to see if the big apple can make room for the Imaginary Apple Orchard. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, it might be road-trip time.
Until then,
Paul and Virginia
Over the Rhine - Press Release
Coney Island Moonlight Gardens Concert
Cincinnati, Ohio
Friday, September 15, 2000
Doors open @ 7pm, Showtime @ 8pm
With Special guests Ticklepenny Corner and Brownhouse
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster locations...
Virgin/Backporch recording artists Over the Rhine will be taking a break from putting the finishing touches on their new album long enough to perform a hometown concert at historic Coney Island's Moonlight Gardens this Friday, September 15, 2000. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 day of show, and available through Ticketmaster outlets.
Over the Rhine's new album, Films for Radio, will be released early next year on Virgin's Backporch label. The band is describing the record as pop music ala Over the Rhine, and promises it will feature the band's curious signature blend of joyful sadness, mysticism and sensuality, simplicity and unpredictability.
Over the Rhine will dip into the new batch of songs at Friday's concert, and trip through older recordings as well, putting new twists on songs that have been in the band's expanding repertoire for years.
In addition to finishing their own collection of new recordings in the year 2000, Over the Rhine launched their new website earlier this year at overtherhine.com. Every month, the site features a free, previously- unreleased MP3 recording, and also contains free permanent MP3 files of selected songs (which fans voted on and picked as definitive), from each of the seven existing full-length recordings. There are weekly quotes, weekly recommendations of books and films, weekly "specials", complete archives of lyrics, downloadable sheet music files, and additional "selected writings" of Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler. There are growing press archives, copies of old newsletters and numerous photos. The band recently hosted a short story contest (contestants finished a story that Linford Detweiler started) and received scores of entries from around the world. The company hosting the band's site has reported that overtherhine.com is one of their busiest domains, receiving in excess of 18,000 visitors a month. And the band stresses that the site is still evolving.
Starbucks has licensed an Over the Rhine track for an upcoming compilation which is to include contributions from Elvis Costello, Miles Davis and Jeff Buckley. Two films have licensed songs for upcoming soundtracks.
"Our music continues to quietly spread its wings and drift out of town," says Karin Bergquist. "We're not talking about airplanes trailing colorful banners, but the songs are persistently finding their way into good places."
The line-up Friday night will consist of a quintet featuring band leaders Karin Bergquist (vocals and guitar) and Linford Detweiler (keyboards and guitar), Jack Henderson on electric guitars and lapsteel, David LaBruyere on bass and Don Heffington on drums.
Ticklepenny Corner, an up-and-coming act from Wisconsin, and local teen sensations, Brownhouse, will open the concert.
"It's one of our favorite venues," says Linford Detweiler. "It's like a family reunion down by the river. And it's our last outdoor concert of the year which for us, sort of officially marks the end of summer."
Subject: Letter from Linford
Hello from the attic,
These gray November days bathe everything in gray: my thoughts, my dreams, my world. I was talking to a friend on Thanksgiving morning after running five miles (Jim Wilson) who said he was going to try to write eight good songs by Christmas (and he was hopeful), but the hard part was finding the words. His daughter Leah told him, Writing is easy, Dad. Just close your eyes and write what you see.
Is this what I have tried to do for the last ten years? Close my eyes and write what I see? There is a line in the first song on Over the Rhine's new feature-length album (Films For Radio) that reads, Roll the movie of my life inside of my head.
Maybe these internal worlds, these arguments won and lost on the inside without uttering a word, the vast impressionistic terrains and uncharted waters out of which epiphanies sometimes surprise us by leaping into focus, the shadowy corners of inside rooms where rays of light occasionally and unpredictably illuminate parts of us we had no idea existed--maybe these fertile places that contain everything we've witnessed, participated in, felt, longed for, are what we hope to uncover and rediscover when we close our eyes and pick up a pen.
(How are you? I'm fine.)
And now the mist is becoming the lightest rain, holy water sprinkled by infinite fingers above the rooftops, slicking the patient dark trees. A breeze is taking the hands of the pines gently, asking them to dance for no reason, swaying them one way or another just because.
Well, we leaned into the harness this Fall and harvested a garden of you, our faithful few: the few, the many who have supported us so generously over the last years through thick and thin.
We have a new record finished, but we have a major label now, so there is always the chance that someone important at the label will hear the record, like it more than they expected, and want to invest more into it, in which case, we'll open it back up and play around some more, something that is not exactly a chore, but sometimes the hardest part about painting is knowing when you've made your last stroke.
Plan "A" is for the record to be released February 27, 2001. We'll let you know if that changes.
You have been so patient through all of this. I hope you feel it's worth the wait. We've tried some new things on this record, done some things the way we always have, tried to surprise ourselves and even Jesus a few times. I'm pretty happy with the collection of songs, I think, which I noticed the other day were pretty much all written in the first person.
There are songs by Karin. Songs by me. Songs by me and Karin. We even covered a song that sort of came out of nowhere at us that was written by Dido Armstrong. The chorus says simply:
Give me strength to find the road that's lost in me.
Give me time to heal and build myself a dream.
Give me eyes to see the world surrounding me.
Give me strength to be
only me.
We found it strangely close to home and rather spontaneously decided to include it in this new collection. I guess I sort of see the song as a prayer of sorts, and it fit nicely right after "I Radio Heaven". (Not to mention cross-pollinating with other bits of lyrics on the record: I don't know who else to be, more and more I'm secretly just me.)
I've been asking myself what the themes of the record are and I'm not completely sure yet. There seem to be several, but one running theme seems to be about the surprising difficulties involved in telling the truth to ourselves and others. (Just thinkin' outloud.)
Well, I better get to the other newsy bits and move along with my day. It would seem that prime time television is starting to discover Karin's voice. A significant portion of "Latter Days" was recently included in an episode of Felicity, and "Give Me Strength" was featured on a rather intriguing episode of NBC'S Third Watch last Monday evening. Both have generated an uncommon amount of e-mail etc., which begs the question, what would happen if more people actually got a chance to hear Karin sing?
There was a very fine compilation album that Hear Music put together that is available at Starbucks which includes tracks by David Grey, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Morcheeba, Bruce Cockburn et al, as well as "All I Need is Everything" from Good Dog Bad Dog. (GDBD continues to surprise us with its ability to venture out into the world with just a suitcase full of simple recordings. To make friends, and post us interesting letters. Again, we thank you for taking such good care of this music.)
Finally, we certainly hope we will have the chance to be together in the coming weeks. We're piling onto the bus this Tuesday night and heading west for Minneapolis. Our tour starts Wednesday and ends in NYC on December 21st (with a few breaks). Bundle up some friends and come spend an evening inside out of the cold. We're playing some of our favorite little rooms in all of the USA. The music will be so close, you'll be able to reach out and fill your pockets with dripping handfuls of it. We have no idea what to expect, even after all these years. That's the beauty of all this I guess. (The world can wait.)
You can go to overtherhine.com for complete concert listings, ticket info etc. Hope to see you.
And finally, "The Homecoming Show". (An extended evening of music. And maybe a few rabbit trails.)
Every December we try to put together a special show in our hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. This year promises to be one of our favorite evenings of music in a long, long time. Critically-acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith is joining us at the Taft Theater on Saturday, December 9th. If you haven't heard Ron's three records, the eponymous debut, followed by "Other Songs", and then "Whereabouts", you missed three of the most beautiful recordings of the last decade. Simply put, Ron is one of the most gifted songwriters making music today.
And as if getting one of our favorite songwriters of all time on the bill wasn't enough of a coup, Texas pop phenomenon Sixpence None the Richer is rounding out the proceedings this year with their melodic, irresistible armload of songs and melancholy musings. We watched in amazement as Sixpence did the impossible over the course of the last few years, namely, conquering pop radio, VH-1 and late night television (not to mention airwaves all over the UK, Europe and Japan) on an independent label and on their own terms. Help us spread the word, gather some friends together, pile in the car and join us just a stone's throw from the Ohio river for a warm evening of musical communion and a few surprises. We'll be looking for you.
Special note: we'll be taping Over the Rhine's portion of the show for re-broadcast on several radio stations, and much of the evening's proceedings could end up on a "live" cd or ep. Hope you can enjoy with us this little chapter in the band's ongoing history. Road Trips-R-Us.
Well, I guess I'll sign off and get back to working on those liner notes.
Still trying to create spaces where good things can happen,
your apple cart kid,
Linford Detweiler
The short version (more info at overtherhine.com):
(Don't ask me why, but it's our favorite time of the year to tour):
*Wednesday, November 29, Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, MN
*Thursday, November 30, The Busted Lift (webcast), Dubuque, IA
*Friday, December 1, Pres House, Madison, WI
*Saturday, December 2, Schubas, Chicago, IL, Two shows
*Sunday, December 3, Miramar Theater, Milwaukee, WI
(We've never played this venue in Milwaukee, but by all reports it's a very nice little theater in the round. Up-and-coming Ticklepenny Corner will be joining us. Higly recommended.)
*Friday, December 8, Duncan Hall, Lafayette, IN
*Saturday, December 9, Taft Theater, Cincinnati, OH
(Our homecoming concert with Sixpence None the Richer and Ron Sexsmith. Be part of our "live" audience--the show is being taped.)
*Wednesday, December 13, Lil' Brothers, Columbus, OH
(w/Ashley Peacock. Ashley sent us a cover of Etcetera Whatever that absolutely knocked me out. Looking forward to hearing him "live" for the first time!)
*Thursday, December 14, Symposium, Cleveland, OH (w/Ashley Peacock)
*Friday, December 15, Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA, Two shows
*Saturday, December 16, The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI (w/Ashley Peacock)
*Wednesday, December 20, Rosebud, Pittsburgh, PA
*Thursday, December 21, Makor, NYC
(Almost all shows have special guests--I only mentioned a few...)
If you would be willing to put up posters to help promote the above shows, please contact Stacie BeBout at otrhine@aol.com...
Over the Rhine's new feature-length album in fine record stores everywhere February 27, 2001.
November 28, 2000
Give Me Strength
Hello to all of you who have been asking where you can find a recording of Karin's performance of the song "Give Me Strength" as featured on NBC's Third Watch. (We've been deluged with inquiries.) We have good news and bad news. The bad news is the song has not yet been released. (Patience.) The good news is that "Give Me Strength" will appear on Over the Rhine's new feature-length album, Films For Radio, due to be released nationwide on Virgin/Backporch, February 27, 2001. Stay tuned. And more good news: Karin's voice is yours to spin and unravel on any of the seven Over the Rhine albums already in existence. It is a voice that has been described as "mildly smokey with sweet, warm undertones--and just a hint of the sea. Robust and succulent. Fulfilling and unforgettable. Made in tiny quantities, it is esteemed and savoured around the world by a fortunate few." (Who writes this stuff?) More succinctly, someone once said that the music of Over the Rhine makes sad people happy, and vice versa. Glad you found us. Hope to meet you one day soon.
The World Can Wait, 2000 Dates
You'll find six musicians breathing together with eyes mostly closed, hoping for something that is hard to put into words. You'll meet our vicar, Dave Nixon, a gifted writer who is traveling with us and looking after the Imaginary Apple Orchard Boutique on this tour. There'll be scarred, battered suitcases full of scrappy notes and sketch books and thick socks piled in corners of rooms next to tiny candlelit stages... A huge tour bus parked illegally in the alley out back... Girls with scarves and mittens and red cheeks tilting back mugs full of coffee. Boys with poetry and beer hullaballooing their broken hallelujahs into the late night, making ghosts with their breath, embarrassing themselves and grinning. It wouldn't be the same without you. Hope to see your faces once again. The world can wait.
The Homecoming Show
(An extended evening of music. And maybe a few rabbit trails.) Every December we try to put together a special show in our hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. This year promises to be one of our favorite evenings of music in a long, long time. Critically-acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith is joining us at the Taft Theater on Saturday, December 9th. If you haven't heard Ron's three records, the eponymous debut, followed by "Other Songs", and then "Whereabouts", you missed three of the most beautiful recordings of the last decade. Simply put, Ron is one of the most gifted songwriters making music today.
And as if getting one of our favorite songwriters of all time on the bill wasn't enough of a coup, Texas pop phenomenon Sixpence None the Richer is rounding out the proceedings this year with their melodic, irresistible armload of songs and melancholy musings. We watched in amazement as Sixpence did the impossible over the course of the last few years, namely, conquering pop radio, VH-1 and late night television, (not to mention airwaves all over the UK, Europe and Japan) on an independent label and on their own terms. Spread the word, gather some friends together, pile in the car and join us just a stone's throw from the Ohio river for a warm evening of musical communion and a few surprises. We'll be looking for you.