| Over the Rhine | Everybody Has A Story... | Press Archive index
. . . Scene, Cleveland OH by Bill Hall OVER THE RHINE, WORLD IN A ROOM It's nice to watch a band get what it deserves. The hard work and dedication of the four members of IRS Records' Over the Rhine is paying off. The results of practicing, playing live, practicing, recording, looking for gigs etc. (practicing) are evidenced in added maturity onstage, standing-room-only crowds at their concerts and encouraging support by their label. Bassist/chief songwriter Linford Detweiler told me back in February that Miles Copeland was in no rush to hurry things along for OtR, but it's obvious that the company is supporting the band completely and scores of radio stations are playing the disc. Choosing a song from the new CD to open the show, OtR showed confidence in the new material, and there seemed to be instant recognition from many in the audience. "Within Without" was followed by "Eyes Wide Open" and "How Does It Feel," from their first and second CD's, respectively. The crowd responded well to the first single from the new disc, "Happy With Myself" which co-writer Karin Bergquist said she had been writing for 25 years, and to the next three songs all from Eve. In introducing "Sea and Sky" from their 'Til We Faces Album, Bergquist admitted that the band had fantasized for years about playing at Peabody's Down Under. The set included the unreleased "Last Night," a country flavored song that perhaps pays homage to their Southern Ohio locale, along with "And Can It Be," and "Conjectures Of A Guilty Bystander." The latter song could have been a tribute to early rock and roll in Cleveland, for it borrows heavily from Screamin' Jay Hawkins "I Put A Spell On You." The encore was one of the band's best songs, "Like A Radio," into which they folded the classic "Ain't No Sunshine." The performances of the band members were up to their usual lofty standards. With guitarist Ric Hordinski doing the work of two men, drummer Brian Kelley never missing a beat, Linford Detweiler providing the bottom end and Karin's unmistakable voice drawing the listeners in. The sound at the show was handled perfectly. The very impressive World In A Room put on a 50-minute opening set that will definitely get me to seek them out again. Lead singer Jason Kilbey-Smith's unique voice, and the perfect meshing of his acoustic guitar with Kevin Bang's electric combined to make a truly new sounding band. With two very fine bands playing good original music in a club with a great sound and efficient servers, the fans at Peabody's Friday night got another great Cleveland rock and roll experience. |