over the rhine - "ohio: in concert" @ the national city pavilion/cincinnati (05.24.2008)

ok, i'm a little late getting to this one...

i realized that never posted anything about OtR's - “ohio: in concert” show, i started (and stopped) writing it several times, it was too good of an evening not to publically comment on. at first, just afterwards, it was a bit too overwhelming to try to put into words, then I traveled to atlanta the following weekend to spend some time with my family and to catch their show at the variety playhouse. then it just kind of got away from me.

so, here goes...on the day of the show, the inaugural show at the national city pavilion, i arrived around 2:00 for soundcheck, a lot was going on; juicy, mike and nick were doing the final audio and stage set up, mickey was finishing setting up his drum kit. i wandered around and got to spend a little time w/karin and linford and chat some with jake and (OtR's manager) glen. everyone was in a great mood looking forward to what was ahead, all was right with the world. there was still an amazing amount of finishing work going on around the venue. i saw full-grown trees planted in a matter of minutes, two huge video screens placed and hung and seats numbers placed on several hundred seats. not to mention a kid getting stuck on a roller coaster @ coney island and taken off the ride by a ladder truck from the anderson township fire department. interesting afternoon. and oh yeah…there was sound check too.

i walked around and shot during the very loose sound check. karin and linford had brought on a couple of extra players to fill in the sound for the show and to more replicate the sound of the album. kenny hutson (a former bandmate of jake’s from the vigilantes of love) joined in on guitar and pedal steel and nick radina (of the cincinnati band, tropicoso), a familiar face from doing tour management and monitors on several previous OtR tours, on percussion, and they were a perfect fit, a great compliment to the sound. i always enjoy hearing the music flush out and come together during the final minutes before a show and i appreciate the opportunity to be there.

the show kicked off just a few minutes after after the scheduled 8:00 pm time with karin walking out on the stage solo, quietly sitting down at the piano and launching into the opening notes of "B.P.D." seconds later, the rest of the band casually strolled and picked up their instruments and joined in. and we were off.

the show was split into two sets, "disc one” and “disc two” (if you aren’t aware by now, they were playing their acclaimed album “ohio” in full, in sequence) and "B.P.D." was the perfect rousing, wailing starting point to the evening. the other “disc one” highlights for me: “what i remember most,” the always beautiful “anything at all” (dedicated to cincinnati's legendary bluegrass diva and good friend of karin, miss katie laur), followed by the rarely played “professional daydreamer,” the fun and sexy (a "make out song," as karin intro'ed it)“lifelong fling” and the apocalyptic hymm and always moving & powerful “changes come,” which karin dedicated to “all of those we remember on memorial day.”

time to take a break and flip sides…

after an OtR first, a clothing change mid-show by karin…and as the crowd strolled back in to the opening notes of “long lost brother,” we were off and running with side two. next was the touching and beautiful yet pained “she,” the rollicking “white girl rap” of “nobody number one,” followed by “cruel & pretty,” which i love and is always a treat to hear. things then slowed down with a heartfelt explaination by karin of writing the next song 5 years ago as war broke out in iraq and how hard it was to believe that 5 years later, while playing “remind us” again that we are still fighting this war. “a wing and a prayer” indeed. during the closing moments of the song, there was an erie sound of fireworks going off in the distance, almost sounding like gunfire.

now we’re gettin’ political and topical and next was one of my favorites, a wailing version of “how long have you been stoned” was dedicated to “the current administration” to a smattering of boos (the show was in the very "red" state of “ohio” afterall). the song closed with an extended, almost tribal drumbeat provided by mickey and nick. a very nice touch. next was the rarely (if ever) played “when you say love,” the torch song/ballad “fool,” the norwood inspired “hometown boy,” vocally always one of karin’s best and then they closed it out the "official" set with the lovely “bothered” and the out-and-out gospel and hopeful words of “idea #21/it’s not too late” with just karin, linford and jake on stage. a very different from the full choir version on the record, but equally as beautiful and moving. and everyone in the place was smiling and standing as they left the stage.

after a short break the encore and surprises kicked in to high gear, with everyone back on stage, a heavy drumbeat and bass line kicked in, then the ironic and tongue-in-cheek words “i went back to ohio” rolled out of karin’s mouth with a half sneer/half smile, the perfect surprise, the perfect song to follow their 2 disc classic tribute to their home state. and they had a blast with it. simply “my city was gone” by cleveland’s “the pretenders” rocked! after the applause died down, there was a request (command?) of “hit it kenny” from karin and we got the tease of the heavy guitar opening riff from “CSN&Y’s” “ohio” (tin soldier’s and nixon’s comin’, we're finally on our own, this summer i hear the drummin', four dead in ohio) before the song transformed into an out and out rockin’ version of gillian welch’s “miss ohio.” "oh-me-oh-my-o, miss ohio" was sure having some fun up there tonight.

and to close out the evening, in this political season, they said goodnight to all with their timely “bi-partisan initiative”…”if a song could be president,” with the “underachiever in chief” line even getting applause…in freakin’ ohio!

it was a fantastic night, hearing many of the songs that had been out of the rotation for a while was like welcoming old friends again and hearing professional daydreamer, when you say love and idea #21 for the first time in concert was wonderful.

the evening ended with smiles, good conversation and hugs at a short after party, then a short stop off for a drink with friend’s @ lebo’s down the street. my only regret of the evening, unfortunately, missing what would have been the undisputed cap on the night…bruce’s soaring karaoke rendition of “sweet caroline.”

soundcheck


the line-up:
karin bergquist - vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards
linford detweiler - keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass
jake bradley - bass, electric guitar
mickey grimm - drum kit
guests:
kenny hutson - electric guitar, lap steel guitar
nicolas radina - percussion