Get ready

Over the Rhine live album gives a taste of what’s in store for Bakertree

[another from the Bagpipe]

If there could be an annual Easter letter for a band, Over the Rhine has written it. But instead of pages, they’ve sent their fans Live From Nowhere, Volume Two, the sounds of the OtR year. Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler went from Ohio to the world’s concerts and studios, and they brought back these songs to show for it.
Besides having some of the coolest names in show business today, Karin and Linford are married and make good music. No matter what style suits you, you will admit that these people know their art.

They come from Over the Rhine, a multicultural neighborhood in Cincinnati, from a house they call the Grey Ghost. It is full of Linford’s collections, including books, birds’ nests and at least 6 vintage organs. No doubt it’s also full of Karin’s voice, of which Sarah McLachlan says she’s an admirer.

Their sense of home is reflected in their sometimes bluegrass, sometimes gypsy, most times jazzy sound. Linford collects and writes; Karin sings; it’s a beautiful marriage.

Live From Nowhere Two captures the rhythm and spark of live performances and fresh studio cuts. It’s obviously buoyed along by the energy of the crowd, but without the harsh underproduction and the intra-show chatter that accompanies many live albums.
Over the Rhine plays their jazz card pretty hard, as Karen’s brassy, flexible voice moves through the songs. We get the privilege of hearing Karin’s speaking voice just once on the album. Her prose is almost as powerful in its gentle prodding as her singing voice is in its audacity.

Their poetry is brilliant. “Jesus in New Orleans” tells the Gospel. Karin wails, “The last time I saw Jesus/ I was drinking bloody mary’s in the South…Ain’t it crazy/How we put to death the ones we need the most.” They sing about dying seeds and living fruit.

Over the Rhine walks a balance: at one moment, they’re having a frank conversation with you like you’re a good friend, but at the next you’re convinced that they hold secrets about God, love, and living that you can’t begin to unravel. And so if Live From Nowhere Two gives any notice, Covenant is in for a good show on April 14.

[Bakertree, Covenant's own all-day music festival, falls on April 14 this year. It will culminate in a performance by OtR at 7:30 on the chapel lawn. alas, I have to miss it this year. Otherwise, I would say that I'd shake your hand there, to the rich tones of Linford and Karin and their rumbling tumbling band].