An autumn letter, and an invite to the farm Saturday, October 1, for some music in the barn loft. All the news that’s fit to sing.

Hello again,

Fall has arrived for real in Ohio. The sweet gum trees are blushing wine dark. The asters are blooming, the last flower of summer. The goldenrod that tamed our need is still ablaze. The blue jays announce themselves with their monosyllabic cries and are busy burying acorns across every inch of the farm as if all of our lives depended on it. The days are chilly enough now to stir up deep melancholy, longing, the restlessness of possibility, but also deep breaths of contentment.

Our hearts go out to those in Florida and the southeast now dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Ian. Life increasingly is about holding so many different feelings together —  gratitude, grief, helplessness, resolve, hope, loss, forgiveness, joy.

We are so fortunate that songs have always made room for all the above.

My mother likes to say, Fall is my favorite color. When I was young I used to say that October was our reward for living in Ohio. Is it a time of year when many of us seem to feel everything so deeply? Why is that?

This Saturday, October 1st, we are going to gather again on the farm and play some songs in the loft of the barn. For those of you who can join, we’ll have a bonfire going when you arrive (weather permitting). We’ll have some fresh apple cider from the local orchard to share, and other festive beverages too. We’ll share a fall evening in Ohio. Pack a picnic and a blanket if you wish. Bring a few comfortable lawn chairs. Gates open at 5pm. At 7pm we’ll move to cozy barn loft and start the music.

Karin and I had so much fun putting together a song cycle following this sequence: A song Karin wrote, a song Linford wrote, a song we wrote together. Repeat. There are quite a handful that turned up that we haven’t played in awhile. Feels like an unfolding musical conversation.

Feeling spontaneous? Like a little drive on the backroads? A road trip? A pilgrimage? A chilly autumn day in the midwest signed with your name? Hello, Ohio?

We hope you can join! (For those of you unable to be here in person, we are filming the concert. You can reserve a link that will be available approximately 48 hours after the show that allows unlimited viewing for a few weeks.)

You can read more details on all the impending opportunities to get together below.

Rivers and oceans,
Linford and Karin


Tickets for the following concerts are now on sale. Head to overtherhine.com and click on SHOWS for more details.

October 1, Nowhere Else, OH ~ The Barn: She Said, He Said, We Said
Gates open at 5pm, music starts at 7pm
(Another first: Karin and Linford will explore their still-evolving catalog and put together an evening of songs new and old in the following sequence: a song written exclusively by Karin, a song written exclusively by Linford, followed by a song we wrote together. As the cycle repeats, a musical —and hopefully revelatory— conversation will ensue.)

November 5, Nowhere Else, OH ~ The Barn: Entertaining Angels
Gates open at 5pm, music starts at 7pm
(Another first: Karin and Linford will go back through their extensive catalog and put together an evening of Over the Rhine songs in which angels appear. “I’ll just ride on the backs of the angels tonight,” “All these broken angels,” “We’ll sing till angels come carry you and all your cares.”
In the ancient stories we grew up with as children, an angel appearing would often be bearing a message that opened with the words, Don’t be afraid. What surprising words might they be bearing when they arrive in a song?)

December Christmas/Wintry Mix/Darkest Night Dates

December 2, Kent, OH ~ Kent Stage (One of our favorite theaters just up the road from where K&L met. She was only seventeen.)
December 3, Ann Arbor, MI ~ The Ark (Always a lively, memorable evening. One of America’s most storied listening rooms.)
December 4, Chicago, IL ~ Old Town School of Folk (Beautiful intimate theater in one of our great music cities. This is the school that John Prine sought out to take guitar lessons, way back when he was still delivering mail.)
December 6, Columbus, OH ~ Southern Theatre (Hello, Ohio, gorgeous, historic theater in the heart of it all.)
December 7, Philadelphia, PA ~ City Winery (Our debut at the City Winery Philadelphia. Join us for a civilized evening. Pour me a glass of wine, talk deep into the night… You’re my water, you’re my wine…)
December 8, Alexandria, VA ~ The Birchmere (Another listening room with a musical history of great songwriters a mile long. It’s been awhile since we played the Birchmere. Looking forward to our return.)
December 16, 17 & 18, Cincinnati, OH ~ Memorial Hall (This has become our current favorite Cincinnati venue, back in our old namesake neighborhood, right next to lovely Washington Park. Intimate and timeless room with great acoustics, Ohio’s mini-Ryman.)

There will be a few additional barn concerts before the year gets away. More info coming soon. Stay tuned at overtherhine.com for more.
And finally, we have some new (both vintage and recent) goodies/collectibles that are now available in the online store. Posters, cozy OtR hoodies for fall, vintage tees, lots of music. Head to the website and check out SHOP for more.

Return to the Over the Rhine History Page