LOCATION: Wheaton University, Wheaton, IL

LINEUP: Karin, Linford, Jack, Chris Donohue, Dale Baker

REVIEW BY: David Deusner, Esther Stiff

I will start by saying that the band appeared more at ease than ever before.
Of course, this was a good thing. They certainly seemed to be having more
fun, less boundaries and less ideology of "how" they were supposed to
perform was apparent in the level of brevity that Karin allowed herself to
exude.  I think we can all agree that she said more at this concert than
perhaps all her past efforts combined. Linford was left in the comic dust...
But here is my contention: that the band's lackadaisical attitude was a
front, a cover, a façade designed, unconsciously I am hoping, to cover up
the huge misappropriation of time the band apparently allocated for
rehearsals. I remember the drill similarly in my high school days. If I was
unprepared for an exam or something, I would feign comic genius in hopes
that I could mask my ineptitude at that moment. And don't tell me I am the
only one who noticed what I am talking about. Need I say more than to point
out that the one single (GMS) from the album, the one single that might have
brought out new fans of OTR was performed acoustic!? And a slighter than
average performance it was! Of course, Karen's vocals could be sweet and
captivating in a concentration camp, but we should, and I certainly do,
expect more from the band than turning the single into a  watered down
version because they could not figure out how to reproduce the sound outside
of the studio! And perhaps the argument could be made that the non-alcoholic
nature of the show was a factor: Jack is certainly much cooler looking with
a Jack and Coke than a coffee mug! No matter: all the brevity in the world
could not make the world wait last night. OTR just didn't have it together.
And that is what troubles me. It's not this show was a last minute addition
to the front end of a tour: they had time to prepare. And last night's show
certainly showed that something in that prepatory phase was sorely lacking.
Having gotten the sting out, there are a few efforts last night that deserve
mentioning as sticking out from the rest of the performance. Namely, when
Karin sauntered  into the hymn section of "Little Blue River", I would swear
peace could be attainable in that stretch of time. Legions would hear her
call and become intoxicated, and sign on to whatever we said! But the most
striking moment of the night was certainly the seemingly off-the-cuff
version of "The Body." At that point, the true OTR emerged, albeit too late
in the evening. So actually perhaps the show can best be described as two
separate and distinct shows: the set list up to "The Body" and the set list
afterwards. The familiar showmanship came out- slurred vocals, expert
musicianship, divine ability, and most importantly- after last night's
subparr first half performance- a song list that was prepared in advance of
the show itself.  So maybe we can chalk last night up to a learning session
for all interested parties. For me, it could possibly be that I should learn
 that not every show will be the trademark OTR and their trade dress that is
so fine and captivating. But just as important, maybe the band themselves
will have learned something from last night: namely, that we are a
discriminating bunch, and they are held to a high standard, both of which
they held in slight contempt by the lack of preparation that was apparent in
last night's performance.
I realize this will not float well with many of you. But please be nice.

i too was at the concert. however, *i* found myself blown away by the
splendour of the performance. i saw no hint of a possible lack of
preparation. call me biased. perhaps i was too entranced by karin's vocals,
which struck me as a veritable repast set before my ears. needless to say,
the other band members/performers were no less astonishing at their craft
that friday night. i was not there to judge and discriminate; i was there to
watch my favorite band do what they love doing, and do it *well*. maybe
wheaton needs to stop being so perfectionist, and enjoy a performance for
what it's worth. discriminating doesn't mean we discriminate *against*.
btw, what's wrong with jack drinking coffee? maybe he *felt* like coffee.
who are we to tell? in any case, i hardly think it's worth nit-picking
about.
the songs, i felt, were brilliant. i've had 'if nothing else' stuck in my
head ever since the concert. 'little blue river' is rapidly becoming my
favorite FfR song. 'latter days' was stunning. all you need to do is close
your eyes and enjoy. my fellow rhinelander next to me at the concert agreed,
saying 'latter days' seldom fails to bring tears to his eyes. i would love
to see a live version of it on an mp3 rarity sometime.

Return to the Over the Rhine History Page