LOCATION: Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH

LINEUP: Karin, Linford, Jack, Justin Cary, Dale Baker

REVIEW BY: Sarah G., Faith Hopler

After ditching the idea of the Blue Jordan festival
($10? - I'm cheap right now) I seemed to remember the
little shin-dig going on at Xavier University with our
favorite people that was free and outside [what a
beautiful day!]

Oooohhh the lovely Cintas Center!  I walked in and saw
Dale loitering the hallway.  I tried my best to stir
up some semi-cool, I wish I was a rockstar type chat,
and I see Justin Cary [bassist for Sixpence] walk by.
Of course I say something and Dale explains that
Justin is going to be filling in on bass for the band.
 Groovy.... let the show begin.

Right before the band took the stage, there was this
Xavier improv comedy act going on.  They drew a big
crowd, but my favorite part was Linford sitting up on
stage, just kind of observing the whole scene.

A few sound checks, and a few lights [mostly to keep
Karin warm] and we were off...

set list:

World Can Wait
If Nothing Else
All I Need is E
Anyway
I Radio Heaven
Little Blue River
Birds
Moth
Sleep Baby Jane
Latter Days [on the list, but they skipped this one]
Faithfully Dangerous
Fever
Goodbye


No encores :(

Karin was wearing black pants, with famous belt,
leather jacket and some kind of warm snuggly [purple
maybe] scarf.  Though they spoke of not having their
usual sound/technical people there, things went
smoothly.

 tidbits...

1. shivers when Karin strongly belted out Sleep Baby
Jane. I just  had one of those 'that voice is amazing'
moments, or it could have been the slightly cold
weather.

2.  observing Karin's half bending over while singing
a lot, maybe I haven't paid attention lately, but
where did that come from?

3.  I still like the older way they performed Goodbye,
though the false ending is there, it's not AS powerful
as I seem to remember

4.  Justin seemed to do well for his first time with
the band, filling in for Chris. Dale is just having
fun up there.  I'm not a drummer, but it was cool when
he was drumming with two sticks in one hand, I think
it was during All I Need [I can't remember]

5.  Jack is so much a king of porn guitar....

Overall I was just excited about seeing some of the
new material with a full band.  I went through this
almost dry Over the Rhine period, I guess where their
shows didn't do much, and seemed boring to me.  This
new album has kind of revived my love for them again,
and I'm glad.

I was so excited to go down to the Xavier show, esp. as I can't go to the
Canal Street show cuz I am in a wedding the next day. But the Styuka show
was just IMHO everything OTR is all about... It was outside, the sun just
setting, with a cool night breeze and the stars coming out... My friend and
I had driven down from Columbus, and we were just tickled to get a front
row seat. We spread our blanket out right in front of the left bank of
speakers (my left ear is still a little tingly...). I won't repeat the set
list, although I have to say, what was UP with these Styuka people who
don't give OTR encores, esp. after Goodbye? Craziness. I mean hey, they let
that improv troupe go on forever... 

Anyway. The show was bliss. Then there was this perfect little girl in Mary
Janes and a jean jacket... couldn't have been more than two years old...
sitting on her mother's lap and staring rapt at Karin, munching an apple...
in the Imaginary Apple Orchard, no less... Then she would get up and dance
and twirl and at one point she came and sat right down in my lap, friendly
as could be, and took complete possession of the setlist I was writing
down. She made my night... (out of the mouth of them babies...) 

And the fact that Justin was playing bass!?! He takes the cake for the
bassist with the most entertaining facial expressions ever... I have more
and more respect for Karin and Linford... if you had asked me two years ago
who my favorite bands were, I would have promptly said, 6pence, Cowboy
Junkies, and Over the Rhine. Now they have all been successfully linked in
the persons of L&K. Quite delightful, from my point of view.  
And Jack was cooler than Elvis last night. 

There was something about the night air that made Karin's voice sound a
little different... sharper, less sultry, perhaps. But it was a good sound
(always is), the clean sound of music being released out into the night.
And my favorite song, If Nothing Else,just keeps getting favoriter, with
that edge of longing. It made me dance on my blanket. 

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