LOCATION: The Ironhorse Tavern, Boston, NY
LINEUP: Karin, Linford, Devon Ashley, Rick Plant
REVIEW BY:
keith from ny:
As many people here know, Over the Rhine and Hem are two of my very favorite bands. I had a ticket for the NYC concert Wednesday, which of course I really really wanted to see, but I ditched it because... well, because things are currently insane at the office and I had an important meeting early yesterday morning and then had to drive all the way up to Northampton after working a half day, and I figured I would just be too tired to enjoy the Iron Horse show if I went into NYC for it and arrived home after 1:00 AM. Plus I really don't much like the sound at NYSEC, where I saw Cowboy Junkies a couple of months ago. Had I known it was Rick's last show with OtR, however, I might have actually risked death by exhaustion to go wish him well down under.
So when I first got to the Iron Horse yesterday, I was a little disappointed to find out it would just be Karin & Linford and the core foursome of Hem on the stage. But that changed as soon as the music started. I arrived at the venue around 5 PM after battling my way through traffic in Waterbury and Hartford and checking into the Noho Best Western (my home away from home). There were three very congenial Hem fans from the area already in line at the door, and of course I told them how wonderful OtR is and a little about the earlier shows I had seen them do at the Iron Horse. After a short time we spotted Sally (Hem's lead singer) and said hello, and she recognized me from their Lincoln Center show and gave me a hug and talked to us for about 15 minutes. I can confirm that she is in fact pregnant and that she was very tired and about ready to stop touring for a while (they had been opening for Josh Ritter's recent tour before going on the road with OtR), although she said she really enjoyed touring with Over the Rhine. She couldn't get over what lovely people Karin and Linford are, which made me smile.
I saw Linford on his way in for sound check with his shades on and handed him a gift-wrapped bottle of Amarone. He flashed me that big grin of his and said thanks. Shortly thereafter I saw Karin going in and said hello, but I'm not sure she even realized who I was (although she did spot me and thanked me for her flowers after their set was over). Both of them appeared pretty fried, not surprising after bouncing like ping pong balls all over the Northeast the past week. As Karin said on stage, "We're really punch drunk, and it's just amazing you don't need to drink to feel this way!"
After getting inside I was accosted by the one & only Crazy Ed, who as usual had finagled his way inside and set up his gear during sound check, so we shared a booth on the balcony. Before long we were joined by Amy (aka gardener in the orchard) and her husband (whose name I'm sorry to say I've already forgotten again) from Nashua -- they had both been at Canal Street for two of the April '05 shows. The place was almost full by the time K&L went on stage at 7:00 (the show was sold out).
The show began with Linford spinning out his beautiful extended piano intro to Latter Days, and then Karin opened her mouth and wonderful things just started spilling out. It was all too short but as intense a set as I've ever seen them perform, highlighted by astonishing performances of Who Will Guard the Door and Etcetera Whatever. I think their state of near-exhaustion gave the show a real edge, and I give them a lot of credit for pouring everything they had left into it. The set list:
Latter Days
I Want You to Be My Love
Born
Who Will Guard the Door
On A Roll
Etcetera Whatever
Fever
I Don't Want to Waste Your Time
Trouble
Drunkard's Prayer
(encore)
Hush Now
Karin also displayed her amazing mastery of raccoon language at one point in the set.
K&L and their very tired crew were staying with friends in the area for the evening, so I said goodbye and wished them a safe trip home while they were loading out between sets.
After 25 minutes or so, the Hem quartet took the stage. I wasn't expecting to like the stripped-down configuration of the band so much, as they were 9 pieces and 14 pieces the two other times I've seen them and put every musician to very good use. But I was pleasantly surprised, and really enjoyed hearing the details in Steve's guitar and Dan's piano playing that sometimes get lost in the bigger arrangements. It was interesting to hear Gary play harmonica and foot-tambourine on several numbers to fill out the sound, and to hear Steve singing the harmony parts sung by Dawn Landes with the big band. Sally really sounded great too, and the set just got better as it went on. I was amazed at how much emotional power Hollow and Strays retained even with bare-bones arrangements.
The Golden Day Is Dying
Rainy Night in Georgia
Fire Thief
Lazy Eye
Stupid Mouth Shut
Reservoir
Leave Me Here
Hollow
Strays
Jackson
We'll Meet Along The Way [thanks, Christina!]
Old Adam
Sailor
Carry Me Home
Half Acre
(encore)
All That I'm Good For
Pacific Street
The new songs are really among their best I think, and I'm intensely looking forward to their third album when it comes out, reportedly in September. Christina (aka Hem's most dedicated fan), who had come from Boston for the show, got a dedication for All That I'm Good For.
After the set, I said hi to Christina then had Sally and the rest of the band sign my poster (thanks Bill!). Then Sally found out it was me who had sent her flowers before the show and I got my second hug of the evening from her. I told Dan I was the guy who recorded the Allen Room show, and he thanked me and said he was happy there was some kind of record of the evening.
I left the Iron Horse a very happy fan.