LOCATION: The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
LINEUP: Karin, Linford, Jack, Chris Donohue
REVIEW BY: Burrill, Chris Loose
originally i had planned to arrive at the ark at 7:30, one hour before the
doors opened. but i looked outside and saw the sun shining and i decided to
be a little earlier. it seems that people are more willing to stand in a
line when the weather is meek. that's why i was hoping for rain, or
something like that.
so i got there at 7:00. i wasn't the first in line. but my spot was good
enough. i managed a front-row seat, which was what i wanted. right there in
front of karin. or as in front of karin as i could have been. had i been
directly in front of karin, i would have been sitting in the aisle.
the lineup:
linford
karin
jack
and chris donohue on basses of all sorts. well, a couple sorts. he did play
an upright.
the list:
when i go
and can it be
goodbye
anyway
if nothing else
faithfully dangerous
show me
green clouded swallow tail
i will remember
jacksie
rhapsodie
fairpoint diary
lucy
my love is a fever
circle of quiet
latter days
- --encore one--
all i need is everything
now i know
- --encore two--
poughkeepsie
when i go had only linford and karin, as did rhapsodie and fairpoint diary.
now i know and poughkeepsie had linford, karin, and jack. the other songs
had the full band. as full as it is now, anyway.
karin informed us that chris "plays a mean piano, too." she said they just
learned that. linford said that for a while he was afraid he was out of a
job.
there was a firefly flying around for a while. at one point i could have
captured it. eventually it landed on chris's hand. after that i don't know
where it went.
i really, really like fairpoint diary. and green clouded swallow tail.
though i must say i do prefer otr with percussion. but the upright bass was
nice. very nice. i wouldn't mind seeing more of that.
karin's toy piano playing was marvelous. ("are you ready for your big solo?"
linford asked her before the song.) i wish there had been more of it in the
show.
one of the encore songs (somebody help me; i can't remember which one!) was
dedicated to three people, one of whom was linford's brother myron (that is
his name, right? that's what i heard). it was his birthday. "he's here,"
said linford. then he asked, "the big 3-0?" from somewhere in the audience,
myron replied "2-9." karin commented that "only an older brother could do
that and get away with it." at that point jack chimed in. "he's older than
that?"
linford also mentioned his mother. she is turning seventy, she is taking
piano lessons, and she is seeing a therapist. "we have high hopes for her,"
he told us.
after the show i did get to talk to jay. and i met a lurker. i wanted to
ask linford why he hasn't played his accordion again, but he didn't appear.
oh well.
speaking of linford, on 01 september 2000 he will be appearing at the trinity
house theatre in livonia, mi. apparently just linford and his piano. the
people at trinity once told me they wanted to get him there. i guess they
succeeded.
Well, I wandered up to Livonia, Michigan to visit not too terribly long lost friend, one whom I haven't seen in two years, and as I traveled I realized my route took me right through Ann Arbor. I casually mentioned that there was a concert Sunday night a mere half hour from my friend Sally's home, and she immediately became determined that the concert was going to become part of our weekend itinerary, come hell or high water or a husband who isn't too too big on OtR. So, lo and behold, I ended up going to a lovely little concert in a lovely little theater in Ann Arbor, MI, a little city that looks like someone took an interesting section of Cincinnati and made a whole city of it. So, a few of stories for you: My friend Sally, who will welcome a little boy into the world in October, said that the whole concert her baby wiggled around happily to the music, stopping whenever Karin and Lindford spoke, and starting again when the music resumed. Partway into the second song, a small flashing caught my eye, which I dismissed, but when it repeated I turned my head to notice a firefly. The firefly wandered into the stage area, distracting Jack and soon causing Karin to laugh as she does. The firefly danced and drifted among the band for quite a few songs, which seemed fitting to me. A piece of twilight that drifted indoors to be part of the music that sometimes makes me think of dark fragrant summer evenings. Karin commented that in their 10 years of concerts, this was their first with a firefly, and then laughed as she said, "there should be two" since we were at The Ark. heh. Lindford's brother was there, and it was his 29th birthday, so during the first encore they did a quick happy b'day dedication to him. And Lindford made a quick claim that he was his twin brother, rather than younger. Lindford seemed to enjoy talking last night, telling a couple of the stories I'd heard him share at C-stone that went with new songs, and then one I hadn't regarding, oh gee, I think it was "I will remember." He talked about getting in his car and driving north, planning on driving until he collapsed, because a Canadian pianist has said that the inspiration was up there. He went 800 miles and ended up in WaWa, Ontario, where he didn't particularly find inspiration but did end up surrounded by 11 feet of snow. He said the song was really the only thing that came out of the trip.