LOCATION: Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
LINEUP: Karin, Linford, Will Sayler, Paul Moak, Rick Plant
REVIEW BY: Bethany Keele
setlist was pretty similar to the one someone posted for Beachland Ballroom, except they played a second encore. I think it was Latter Days. At least, latter days was in there somewhere. I really didn't think they'd come out again, becuase changes come is such a good note to end it on, but I'm glad they did. As for the 5-peice lineup, it was fun to see OTR so rockin' for the first time. I rarely notice drummers, but I really think that Will's style added a lot. (And sorry to go all teenie-bopper on you, but does anyone else think he's rather attractive?) All in all, I think I prefer the toned-down acoustic lineup to full band. Partly because all the spectacle of Paul's playing drew my attention away from Linford's playing (which I love) and Karin's singing (which everyone loves). Paul's equipment though was sure fun and exciting. I went to the conversation beforehand, and a lot of the information I had already read in interviews or whatever, but some new things came up. Karin quipped that at one point she wanted to name the album Cruel and Pretty but didn't want people to think that it meant she was cruel and linford was pretty. Another interesting thing I didn't know was that having the "f-word" in "Changes Come" has already lost them money because some colleges who would have invited them to play decided not to becasue of it. Which, really, is a little silly. As Linford said, what's really daring is to sing lyrics like "Jesus come turn the world around take the whole thing down" in some club somewhere, which is what they do more often. My Dad shared some applicable beatles/lennon trivia. This was his first OTR show and I'm excited to talk to him about it, but I haven't had a chance yet, due to him leaving soon after and me being penned up in the theatre all day yesterday. So, the show was great. Stephen Delopelous didn't open after all, which was disapointing. Highlights for me were Cruel and Pretty, Changes Come, All I Need is Everything, Latter Days.