LOCATION: Taft Theater, Cincinnati OH
LINEUP: Jack, Karin, Linford, Jeff, Terri, Dave, Dan Heffington
REVIEW BY: Various Listees
Good show!! Leo Kottke was very enjoyable. I liked his guitar playing. Noteables about the show: - -Yay! I got the nice white poster for my wall in my office. "21 Reasons to Pray for Snow"- or something like that... - -"Cast Me Away" into "And Can It Be"!!! That was the biggest surprise of the night. Terri even got a violin solo in ACIB... it was a great moment. - -Leo Kottke coming out to sing "Jack's Valentine." I thought it was fun. Better than Karin singing it... :) - -"Last Night"!! I couldn't believe it when I heard them play this!! - -Jacksie, My Love is a Fever, June, CoQ were the other pre-GDBD tunes - -This was also my first Xmas gig- so the DNOTY tunes were a first for me to hear live
i'll echo everyone else and say that last night was (my first OTR show) a fabulous performance and very moving. Dave L. was particularly fantastic on bass (being a part time bassist) since i've never heard him before... he really grooved nicely and was confident. i also very much enjoyed Don's (?) drumming.... what did everyone think of him? i heard mixed opinions over dinner after the show.. of course he's not Brian but each is different and better in different ways. and as for Terri... YOWWWWW! sorry. i've never actually seen her with much hair let alone in person. speaking of YOWWWWW.... how about Karin on My Love is a Fever... "settle down everyone".
breathless--that was my primary feeling throughout the night, although i think i went through the gamut of every possible emotion. (except maybe anger, but fred got angry about the ringing cell phone. =) ) the entire show was one running highlight for me, although the "old" songs that we haven't heard in awhile were particularly lovely. leo kottke is a delight! i'll never again hear "jack's valentine" without picturing him in his reading glasses... all of you listees who appeared were an even greater delight--make that a UGE delight! the vogel mojo was in full force, and you all clean up nicely. ;) mr. cow costume man, are you out there? if so, PLEASE tell us what, exactly, you gave to karin... diane who wrote the letter to linford--are you lurking somewhere? if so, PLEASE tell us if you really got married yesterday...
Do I get points for being the first to use the subject line "Last Night"? I was very pleasantly surprised by the show. The Taft was a nice replacement for the Emery, right down to the uncomfortable, impossible to sit in if you're 6'4" seats. After only knowing of Leo Kottke by reputation, it was nice to actually hear him play. There is no way that I would have guessed that I would be hearing "Last Night", "And Can It Be", and "My Love Is A Fever". The band seemed to be having a lot more fun than in the other shows I've seen this year. I'm one of the people disappointed by the new drummer. I got the vibe that he was just a hired gun, flown in for a couple shows who really wasn't all that familiar with the songs or interested in adding to them. I'm sure that if he is the permanent replacement, he'll grow into the band just fine, but last night, he just didn't fit.
The music was great and everyone on stage seemed very happy to be there. They all looked great. I did not have a good view of Linford because he was behind the piano and was twisting around from instrument to instrument so often. He was wearing a red shirt and black pants. Terri looked very nice she was holding a little court after the show with all the guys. JG you should have been there. However Drew made up for you by yelling "I love you Terri" in the middle of the concert so it was just like you were there almost except I had no one to share my food with after the concert. Karin looked very nice - her hair is cute but not one of my favorite styles. I really liked the skirt she was wearing. It was silver and changed colors as the light color changed. Jeff Bird looked pretty good and so did Jack. Dave and the drummer looked as though they just rolled out of bed but it really does not matter. At this point I am just babbling. The cow guy... interesting the next time I am at a concert I will ask him what is up with the cow costume I should have last night but was so shocked that I didn't. The music was awesome I just sat there in awe. It was beautiful and passionate. I love hearing June and Jacksie and And Can It Ever Be. Oh I also love Circle of Quiet and My Love is a Fever. It was so cool hearing Last Night live - okay I loved everything they played it was great! Well I guess I should quit procrastinating and begin studying for finals.
I KNEW it was Drew shouting for Terri. Your timing is perfect-- Karin had just explained to all and sundry how they recorded the DNOTY version of "Silent Night," and how it was Terri's first real exposure on CD. Cue Drew. Karin stopped dead, and remarked, "And ever since, we have a guy at every show yelling that." I turned to bink and sighed, "The spirit of jg has been invoked. All's well with the world." The item Cow Guy gave Karin was a photograph, which she certainly seemed to find amusing. No, I don't know what it showed. I thought for a moment he was actually going to climb right up onto the stage-- he marched quite solidly down the aisle calling, "Excuse me, Karin! Karin!" I saw him later sitting a few rows back, nodding happily, waving his hooves. Karin told us she'd dressed up since her mother and best friend had come for the show. During "My Love Is A Fever," she got into the song in a way I'm rather thinking I wouldn't want MY mother to see. She also explained how she and Linford used to work together as a lounge act in a hotel, upon which they proceeded to do a slightly Christmasified "Little Girl Blue." Karin the Torch Singer. I was rather impressed. Toast: yes, I brought it up. But I didn't do it, see? Just like I promised! Jack absolutely went to town on the solo for "June." He wailed on his pedal steel and made that thing snarl. Go, Jack, GO! Do it for Mallory!
I especially liked the arrangements of Jacksie and My Love is a Fever. In my mind I can almost picture the waveform and slow saw attack used on that synthesizer for "Faithfully Dangerous". Wowee, that was neat. And the "Good King Wenceslas (sp)" added into the "Little Girl Blue" standard. It was nice to hear short, regular sized versions of "June" and "Circle of Quiet". Not every song has to be a marathon... I have some complaints, but they're small. The only song I think they played new since Ric left was "Last Night". The rest have all been done by the "Phase II" OtR. It'd've been nice to put a new on in or dust off "Genius of Water" (since they were so close) or "Sea & Sky" or "How Does it Feel" or "Happy With Myself?" or anything from the back catalogue. "Poughkeepsie" and "Little Blue River" could've been omitted with no complaints from me.
Leo's Valentine. The thing that was so cool is that Leo had those glasses on and was trying to squint and read and rhythm out the words like a hepcat all at once. And everybody was smiling onstage. And laughing, laughing, laughing. It was like they'd brought out their dad or their cool weird uncle to hang with 'em, and usually he just watches, but tonight he's cutting loose, only when he cuts loose he still looks like cool Uncle Leo hovering above all this with a funny grin on his face. Everytime Terri or Karin would do one of the vocal swoops and echoes that go with the song, it was like Leo didn't expect it, and he seemed just, you know, super pleased and thrilled to have his reading echoed by those beautiful voices--as who wouldn't. So the big thing that made this little musical event special was the cuttin' loose joy of it. The spontaneity of it, because, like Linford said, they had no idea what it was going to be like until it happened. And suddenly I was hanging out in the practice room, just watching the band dig its own silly, gorgeous grooviness, and there you have it. A mini review. Oh, and Leo improvised something about crustaceans, which is about as wonderfully random as you can get. If they recorded this, it is the perfect sort of thing to have end up on a new fanclub album. And I have a title for that album ready. First there was "Besides," of course. So the second one should be, "And Another Thing . . ." Although, "There's One in Every Crowd" would be good, too. Oh, has anybody mentioned the little "what about the album?" exchange with the crowd? Linford totally tried not to hear the question, then he gave us a shifty-eyed response of "in a few months" or something. Which is okay. So: in a few months. Ummm. Karin's wardrobe: A+. I mention this because sometimes I question her ability to play quiet music loudly in the clothes she wears out onto stage. I've seen some little suit-like things, and those concerts are always quieter. I mean, I'm not saying she looked bad ever (uh uh). But sometimes she seems more ready to rock with furious quietude. Erm. Yeah, the drummer seemed okay-not-great, but not distractingly anything, and he did a fine job. I imagine it's cos he's new. Jack struck me that way two years ago. But who is this cat? What was his name? Who's he played with? Somebody should do some research.
Some points that haven't been articulated yet: - -Linford Rocked with the organ on FD! - -Karin Rocked on MLiaF! - -Terri is absolutely gorgeous! - -Karin's rhythmic hip-allure is new since I last saw the band. - -Linford's hair grows at a rate of 1.5 inches per month - -Terri's a knockout in a black sheer top with fur collar and cuffs. - -The stage hands seem programmed not to give up setlists (Thanks Terri!!) - -Kaldi's was everything I'd heard and more. - -Never put your $3 cappuccino on the floor underneath your chair. - -Always speak to people when you first see them. You may not see them again! - -Chris Emery must be scared of me. - -an OtR show draws just about every type of beautiful people out of the woodwork. - -Posters are $10 not $6 as stated in the mail order. - -Dave LaBruyere doesn't like to be called "that Louisiana Guy." - -Terri Templeton is the most down to earth member of the band. - -Brian is apparently a busboy when he's not Cosmopolitan Drummer Extroidinaire. - -When you wake up with cotton mouth, it's likely because you snored all night! - -Did anyone else think Linford told Leo to give the audience a chance to sing during the "trip myself and fall upon your fabulous sword" part, except no one sang? Thanks to all who made this one of the best weekends in December. Wishing I could be at the Ark, or Schuba's...