Over the Rhine back in Over-the-Rhine

By Rick Bird, Post music writer

A year ago the band had essentially broken up. Now it's looking at a new year that could bring it a national record deal.

For Cincinnati-based Over the Rhine, the year has seen a dramatic change in fortune. Last year at this time the folk-rock group played its last show with its original lineup and faced an uncertain future.

Earlier in 1996, the band saw a promising recording career with IRS Records dissolve in corporate machinations as the label went out of business.

As the band gets ready to perform its annual Christmas concerts Friday and Saturday at the Emery Theatre, members announced they have signed a new publishing contract with a noted rock manager and are getting nibbles from major record labels.

The publishing deal is with Los Angeles-based band manager Peter Leak, who also has the authority to shop the band to major labels. Leak is noted for discovering and managing such bands as 10,000 Maniacs, Cowboy Junkies and Grant Lee Buffalo.

''I heard "Good Dog Bad Dog' and was immediately taken with their music, and I have become taken with them as people,'' Leak said from his Los Angeles office. ''Karin's (Bergquist) voice is something special, and their songwriting is special. It's a hard sound to quantify, but it moved me.''

Leak said he felt confident the band would land some type of record deal in 1998.

Linford Detweiler, the band's main songwriter and keyboard player, is sounding as upbeat this year about the band as he was sounding gloomy a year ago.

''When it rains it pours,'' Detweiler said about the newfound national interest in the group. ''When we regrouped (earlier this year), we kind of went underground and tried to stay busy. Nobody paid the least bit of attention. Then Peter came out of the blue. Ryckodisc even called with an offer and suddenly everyone's starting to pay attention again.''

After disbanding the original line-up a year ago, when guitarist Ric Hordinski and drummer Brian Kelley left the band, Detweiler and Ms. Bergquist had hoped to carry on in some form. By September, the band was performing an extensive U.S. and European tour as a six-piece. Kelley had rejoined the band, and it added backup singer/violinist Teri Templeton, Scottish guitarist G. Jack Henderson and bassist Mike Georgin.

''We feel lik e listeners have embraced an expanded lineup. The shows have gone exceedingly well. The feedback we are getting is that our sound is fuller, very textural. Terri really rounds out Karin's vocals and adds the violin. We always felt as a four-piece we had to leave out parts we put on record. Now we can fully realize the arrangements.''

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Christmas in OTR

This weekend marks the fourth year Over the Rhine has performed a Christmas concert at the Emery, in what has quickly become a popular local music tradition. The band's own introspective, from-the-soul songs fit in nicely for the evening's mood, with its mix of traditional Christmas carols.

Because of the interest in the annual Christmas show, the band added an extra night this year and a special treat - Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Siberry, whose 15 year career has drawn comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Laurie Anderson.

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Concert spotlight

Over the Rhine plays the Emery Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Opening acts: Jane Siberry and Deanna Kirk. Tickets: $12 advance, $15 day of show. TicketMaster, 562-4949. For more information call the OTR office at 241-7311. People are also asked to bring a canned good for the FreeStore/FoodBank. Anyone who makes a donation will receive a small gift from the band.

Publication date: 12-18-97