LOCATION: Edge Fest, Atlanta, GA
LINEUP: Brian, Karin, Linford, Terri, Mike
REVIEW BY: Carissa McIntosh
A few comments from reclusive me about last night's show. Bearing in mind that all Over the Rhine live performances will always stand head and shoulders above the din of typical live pop shows, I'd have to say that the show last night was pretty lackluster. They played in large covered arena to what appeared to be a pretty young crowd, and the energy was pretty low throughout the set. I was a little bothered that the crowd wasn't in to it enough to even request an encore, but perhaps the band was relieved. After opening with "Bothered" Linford explained that their guitar player wasn't with them, so they felt "pretty naked." I think Jack's absence prevented them from delivering the upbeat "feelgood hit of the summer" show the crowd was looking for. However, I suspect us OtR veterans really enjoyed it, as we always do. I always enjoy watching the interaction between the band members, and I wonder if they really enjoy playing every single show? even in bad venues like this one was? even if they're really tired and feel like turning in early? I mean, is it ever a real DRAG to earn your living (at least in part) as a performer? I know it must be. They did Jack's Valentine and Linford spoke his lines in this stiff, mincing way, speaking one syllable on every beat, "I want to trip myself and fall up-on your fab-u-lous sword..." He also fell into this very amusing cynicism at the end which I don't believe most people noticed. Instead the usual "a cheap Van Gogh... a blue Degas..." he just mumbled, "a cheap bunch of STUFF... a blue bunch of STUFF..." I'm looking forward to Nashville tonight. Playing to people sitting down at candlelit tables with wine in their bellies is probably a lot more pleasant, a lot easier than playing to a pack of rowdy skaters-for-Jesus who just want to ROCK. Like McLuhan said, it's the medium, not the message...