LOCATION: Taft Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
LINEUP: Brian, Karin, Linford, Terri, Jack, Wade
REVIEW BY: Lisa Walker
Setting: The State Theatre is an old restored Theatre with gaudy carvings, painted walls, and beaded chandeliers; it is quite beautiful and reminiscent of another time. The "classiness" of the joint brought in a diverse crowd. Some people were quite dressed up sipping cocktails in the lobby and plenty of others *like me* were in blue jeans. :) The *whole* band was there, even Brian. I was in the second balcony so I was too high to see any great detail. Brian was on the far left, then Jack--I think--, then Karin in the middle, then Wade--I think--, Terri up on this little raised platform, and Linford on the far right surrounded by his keys. The lighting and set were very nice and professional; I only mention this because I'm used to seeing OTR at places like Canal St. where it's just them and their instruments. So it was fun seeing them play with so much "fru fru" around them. (I will say, for jg's sake that Terri's hair was up for the OTR set and down for the CJ set.) Setlist 1. Faithfully Dangerous Fun stuff with the Hammond on this one. It was very ethereal and ear-catching - a good set starter. Although, it was a little hard for me to hear to vocals, esp. over the organ. It could be because I was up in nosebleed section catching the echos. 2. Tumbleweeds It was my first time to hear this song. I really enjoyed it. I now understand what people mean when they say that the sound is leaning a bit toward the airplay genre. Still very good music. 3. The Seahorse This one was livened up quite a bit from the CD I thought. The addition of Brian and the Hammond lent it a "new dress" that fit well. 4. Anyway. Again, my first time to hear this one. Karin prefaced it with the Rose story. It was really lovely. 5. All I Need 6. Poughkeepsie I think Karin introduced this one, saying that it was a story, but a story that told itself. ?? This was one of the highlights of the show for me. The rest of the music was toned down enough that I could hear the vocals much better. She threw a lot of heart into this performance. It literally brought tears to my eyes. At some point, perhaps after this song, she mentioned the CDs and that they help pay for bus money. (Like in Candace's post) 7. Moth My first time with this one too. I'm really sorry that I don't have a lot to say about some of these, but I was so busy taking it all in. It was also too dark to write down anything other than song titles. 8. Latter Days This was done really well. It is a beautiful song and, once again, allowed me to hear the vocals a lot better. I should mention that throughout the concert, Terri's vocals were perfect additions to the songs. And these quieter numbers allowed me to hear the harmonies more clearly. This song was the closer, probably a good idea, since they were pushing GDBD. It may stick in folks' mind so when they pop the CD in, they will recognize something immediately and stay interested. Throughout the set, Karin was the only one who spoke. She said only a little bit here and there, but I can understand that with limited time onstage and catering to a primarily Cowboy Junkies audience, it's probably best to concentrate more on the music and less on the conversation. OTR shows, as far as I know, involve more conversation with the crowd (from more than one band member), which seems more appropriate when addressing people who come to hear *their* music. Anyway.... The Junkies show was good. Honestly, I am not very familiar with their stuff, so almost all songs were new to me. For the record I really enjoyed "Lost My Driving Wheel" and "Sweet Jane". Margo spoke very highly of Over the Rhine, and esp. the girls, saying how great it was to have girlfriends on the road. She introduced Karin, citing her beautiful voice and praised Terri for being "a rock, in addition to having a beautiful voice". At the end of the show, Margo said that she and the band would love to come out after the concert and say hello, sign CDs, have pictures taken, etc. She seems to feel pretty warmly toward Minneapolis. Apparently, 2 guys that interviewed her when the band was up here about 10 or 12 years ago have sent her 2 yellow roses every time they have come back to play here. She dedicated "Misguided Angel" to them. I stuck around after the show to see if I could catch a glimpse of OTR members. As people were waiting around in the lobby, I saw Linford walk unnoticed in black t shirt and jeans over to the doors, as if he wanted to leave. I didn't want to impede his progress at first, but then decided I should at least say hello. A group of guys recognized him and beat me to the punch, however. So I waited for a bit. It was funny being in a place where he could walk around like that after a concert, with only a handful of people recognizing him. My mom pointed out that she saw Karin over in the corner with a small group of people around her. So I dashed over and waited my turn. I gushed a little to her about how much I enjoyed their music and especially her tremendous voice. She seemed almost taken aback--in a good way--and smiled widely. She was happy to have our picture taken and signed the sleeve of my Patience shirt, writing "thank you" on it. I spoke to Linford on my way out. I got to tell him that I'd enjoyed their new material and the new spins on their older songs. I said that I was from their neck of the woods, and pleased to find a concert during my short foray up north. He had a huge grin on his face and seemed to enjoy speaking to someone who was familiar with the band. Yes, I photographed him as well. I am a bit of an unabashed fan sometimes. I saw a *lot* of folks with the GDBD CD. The OTR table was difficult to get to because so many people were crowding it. I definitely think they are getting quite a bit of exposure through this tour, and reaching some listeners that might never have heard them otherwise. bottom line: very good show.