Monday, December 29, 2008

Over the Rhine 20th Anniversary Celebration

There are few bands I will drive through a snow storm to see but Over the Rhine is definitely one of them. December 19th my wife Heidi and I were planning to leave for Cincinnati to see Over the Rhine celebrate their 20 years with two concerts. We were planning to leave work early but the plans changed when a big snow storm hit Detroit that morning.

School was cancelled but we still left about the time we originally planned. As we drove down Telegraph I thought we might just make it to Cinci in time for the concert. My friend Brook seemed wise to have left 12 hours earlier, and it took him ten hours to make the 4.5 hour trip.

Once we got off Telegraph and on to I75 the roads got better. It is funny how you notice you're at the State line by the nicer roads in Ohio. Our timing was actually good because we missed the ice storm in Ohio. The roads were salted and we could enjoy all the beautiful ice on the trees. I thanked Heidi for not putting her foot down to squash the planned trip. She knew how important this weekend was for me.

I've always regretted not seeing Over the Rhine prior to Ric Hordinski and Brian Kelly's exit from the band. I became a fan of the band in the early 90's when I bought a cassette copy of their album Patience, but I always assumed I would catch them later. Friends who were much smarter always told me of their legendary performances and I could get a taste of it on live recordings but nothing is like seeing the real thing live.

The band has become a different beast since Ric and Brian left, still amazing live and on CD. Less alternative rock and more American/Folk Rock. The original lineups last album, Good Dog Bad Dog, foreshadowed that change in sound.

There was excitement in the air for this first night. I heard many people say this was the night they had to make. When the band walked on stage you heard people shout "Welcome back," to Ric and Brian.

Ric is amazing on guitar and that was clear on so many songs. If I'm Drowning and Daddy Untwisted were the obvious examples to point to. During Daddy Untwisted I thought he would become possessed by the song as he shook every bit of guitar magic out of it.

I underestimated what a fine drummer Brian Kelly is. My friend Brook described it as the soul that he brings to the music. I'm not one for most drum solos but as he was left alone on stage for the end of If I'm Drowning I was able to marvel at his playing.

It was also fun to watch Linford strap on the bass. I'm so used to seeing him behind the keyboards so it was great to see what a talented bass player he is. It was obvious he was having fun. I appreciated hearing his comments about how the band came together while they were in college.

Karin is definitely the focal point for the band and rightfully so. She so effortlessly creates magic when she sings. She can caress a vocal like the best Jazz singer, or her vocals can soar like the best gospel or rock singer. It is hard to adequately describe what she does, you have to catch her live if you haven't already.

They did many of my favorites including Circle of Quiet, Within Without and Like a Radio. I just hope this wasn't a one time trip back in time. They really need to take this line up to Cornerstone or the Calvin Faith and Music Festival. I would also love to see what they could create if they stepped back in a recording studio.

Saturday morning started off great with breakfast at Bob Evans. Heidi and I enjoyed the candy cane hot chocolates (she still tells people about them, they were that good). Heidi decided to stay at the hotel for the day to read and watch movies. Actually I think she wanted to avoid the parade of geekery as Brook and I planned to hit used record and bookstores. Our first stop was
Everybody's Records. What an amazing store. Brook and I agreed that we could drop a fist full of money without even trying. I made my way out with copies of the latest CD's from the Pretenders and Lindsay Buckingham, along with a used vinyl copy of a Delaney and Bonnie album from the early 70's. We also checked out the Ohio Bookstore, five stories of used books, and picked up coffee and hot chocolate at Khaldi's Coffee Shop. We picked up Heidi and then were off for dinner before night two of Over the Rhine.

I really enjoyed talking music with Brook. It is always cool to meet someone that likes some of the same music, and isn't afraid to admit their love of old Christian rock (the good, the bad and the ugly). I won't forget the Black Sabbath vinyl that he dug out to listen to on the turntable at Everybody's Music.

Night two focused on the last ten years of Over the Rhine. So much great music to pick from. I was hoping for Little Blue River. I've always enjoyed the beauty of Linford's piano playing in that song. Unfortunately it didn't make it on their set list, but there were so many great songs it was hard to quibble. The Trumpet Child was the focal point for the show, and the song Trouble was one of my favorites. I especially enjoyed the few from Ohio that kicked off the second set and Changes Come was very powerful.

Karin and Linford always surround themselves with such talented musicians. Jake Bradley and Mickey Grimm were great. Kenny Hutson is a great addition to the band on various guitars and mandolin. I always missed him after he left Vigilantes of Love. I always thought VOL was at its peak when he was in the band. And you can't forget Kim Taylor and Julie Lee on background vocals. The ladies were stunning. I wish I could have caught their solo songs on Sunday at St. Elizabeth's.

I can't wait to hear the next Live From Nowhere CD. Hopefully some of these special performances will make their way on it. And who knows, maybe they'll have enough for a double live CD. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Top CD's of 2008

It has been way too long since I last posted. Thanks for your patience. I've been thinking of my favorite music of 2008. I'm writing this from the top of my head so I will probably overlook something. I'll comment more in detail at a later time.

These are in no particular order:

JD Souther "If The World Was You"
Rodney Crowell "Sex and Gasoline"
Sam Phillips "Don't Do Anything"
Jackie Greene "Giving Up The Ghost"
Steppin' In It "Simple Tunes for Troubled Times"
Ralston Bowles "Rally at the Texas Hotel"
Kate Campbell "Save the Day"
The 77's "Holy Ghost Building"

I knew my mind would blank out. Oh well, more to come later.

What are some of your favorites from this past year?

Monday, November 3, 2008

1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die

I recently received the book 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die as a gift from my wife. The book is written by music critic Tom Moon. Moon's musical selections span genres, from rock to classical and opera to folk.

I enjoy reading it because even though I'm familiar with alot of music, there are still many albums that I have no clue about. For that matter there are many genres that I'm less than familiar with. I look forward to digging into some of the classical recordings.

Anytime you look at lists like this you notice albums they missed. Sure they had Elvis Costello represented, but not my favorite "King of America." I think I have three different versions of that CD. I also think not including Peter Case is an oversight, especially his album "Blue Guitar." I would have also included something from T Bone Burnett, Vigilantes of Love's "Audible Sigh," Over the Rhine's "Good Dog Bad Dog," and Kings X's "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska."

But I'm impressed by how many he included that I thought would be missed. It was great to see Sam Phillip's "Fan Dance," and Arrested Development's "Three Years, Five Months and Two Days in the Life of..." That album is a must have for fan's of thoughtful hip hop. As I got ready to write this I flipped through again and noticed Graham Parker's CD "Squeezing Out Sparks/Live Sparks," another favorite of mine.

This book is well worth checking out. Even though it was released this year it is very recent in scope and includes the most recent CD from The Mars Volta, which was released in early 2008.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

The Lyrical Poetry of Hymns

Today at Church we sang the song In Christ Alone. We've sang this modern hymn many times but for some reason part of the lyrics caught my attention.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!

The song is written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend. I think I was especially struck by the poetic beauty of the line "Light of the world by darkness slain." It is funny how you can sing a song many times but not notice the line. We've sung this song at Easter, Funerals and in weekly services. I've even seen it on a Christmas CD by Christopher Williams.

I was reminded of the Charles Wesley hymn, And Can it Be. I've loved this song for years and we even used it as part of our wedding ceremony. Wesley wrote 6,500 hymns over his lifetime and this one was written near his conversion. I'm especially struck by verse four.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature's night,
Thine eyes diffused a quickening ray
I awoke; the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee

There are a few modern hymn writers that reach the depth of classic hymns. I think of Twila Paris, Melody Green, and the previous song by Getty and Townsend. But there is something rich that we can't miss in the classic hymns of the faith. That is the sad part of the modern churches move away from hymns. Singing the same chorus over and over again might create a momentary high, but the theological depth is lost.

Writers like Wesley were packing theology into their songs as a way of teaching important truths to people that didn't read. Charles' brother John was instrumental in starting the Sunday School movement and these songs were an important teaching tool for them. Even though we read today, we can still benefit from the great truths these songs have to share.

The next time you sing a hymn take time to reflect on what you're singing. I think you'll come away challenged. I can't wait until we sing And Can It Be again in church.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Teacher Staff On-air Day

I manage a high school radio station. I was also a student at WSDP so the station has a special place in my heart.

Today we are having teachers and school staff members in the studio to host hour long radio shows. They get to pick all the music and plan their talk breaks. I've really enjoyed the wide mix of music they've played. We just finished an hour of 80's hair metal which brought back some memories of high school. I can remember walking across campus, at the end of a day, as someone's boom box blared Def Leppard.

I'm always amazed by the preparation work the teachers put into the shows. Most come in with full scripts, we've even had a few on-air giveaways. The prize goes to our hair metal teacher who came in with a long black wig and the leather pants. He was definitely ready to rock.

Two of our staff members had their daughter and nephew team up for a show, complete with halloween jokes. Our board operator and program director made sure to let them know that they did a better job then many of our high school dj's.

We've also noticed that are staff dj's are dominated by English teachers. It must be their creative side yearning to come out. We need to get those math and social studies teachers in on the action next year.

There is something fun about developing an on-air theme and picking music to share. Sometimes the hardest part is narrowing the list of songs down to 12-15 that can fit in the hour.

Friday, October 10, 2008

More OTR

No, I'm not going to write all my posts about Over the Rhine. If you read the last post you know I'm looking forward to seeing them in Cincinnati in December. The chance to see them play with Ric and Brian again is something that can't be missed.

I got a little taste tonight as Ric played at Trinity House Theatre with Sarah Masen. As Ric and the band did "Circle of Quiet" I turned to my friend Brook and said "I can't wait to see that in December. We both nodded in agreement. I always liked Ric's version but add in Karen's vocals and that will be even more special.

Late in the show Ric brought Sarah back on stage for a take on the Charlie Peacock song "The Way of Love." The band lit up with Sarah on the mic, and this magical version was stunning.

Over the Rhine's posting board has contained some suggestions that Sarah Masen would be a good opener for their Taft show. After seeing Ric and Sarah, I second that.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Road Trip to Cinci for Over the Rhine

I've recently found myself digging out my old Over the Rhine CD's for fresh listens. I'm listening to their album "Eve" as I write this.

I'm especially excited because I'll be going to Cincinnati to see them play in December. I've been to Cinci several times but never to see OTR. Each December they do a special Christmas Concert at the Taft Theatre, and I've considered going in the past (especially when they performed with Sixpence None the Richer), but for some reason I've never made the trip.

This year's Taft concert is extra special. They are celebrating 20 years of making music and they've divided the concert into two nights. December 19, will focus on the first 10 years and December 20, the second. I'm especially excited because the first night will include former members Ric Hordinski and Brian Kelley.

I've been a fan of the band since the early 90's. My first OTR album is a cassette copy of "Patience." But for some reason I never caught the band live while Brian and Ric were part of it. I had so many chances since they came through Michigan quite often. The first time I saw them was sometime in the late 90's while they were touring in support of "Good Dog Bad Dog." There shows have been among my favorites each year. Whether I've caught them at the Ark, an outdoor festival, or Calvin College, there has always been something magical about Over the Rhine live. Much of that is captured in the amazing songs they've written over the years.

That said, I have to admit I've regretted never seeing the original four piece band live. Their live shows were legendary. The band had more of an edgy rock sound. Right now I'm listening to "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander" and I get excited thinking about the band doing this live.

My personal favorites are "Circle of Quiet" and "Within Without." The December 19 show might be incomplete if those songs don't find their way on the set list. It has been fun watching the discussions on their web page posting board as people discuss the songs they have to see. They may have to play into the wee hours of the morning to make all their fans happy.

I'm also looking forward to night two of the concerts. Karin and Linford have continued the OTR legacy beautifully with albums like "Ohio," "The Trumpet Child," and "Drunkard's Prayer." OTR is different but they are still a powerful force to be reckoned with. "Ohio" is one of my favorite albums from 2003. These two nights will be a wonderful celebration of this band, a band that deserves far more recognition and acclaim.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Sam Phillips at The Ark - 9/9/08

Sam Phillips performed at the Ark in Ann Arbor on Tuesday. After a 35-minute intermission she opened the show with “I Need Love” from her CD Martini’s and Bikinis, but she quickly turned the focus to her new CD, Don’t Do Anything.

"I Need Love" had one of my favorite lyrics of the night:

i need love
not some sentimental prison
i need god not the political church
i need fire to melt the frozen sea inside me
i need love

For the past 11 years Sam has worked with her former husband T Bone Burnett as the producer, but on Don’t Do Anything she stepped into the producer’s role, and did an excellent job carefully crafting these sometimes painfully beautiful songs.

One of the things that stood out was that Sam is such a charming performer. She took time to interact with the audience. She wasn’t afraid to admit when a performance didn’t meet her expectations. One of the audience members complained about the loudness of the drums. While many performers would have dismissed the complaint Sam waited so the gentleman could be seated in a better spot. Her graciousness and concern for everyone was evident.

Speaking of drummers, Jay Bellerose was amazing to watch. He had so many percussion instruments to work with, including noisemakers that were attached to his ankles. He was able to play with such finesse and complimented the songs beautifully. But he wasn’t afraid play with more force when necessary. Jay was a true joy to watch, especially on the song "My Career in Chemistry."

But the main focus was Sam’s compelling songs. In the past her songs were built on layer upon layer of interesting music, but since Fan Dance she’s been exploring simpler yet more intriguing song styles. She strips away the unnecessary to get to the heart of the song.

Some of my favorite songs included "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us," "I Need Love," "One Day Late," and "My Career in Chemistry."

At the beginning of the show Sam mentioned what a beautiful day it was in Ann Arbor. She said she was tempted to take the performance outside, leading a parade through the streets. The night was even more beautiful after Sam’s compelling performance.

Jill Jack and Billy Brandt opened the show. Jill is so at home on the stage. Though Sam and Jill are such different performers, Jill was able to win new fans with her very heartfelt performance.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Sam Phillps is coming to the Ark

I'm really excited. Tuesday Sept. 9, I get to see Sam Phillips at the Ark in Ann Arbor. Her new CD, Don't Do Anything, is wonderful. It is exciting to see her step out this time as the producer. She learned alot during the years that T Bone Burnett produced her CD's.

My favorite song is "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us." It was great hearing Allison Krauss and Robert Plant cover it on their latest CD but Sam makes it extra special.

My one complaint about Sam's CD's is that they are way too short. These days a 35 minute CD seems 10-15 minutes too short.

I hear that Sam is touring with the Section Quartet. They have an album of classical quartet covers of Rock classics. There is nothing like a quartet covering RadioHead or David Bowie. They are all over Sam's latest CD and I'm sure they'll help make the show extra special.

I'll post some information on the concert next week. Another treat is that Jill Jack will open the show.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

3000 CD's

I read an article about a guy who has over 300,000 albums and CD's. It fills eight rooms. Wow, and I thought I had alot. I told my wife about him last night and mentioned that I was well behind and needed to get to work catching up. She told me I could sleep in the car.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Why Me - Does the world really need another blog?

I've enjoyed reading blogs from various friends and I've often thought, "I should write one of those." I've usually wised up quick and realized I probably don't have the time for this. But for some reason this time I got further along and actually created the page.

What will I write about? Definitely music. With over 3,000 CD's in my collection I have an opinion or two to share about some of the new music I'm listening to.

I also think I'll throw some thoughts in about popular culture, media, and faith. That probably gives me enough to keep me busy for awhile.

One of my loves is volunteering at Trinity House Theatre. You can find out more about this little theatre at http://www.trinityhouse.org/. Our season opens next weekend with a Peter Mulvey concert. I'm excited because I've been trying to get him to play here for awhile. He's a very fine singer, songwriter and guitarist. The intimacy of the theatre will help make it a very special night, I'm sure.