[OTR Announce] Over the Rhine Update, THE LONG SURRENDER, September Concerts, Conversations on a Musical Train
Announcement list for the band Over The Rhine
otrannounce at overtherhine.com
Mon Aug 16 15:07:45 EDT 2010
Hello friends,
If you knew how many times I have sat at my desk to start a letter to
you all, you would laugh. Sometimes life is too big to write down, too
saturated with significance, too sad, too happy, too much.
The truth is, I could have written many different letters, all too
long. Scraps of them surround me here and there in the piano room, like
a patchwork quilt that unraveled.
I have written about our time with Joe Henry and the amazing musicians
he gathered in South Pasadena. The time we spent recording THE LONG
SURRENDER, our yet-to-be-released new offering of Over the Rhine songs,
how it felt like Joe put everything on a train, all the surprising
things we saw out the windows as we rolled through the night, the
rumble and the rhythm.
(Or did Joe put the songs out to sea? It did feel like something hard
to quantify was captured. We had to hit the lifeboats a few times, but
yes, Joe got us all somehow safely back to shore, grinning.)
Suffice it to say we are anxious to share the music with you, and maybe
you can help us describe what happened after you hear for yourself.
THE LONG SURRENDER is being mastered this week. (We thought we had it
awhile back but then realized we were still in the hunt. A few final
touches still to go.) We are busy, busy getting it all dressed up and
ready to let go in the world. The official release date is 1/11/11, but
of course there will be plenty of foreshadowing along the way, and
those of you who pitched in to make it all happen will hear it much
sooner.
We are grateful to all of you and grateful to be (almost) holding the
record we couldn’t imagine in advance, the seams blown out of the
songs, the roof blown off the house of our catalog, only the sky above.
And I have written about my Uncle Rudy passing away, my uncle who as a
boy, hid an acoustic guitar in the haymow of the barn, and a secret
accordion under the horses’ manger. How my brother Myron and I drove to
Northeast Ohio to pay our respects and discovered after we had signed
the register and sent our flowers on ahead to be placed by the casket
that we had arrived at the wrong funeral. (How Uncle Rudy would have
laughed!) We eventually found the right church, passing Amish buggies
along the way. My cousin William took our breath away because he looked
so much like my father it was like seeing a vision. And finally, as we
were walking out into the evening air to drive home, I noticed the barn
swallows were flying, flying in circles and figure eights above the
roof of the wooden church where Rudy lay, darting back and forth and
round and round as if they loved the feel of whatever it was they were
slicing with their wings.
Something felt good on their wings.
I have written about being asked to deliver my first college
commencement address in Eugene, Oregon, and of the short trip down the
coast we took afterwards to touch base with Karin’s side of the family,
staying up late with her Aunt Nor in the kitchen, looking at old black
and white photographs and hearing the old family stories, gathering
around the piano to sing some harmonies, reconnecting with Karin’s
sister Rose, and my sister Frances and their families, and of course,
many of the Swedish, San Francisco cousins.
I have written about saying goodbye to our (great) Great Dane, Elroy,
our intuitive, beautiful companion, our very own Great Speckled Dog,
the few-thousand-plus walks we took together over the years, that quiet
communion and deep connection. We miss him. Karin had always prayed
that we would be home when Elroy’s time came, and somehow that prayer
was answered. We were able to say, Goodbye. Thank You.
I have written about our recent trip to Santa Fe and the weeklong
songwriting workshop Karin and I lead there, the other writers and
poets and painters we have come to call friends because of The Glen
Workshop, how we learn from our students, the small miracles we witness
there throughout the week. (And thanks to all who welcomed Karin and I
at our performances in Albuquerque. New Mexico has become a very
special part of the world to us. More a little further down on the
train ride we have planned in that part of the world.)
Yes, I have run out of space in these letters to say what I need to
say. I need to begin thinking about the pages of a book or two to make
room for more. A place with a little more elbow room where I’m not
imposing…
Know that we think of all of you often, and look forward to some face
time hopefully soon.
Yes, we do want to catch you up on some specific Over the Rhine news.
We are preparing to air out songs new and old, engage in a little
evening conversation, be surprised by laughter.
We hope we can be together.
Soon.
Love from Nowhere,
Linford and Karin
+SEPTEMBER 2010 CONERTS:
Sept 4, Saturday, Pagosa Springs, Colorado, FOUR CORNERS FOLK FESTIVAL
Sept 5, Sunday, Denver, Colorado, SOILED DOVE
Sept 7, Tuesday, Omaha, Nebraska, THE WAITING ROOM
Sept 8, Wednesday, Kansas City, Missouri, CROSSTOWN STATION
Sept 10, Friday, Nashville, Tennessee, MERCY LOUNGE (as part of
Americana Music Festival, wrist band required)
+OUR FAVORITE OUTDOOR VENUE:
Sept 11, Saturday, Cincinnati, Ohio, CONEY ISLAND MOONLIGHT GARDENS.
Join Over the Rhine down by the Ohio River in this lovely, hometown,
historic setting, one of our all-time favorites, as we bid farewell to
summer under the stars with an extended evening of songs, accompanied
by an orchestra of cicadas, crickets and katydids.
+POUR ME A GLASS OF WINE/More SEPTEMBER 2010 DATES:
Sept 16, Thursday, New York City, New York, CITY WINERY
Sept 17, Friday, Philadelphia, Pennsylania, WORLD CAFÉ LIVE
Sept 18, Saturday, Centreville, Virginia, VIRGINIA WINE FESTIVAL
Sept 19, Sunday, Centreville, Virginia, VIRGINIA WINE FESTIVAL
(More dates listed at OvertheRhine.com)
+Over the Rhine, CONVERSATIONS ON A MUSICAL TRAIN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
(We’ll be sending out a few more official notices RE the following, but
wanted to give you the jump while the paint is still fresh…)
November 5-10, 2010
We have finalized the line-up for our musical train ride in November!
In an extravagant gesture, in an attempt to do something hopefully
unforgettable, we are gathering some of our favorite people together
and putting them on a train through the sacred spaces of the American
Southwest. We are going to pour a glass of something good, and watch
you fall in love. There will be music and conversation and much more.
We will hop off the train in Santa Fe and explore, we will eventually
even peer over the edge of the Grand Canyon – take that elusive family
vacation together.
There are 45 total tickets available. We hope you can join us. (The
train leaves from Los Angeles. Check out OvertheRhine.com for more.)
ON BOARD:
OVER THE RHINE – We (Karin, Linford, Jake Bradley, Kenny Hutson, and
our very own surprise guest, drummer and percussionist, Mickey Grimm)
will be playing concerts throughout the trip, raising glasses to and
with our friends (old and new), and watching some of our favorite parts
of the world go by…
SWAN DIVE – Songwriters, Bill DeMain and Molly Felder, (and Molly’s
husband, Mickey Grimm) will delight you with their harmonies and
beautifully-crafted pop songs. Bill and Molly have performed and
collaborated with many of Nashville’s most gifted. You will soon come
to appreciate their generosity as both musicians and curious human
beings… (swandive.org)
LUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE – Lucy grew up in Greenwich Village, New York
City, the daughter of Suzzy Roche of The Roches and Loudon Wainwright
III. Her childhood was spent living out of a suitcase, either on the
road with her parents or being ferried around to different relatives in
her big musical clan – one of the most storied musical families in
North America.
We have had the privilege of touring with and getting to know Lucy. We
love her songs, her clear-as-a-bell voice, her instinct for a great
story, and her unforgettable sense of humor. You will too.
(www.myspace.com/lwrlwr)
MICHAEL WILSON – is an American photographer and music lover who has
photographed a wide array of songwriters and artists – Lyle Lovett,
John Hiatt, Emmylou Harris, BB King, Andy Warhol, Joe Henry, Randy
Newman – and many, many others. His photographs have figured
prominently throughout Over the Rhine’s recorded catalog, and Karin and
Linford have cited Michael as one of their most important influences,
musical and otherwise. Michael will be presenting his work throughout
the week and has generously agreed to make individual portraits of all
who board the train – an amazing keepsake. Those interested will also
have the chance to hop off the train at various times, cameras in hand,
and make photographs with Michael. (michaelwilsonphotographer.com)
LYNN NEAL – It just so happens that our naturalist on board, who will
be available to illuminate much of what we’re seeing, answer questions,
provide some historical context etc is a Barnesville High School
graduate from Barnesville, Ohio, and former classmate and friend of
Karin’s. Lynn now resides and works and conducts research in Arizona,
and has a contagious, memorable sense of humor as well. We’re so happy
it worked out for her to ride along.
MICKEY GRIMM – Mickey deserves his own category. He recorded and toured
with Over the Rhine the last several years, but has recently gone into
semi-retirement to be able to spend more time with his family in New
Harmony, Indiana. Few people have made us laugh more than Mickey – and
we realized we had to get him on board so that all could experience his
storytelling and flare for the colorful and absurd. Not to mention
general sweetness and considerable talents.
This ride is a lot to pull off, and a little bit crazy, frankly, in a
hopefully beautiful way – but if you’re willing, we think it has the
potential to be quite amazing. (Much like life itself.) Hope to see you.
Again, check out OvertheRhine.com for more. (And more updates soon.)
Whew. I think that's about it for this one.
xo,
L&K
PS Please share the above with friends and family near and far, print
out the pages and wrap fish and chips in it, line the soles of a
vintage pair of cowboy boots with the words, read excerpts over a cell
phone discreetly on a rattling street car, tweet your sweet, slip a
rain-soaked copy into a Methodist hymnal or a New York Times, and
finally, our favorite, line the bird cage with the pages and let the
white doves crap all night long.
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