CONCERT REVIEW: Over the Rhine

Over the Rhine is one of those groups that exists on the outer fringes of mainstream sensibilities. The fan-base, though smaller in number than that of more well-known bands, is tenacious in its pursuit of Over the Rhine recordings and live performances. Music critics tend to agree that this is a band that consistently releases thoughtful albums of quality and musical merit: if Over the Rhine was a film instead of a band you’d see them at the local art-house cinema or the Tribeca film festival, but probably not at the local Cineplex.

It’s no surprise, then, that Over the Rhine appeared at one of New York City’s more intimate venues, The Living Room, nestled in the narrow streets of the Lower East Side in the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge. The neighborhood is edgy and funky - full of bistros, bakeries, clubs, and boutiques; punctuated by mysterious-looking doors that open to places you might want to think twice about before entering. The music of Over the Rhine fit right in…

Where most concerts are designed to start off with an adrenaline-inducing bang, this show began with the sole sound of Karin Bergquist’s unaccompanied voice singing the opening lines of “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.” The effect of Bergquist’s delivery is staggering – she sings as if the words emerge un-filtered, directly from her soul. One by one, the other instruments join in - Linford Detweiler on piano, Jacob Bradley on acoustic upright bass, Mickey Grimm on drums, and new member, Kenny Hudson on electric guitar – and the song becomes a jazzy lament played with a searing intensity and undeniable jazz credibility. To pull something like this off at the very start of a show is no mean feat, but it was just a taste of variety of musical treats yet to come.

On their MySpace page, Over the Rhine is described as ‘Americana / Folk / Alternative,’ but that’s purely by default, since the musical influences and output of this band extend far beyond those genres and into everything from blues to Tin Pan Alley to English Music Hall, yet always combined within a basic pop framework. In other words, you can expect the unexpected from Over the Rhine. On this night, the band performed original songs from a variety of their albums in addition to covering a traditional and a pop classic (O Me-O My-O).

Unquestionably, Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler, who are husband and wife (and co-conspirators on the band’s original songs), are the heart of this strong musical unit. Detweiler anchors the songs by playing acoustic guitar, bass and (usually) piano, at one point reaching between the electric and the nearby acoustic keyboards and playing both at the same time. Bergquist also plays acoustic guitar and piano, but it’s her stunning abilities as a vocalist that come across in a live context in a way that simply has to be experienced since words fall short. Bradley is fluid and melodic on upright and electric bass, as well as occasional electric guitar, while Grimm plays drums with great range, from subtle jazz to rock, using brushes, sticks and bare hands to create a percussive whirlwind when needed. Kenny Hudson plays a variety of guitars with the reckless approach that only someone totally in control of his instrument can risk – throughout the show his guitar work provided an amazing palette of sounds to the varied repertoire.

Bergquist and Detweiler, both believers, don’t wear their religion on their sleeves, but translate their life experiences as artist/musicians into music. The songs are about music and about life, and the message – when there is one – is for those who have ears to hear. Jesus was called a partygoer and a friend of sinners; I have a feeling that, in The Living Room on Monday night, the audience and the band knew that we were all in that group, and maybe that’s the whole point.

Photos: Bert Saraco / Express Image Photography

• www.overtherhine.com
• www.myspace.com/overtherhine

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