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@@@@ann arbor review, part II

yeah, i know it's the better part of a week late, but a Karmic Krash had taken me out until today.  So, i need to apologize for being pissy on the list last time, lest Karma take me out again for not being sorry enough.  "Sorry!" 
 
there.
 
 
 
this would be the Junkies part of the review, for those Junkie fans out there on the list.  not too much OtR content, besides the mention of who played when on the J set.    And, a minor point to correct the last review.   Monica pointed out that Karin didn't say "I love Tom Waits"  as i reported,  but rather,  "I'm a ~huge~ Tom Waits fan."  
 
And i must have made a bad impression on Burrill,  'cause i hadn't heard from him on- or off-list since the gig.  Sorry Burrill.  
 
well, here we go.  feel free to hit that delete key at anytime from this point...
 
 
I kinda thought that their set looked like a living room.  There was a curved leg plant stand/table next to a cane chair.  The table held a vase of pink carnations,  and the chair, from time to time,  held Margo.  Michael sat in another Chair to Margo's right,  behind him was Jeff Bird.   Monica leaned over to me and said, "watch him!  he plays everything!"   The drummer was behind the same bulletproof glass that Brian plays behind, and in this case it helped with the "living room" theme,  because you could stretch your imagination a little to make it the living room window,  and the drum riser could be the couch in front of the window.  (c'mon, stretch with me here!)  Over in the other corner of the living room was Linford and his Organ  (some people have organs in their living rooms!)   When Karin and Terri came out,  they stood between Margo and Linford,  and behind slightly.   The stage was easily large enough for all these people,  not cramped a bit.   Even Jack played onstage at least once.
 
Margo wore a black dress with contrasting lapel piping.  She would sit,  stand,  walk,  dance throughout the evening,  but Michael stayed seated.  I forget what the others wore, but you all don't care anyway, right?
 
Set list:
 
Sun Comes Up It's Tuesday Morning
Blue Guitar  (this one featured Karin on backing vox)
Margo told a story for the edification of "all those web people out there.  I don't understand it, people who just post things to the web, but there out there, so here's a story that they can post.   In Canada, this song was banned because they thought it was Devil Worship.  So, here's our Devil Worship song, Misguided Angel"     Well, i guess i'm one of those web people, so dutifully i pass along the story...Candace, is this true?  (Candace is Canadien, newbies.)  Was it banned?  Really?  How's Marilyn Manson playin' up there?  Is he going over well?
Misguided Angel
Crescent Moon  (my notes read, "wow!"  add three voices, Margo and Karin and Terri and that adds up to some powerful stuff!  What a glorious noise!  i say again,  wow!
The next song i don't know by name.   It was very loud, rather "noisy"  and wasn't in the typical mold of a CJ song. I didn't really like it, but hey that's just me.  You might have liked it fine.
More stage patter:  Margo asked if we knew where they played the night before.  (Columbus)  and she said that the Columbus people seemed really depressed that night, and thought that it ad something to do with the Sports Rivalry between whatever team they have there in Ann Arbor and the Buckeyes, from Ohio State  (uh-oh!  Karma is tapping me on the shoulder.  I should mention that team by name or she'll get pissed at me.  Um,  it's that Go Blue! team.  Is it the Wolverines?  Well, i don't know.  I think it's the wolverines, but that might be some ~other~ Michigan college football team.  I tried.  Karma can't get you if you try, right?   So, the question?  were you guys feeling depressed that night because
a) i wasn't there, or
b) because you knew you were missing anne e.  or
c) because some other college football team just beat your town's team?
 
or did you feel not depressed at all and you think Margo misinterpreted your reactions?   Anyway, it seemed that Margo got the Michigan Team/Location wrong and it wasn't that Go Blue team that beat OSU after all.   his led into more stage patter about Men and Sports,  and how the guys of CJ watched, the night before,  their Canadien Hockey team get beaten in the Winter Olympics.   She said the next day at reahearsal "they were worthless"  and then add to that that they watched the game again on tape,  and blew the whole reahearsal session watching a game that they knew they were gonna lose.     Women in the crowd seemed to applaud this tale...
Common Disaster.  this one featured Karin and Terri, but not Linford,  who, i forgot to mention,  had been with them from the git-go.
Just Want to See.   Margo said "fukk" ('cause it's in the song)  and i had been wondering if Karin would say the F word, but it was a moot point,  because neither of them had to back her up at that point.  I suppose she would if she wanted to, eh?  I suppose sometimes she wants to.
Oregon Hill.   my notes read here M+K+*T*+L  but i don't know what Terri did that got her initial underscored.  I forget.  sorry.   Burrill?  any idea on this one?  Do you recall what it is ~I~ might have meant?   I suppose this meant that she either did a solo-y  thing or was otherwise prominently featured in some way.
Powderfinger  (the Neil Young song.  Margo took the opportunity here to align herself with other Canadiens, even if they have been living in the states for the last 20 years.
Anniversary Song  "the only happy song in our catalogue"
Darkling Days  Jack played electric guitar for this one.  It's occurred to me at this point that "Jack's on!  I wonder how long he's been playing?"
Miles From Home
Good Friday  Margo said that this is a fun song because it's got "oooh's"  in it, and a singer likes to sing "oooh's"  and this band never gets to do that!
No Birds Today featured Linford again.
Sweet Jane, this brought a loud audience response.  Funny that the band has been playing for 10 years and has some great stuff, and yet it Reed's Sweet Jane cover that gets the appluse on it's recognition.   Yeah, i like it too, but....
I wrote down "Jeff Bird" in my notes here,  so there must have been a solo here.  wish i could remember...
Blue Moon Revisited
 
they left the stage after that,  and then came back to a standing O and performed
Horse in the Country with Karin featured alone.
Lost My Driving Wheel
 
 
she said that she would be happy to meet with the fans for autographs or pictures or whatever in the lobby.  "just let me change my clothes"  she said.  you know,, that's really pretty cool, when you think about it.  No, not the changing the clothes part.  the meet'n'greet part.  don't you think that's cool?  It's not like they're some garage/bar band.  Well, ~i~ think it's cool, anyway.  Hat's off, Margo.
 
There were no buxom dancing girls, no pillow fights,  no off-key trickery.   There was, however a very warm and gracious introduction of Over the Rhine,  and not just by name, but with a little anecdotal story, too.  I think it's clear that Margo thinks very highly of our favourite little band.
 
 
Oh,  if you made it down this far,  anybody coming to Cleveland on the 12th?  OtR in the Syposium in Lakewood.  Not a good place to catch 'em,  BTW,  and the last time they played there they had a rather disrepectful crowd.   But, maybe the 12th will be different... Maybe the folks who stopped in to see 'em there last time and talk all the way through will be talking somewhere else  (um, like at the Anne E. gig in Kent on the same night!   Rats!!!!!)
 
 
well, between part I and part II you now have a full review. 
your humble servant,
jg