Cincinnati favorite Folk duo Over the Rhine had to cancel their annual and much-anticipated Christmas tour this year due to COVID. But instead of a dark, music-less holiday, Over the Rhine is bringing things home and offering a special streaming Christmas concert and "tour" from Nowhere Else, their 20-acre Clinton County farm.
Reserve your link to this special concert and let’s end this surreal, challenging year on a good note together. Join us! https://t.co/6ZEA4gaepL
— Over the Rhine (@overtherhine) December 7, 2020
For at least the last 25 years, these darkest nights of the year have been drenched in musical conversation, laughter and maybe even a few healing tears. It’s what we do for a living.This year, instead, here we are at home. On a small farm in Ohio, we sit and watch the snow fall...
So many roads left untraveled this year. (Admittedly, it was also an unexpected gift on many occasions to receive “permission to hold still.”)
But nothing has felt as wrong as knowing we won’t be rolling out on an after dark stretch of highway this evening with a few prized companions for our annual Christmas tour, surrounded by all of you, our extended musical family.
Earlier this summer we had a secret dream: even if we couldn’t travel, certainly we could offer a handful of intimate December concerts in the barn here at Nowhere Else? Maybe we could keep it to 60 people? 50 People? 24 people?
It was not meant to be.
And so here we are. What now?
The "what now" is a special "tour" taking place around their farm and property, filmed with a small crew and sound engineer, and featuring music from albums Darkest Night of the Year, Snow Angels, Blood Oranges In The Snow and more.
"We will walk across the driveway with our instruments to the barn and sing some songs in the music loft as well," writes Detweiler in the post. "Whatever we capture, we’ll sew it all together into a warm, musical quilt. Something you can wrap yourself in."
The concert will be available to stream from Dec. 12 to Dec. 26 via a private link.
A $50 suggested donation to view the show will go to support the band and be matched to help complete the farm's unfinished barn venue.
"Karin and I lost all of our touring and performing income this year. Like a lot of Mom and Pop businesses, December is often the month where our year-end income covers a multitude of needs. No artist or arts organization will survive this surreal, challenging season without some help," writes Detweiler. "And we are asking for your help.
"In lieu of buying a fistful of Christmas concert tickets for your family or some sweet companions, would you consider making a donation in exchange for our special Christmas concert this year, filmed and recorded right here in our home and in the barn?"
Access the streaming Christmas concert at stores.portmerch.com. After purchasing, you'll get a link to stream the music and video anytime between those two weeks — Dec. 12 to Dec. 26.
