Like fine wine, local legends Over the Rhine have gotten better with age. From their first show at Sudsy Malone’s (about 20 folks showed up to see it) to their various record deals (with I.R.S. and Virgin/Backporch) and back to their DIY roots (which has given them some of their biggest successes yet), OTR is now entering its second decade of gorgeous, soulful music-making. To celebrate, the band embarked on an anniversary tour, which led to packed houses on the West Coast earlier this month (they also found out one of their songs will be in the new Wim Wenders film). But OTR has a special treat for hometown fans when it plays the Taft Theatre this weekend.
In lieu of the band’s annual holiday show blowouts, Over the Rhine will be presenting a two-night live retrospective, spanning its entire career. Friday night, the band will concentrate on its first decade of recordings, touching on albums like Eve, Patience and its debut, Till We Have Faces. Saturday, the group tackles decade No. 2, playing music from such masterful albums as Ohio, Drunkard’s Prayer and its latest, The Trumpet Child. Expect lots of surprises (and no doubt plenty of holiday-themed tunes from their two Christmastime releases). Here’s to another 20 magical years! 8 p.m. both nights. $15-$35. Get details, buy tickets and find nearby bars and restaurants here.
Check out the OVER THE RHINE TRIBUTE PAGE with photos and CityBeat stories from
over the years.
