Infamous Love Songs: An Over the Rhine Valentine‘s Concert
Some years ago, when Johnny Cash’s career was undergoing a resurgence during his creative collaborations with producer, Rick Rubin, someone made an attempt to organize Johnny’s songs into three categories: God, Love and Death. It occurred to me then that maybe those are the only three subjects available to the writer. I have tried to write about all three. And yet, one night over a late night beverage, by way of confession, I admitted to a colleague (a fellow songwriter) that I was embarrassed by the possibility that every song I had ever written was essentially a love song.
Without missing a beat he responded, Well, maybe, but you don’t just write about falling in love: you write about what happens further down the road. I was relieved and grateful to receive that perspective, because ladies and gentlemen, we are indeed further down the road. Karin and I have been writing, and making records together as Over the Rhine for 35 years. We’ve been married for 29 of those. Long live musical couples.
Johnny and June might be our patron saints, but they are not the only ones. A significant swath of our favorite music over the years has been made by that rare and endangered breed of exotic zoo animal: the musical couple. (The list includes Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Buddy and Julie Miller, Richard and Linda Thompson, The Innocence Mission and others.) But back to further down the road… Poet Christina Rosetti famously wrote the lines: Does the road wind uphill all the way? Yes, to the very end.
Few things in life get easier as the years pass. But from this vantage point, after 35 years of climbing, we can see the broader view. We can see the two songwriters who were stoned on love and words and possibility. We can see the couple who almost called it a day, and yet found their way into — and with — each other. We learned that we tend two separate gardens: the garden of our career in music, and the garden of our life together well apart from the noise of the music industry.
We know well the thrill of opening shows for Bob Dylan or Lucinda Williams, getting to play at Newport Folk Festival, or in Japan, or New Zealand. And checking those things off our dream list was indeed a thrill. Seeing the world on the backs of the songs. Watching a community coalesce around our music that crossed borders and boundaries.
And now it is also the deeper abiding joy of quietly walking two Irish Wolfhounds in the cool of the evening. At home. Being together. The fact that we can still make each other laugh. Sharing a story that’s still being written. We live together on a small farm, grow songs, host concerts in the restored barn, and curate and host Nowhere Else Festival — our very own music and arts festival, the festival that we were always looking for but never quite found until we built it ourselves.(opens in a new tab)
🍽️ We provide food and beverage service directly to your table in the venue. Or, for an expanded menu and more relaxed experience, arrive early and enjoy a meal in our restaurant before the show. When dining in the restaurant, reservations are encouraged and can be made via Resy starting one month before the show. View Our Concert Dining Menu.(opens in a new tab)
Reserve your preferred wine by filling out this form(opens in a new tab) and have a bottle waiting at your table when you arrive at your show. No more waiting for your first drink! We will save your wine preference and have a bottle at your table for all future shows. When you want to change your wine, come back to this form and update your preference.
🎶 Kindly note there is a 2 item per person food & beverage minimum in the concert venue. Food and beverages ordered in the restaurant also count towards the minimum.
🍷 Members get 48 hour early access to new shows, pay no ticket fees, and earn points to exchange for complimentary tickets. Vinofile Plus members also receive many wine benefits. Add a membership to your cart during checkout to start saving now. Already a member? Make sure you are signed in to access your benefits. Become a Vinofile Member and enjoy the benefits today.(opens in a new tab)
