Well, it's been a while since I last saw this little band from Cincinnati and my how the world has changed.  It's been a long, fascinating journey, and even though spring went right past us without so much as a "hello", there was a whole lot of good stuff that's happened in the last three months.  Quite a dizzying pace, really.

    I'm such a slacker.  I was going to write this all near summer solstice after a friend's wedding on top of Stone Mountain while watching the sunset.  Some sort of significance in all that.  Right.  God had something different in mind.  Who am I to argue?  Instead I spent the brightest day of the year watching the sunset with good friends, old and new.  It was a time to move forward and live in the present.  "No living in the past", God said, "not right now."  Well, right now, I'm living in the past.  (Right now I'm living in the past?  Did that strike anyone else as odd?)  Since Winter, Orion has disappeared from the night sky and the days have become darn hot (unless you are at some festival on a farm in Illinois where the days are ... not so hot.  Who ever heard of wearing a long-sleeve shirt on a July night?)  But so much more has changed, I can look back at my writings in The Darkest Night of the Year and see just how much has moved and progressed into a beautiful new life.  Behold, all things are made new.

    Since March, God has taught me even more than I could have possibly imagined (...and just when you think you know everything, but that myth shattered for me a long time ago.)  Life has moved at a whirlwind pace and I'd have it no other way.  Since I last wrote, I've seen awesome friendships continue to take strides and grow, and God bless 'em, some of my old friends didn't give up!  Some of my friends endured some stormy times during these last couple of months, but since then the calmness of summer has settled on everyone.

"That's what we all dream of, right? Just to be able to say, 'And it was good.'"  - Linford Detweiler

    I've looked back on the first half of 1998, and it was good.

    Well, this is it.  The last care-free summer.  The last chance to be a college student.  Come this time next year, the world won't be the same.  My last Rush, last Homecoming, last Fall, last football season, last Winter, last Formal dance, and more.   You think I'm going to soak in every moment that I can.  You betcha I am.

You can read some of my past writings by clicking here.

 
 
OVER THE RHINE at CORNERSTONE ENCORE TENT --  JULY 4, 1998

        Shortly after the fireworks had stopped over Cornerstone lake, the band took the stage and did some fireworks of their own to an appreciative audience at the Encore tent.  The show started about ten minutes after midnight.

        From left to right, Terri, Karin, and Linford stood front stage.  Linford had two keyboards stacked to his right and a cabinet for the Hammond organ in front.  In the back from left to right, Jack had a slide guitar set up, but played his Gretch most of the night, Brian was behind the glass wall on drums, and Wade hid behind Linford playing bass.

        Hair Report:
        Terri:  Up
        Karin:  Very short!  Don't know if it's a new hair style of not.
        Linford: Cut short (kinda like Good Dog, Bad Dog)  No noticiable
                 tattoos from where I was sitting, by the way.
        Jack:   Still looks like Sting.

        THE SET LIST
        (Not many surprises to regulars, but read on to the encores...)

-FAITHFULLY DANGEROUS
-TUMBLEWEEDS
        Karin plays acoustic guitar.  After the song she warns us the we
        are being used as guinea pigs for new songs.  Someone in the audience
        yells "we can't hear you!"  She coyly points to the soundboard and says,
        "Tell him."
-SEAHORSE
        Terri plays violin and Karin plays acoustic.  Haunting guitar tones
        from Jack, it was beautiful.  The song has an extended ending.
-ALL I NEED IS EVERYTHING
        Terri plays violin and Karin plays Acoustic
-ETC. WHATEVER
        Jack plays a Fender, (I think?) and Karin plays acoustic guitar.
-EVERYMAN'S DAUGHTER
        Jack on the Fender again.  Terri on violin and Karin plays acoustic.
        After the song, Karin remarks that this the first show with Jack
        being "legal" in the US.  The rest of the shows, he has been here
        on "vacation time!"
-I WILL REMEMBER
        Jack on Fender and Slide Guitar.  Brian had some nice drum work on top
        of Jack's rippin' Slide.
 
        Karin talks a little about the Cowboy Junkies tour.  She and Linford
        have just returned from Toronto rehearsing with them and doing some
        promotional work.

-MOTH
        Jack on the Gretch again.  Karin played her Red Rick.
-WHATEVER YOU SAY
        Karin back on the acoustic guitar.
-ANYWAY
        Karin talks about how this song came about from meeting her half
        sister at her father's funeral.
-POUGHKEEPSIE
        Jack on the Fender while Karin played acoustic guitar.
        Karin wishes a happy birthday to a friend named Emma.
-AND CAN IT BE
-GOODBYE
        Jack plays the Gretch and Karin plays the Red Rick.  Fools the
        audience with the fake ending as they started clapping!

ENCORE
        The crowd stood and cheered for an encore and the band obligated.
Nobody under the tent sat down again until it was all over.

-JACK'S VALENTINE
        Jack finally cuts loose on the Gretch and boy did it sound great!
        Most of the audience knew the words and voiced them along with him.
-LUCY
        Karin plays acoustic guitar.
-LATTER DAYS
        Jack plays the Fender and Terri plays violin.

SECOND ENCORE
        Karin thanks us for being guniea pigs for the new stuff and introduces
the whole band mentioning Wade Jayne's previous work with Chagall Guevara and
introducing Linford as "the man wooing women over there!"

- KARIN'S INTRO -> RHAPSODIE
- GO DOWN EASY

        After Karin's voice was raised, the mix was just right!  I had
been complaining about how loud the other concerts at Cornerstone had been,
but this show was perfect from where I was sitting.  Karin did all the
speaking, except for Jack's Valentine, but everyone seemed in good spirits
and everyone was smiling a lot.  They all seem excited about the Cowboy
Junkies tour.  Todd mentioned that Linford and Karin _might_ join the
Junkies on TV for appearances on Good Morning America and such to promote
the tour.  Keep your fingers crossed.