Anticipation relieved...

Well....I'm officially in the Christmas mood. What caused this, you may ask? It snowed AND accumulated. Friday night was the Over the Rhine Christmas show at the Taft in Cincinnati. Enough said.

Well, not really. I must explain why the OTR show makes my holiday every December. This is all wrapped up into a tradition started last year when we were scanning downtown Cinci for a hole-in-the-wall place to grab a bite to eat. Well, that is exactly what we found. Campanello's Italian Restaurant. You walk into a family when you eat there. Nick, our waiter, just makes the experience and keeps you on your toes. The radio (in the corner with 8 tracks on top of it) plays old 80s tunes that just beg you to sing along. *anyone got oversized crab claws to wave around aka My Best Friend's Wedding....) After deciding your Italian fate for the night, you are taken back to a bygone era as you chat and laugh and wait for Nick to walk by with a satirical comment. But don't forget to leave room for the Tirimasu....I hear it's out of this world.....

We bundle up and drive over to the Taft Theatre. Now, the theatre is just an experience in itself. A historical work of art on East 5th street. The architecture just takes your breath away while simultaneously welcoming you into it's charm. There is just something about OTR fans. There is a huge array of people/styles...but they all feel like family. I've never seen fans of a band gather like this. We show our tickets and head into the theatre as Susan Enan with her authentic Irish accent is filling the room. One more opening act, Pedro the Lion, until our couple takes the stage.

Aah...Here comes the band. Karin and Linford look adorable as always....and Linford is sporting the sweetest hat that looks at home on his head. Now it's Christmas. OTR takes me away to another place, transforms the everyday world into a place where I'm understood, welcomed, and things are right. The whole stage was filled with red and white roses, and candlelight. The music was a sampling from a lot of their albums. The Christmas songs were garnished with a bit of OTR twist. The best thing about OTR shows is the way Karin and Linford interact. They are such a special couple, so appreciative of each other, so full of fun and life and words. While Karin sings Linford playes piano and constantly glances at her as if to say "yes...that is my beautiful, talented, wife...and I get to take her home with me." Karin did a wonderful version on Hallelujia that just blew me away.

After a rousing encore, we gather together and leave the Taft....stopping for a picture under the masthead (which did NOT say Over The Rhine anymore!). And couldn't help but cross the street and frolick in the trees covered in white lights. We took a ton of fun pictures and acted like children....the children that we know we are deep down inside. The only thing that could have made the evening more perfect would have been a warm Starbuck's beverage grasped in my chilly hand. ( I think my new favorite is Chai Latte.)

There is more to my amazing weekend...but that's all I have time for right now.....