eTOWN - OVER THE RHINE & MAX GOMEZ

One of Boulder's gems is eTown.  You can read all about eTown at their "new and improved website" http://www.etown.org/

"eTown is a place where music brings us all together and we work (and play) together to make things better.  eTown is also an independent radio program that seamlessly blends great live music from top musicians with conversation about the health and welfare of our communities. eTown has been on the air from coast to coast for more than two decades. The shows are recorded in front of a live audience, usually in eTown’s own solar powered theater, eTown Hall, in downtown Boulder, Colorado."

 

 eTown Hall on Spruce Street, about 12 blocks from our place

The eTown Venue - An Intimate 200 Seat Hall - Former Church!

Downstairs at the eTown Hall - A Nice Gathering Place

eTown Founders & Hosts - Nick and Helen Forster

" As eTown’s host, Nick nimbly walks the line between musician and radio journalist/host, playing guitar, mandolin or lap steel with world-class musical guests then switching gears to engage those artists in conversation live on stage.  As eTown’s co-host, Helen lends her golden-toned voice to both the spoken word and the musical portions of the show."

Last Monday evening, we spent a very pleasant two hours at eTown Hall with the Forsters and guests Over the Rhine and Max Gomez.  

 Linford Detweiler & Karin Bergquist

You can read a lot on line about Over the Rhine, their 20+ albums, tours, etc., but one interesting tidbit is the Ohio-Menno background of Linford.  One of the songs they sang made reference to Holmes County, which is where Rhonda was born.  The opening verse:

My father’s body lies beneath the snow
High on a hill in Holmes County, Ohio
From there you can look out across the fields
A farmer guides his horses home as day to darkness bends
And finally yields

Only after the concert did we learn that our daughter is an Over the Rhine fan - here is one of her favorite songs:

A Session With Over The Rhine

The second guest performer was Max Gomez from Taos, and we very much enjoyed his music and his wry sense of humor. 

The 2-hour event will be edited down to a one hour program for radio that should be broadcast around mid-December - I highly recommend that you try to catch it on your local NPR station - the finale, with Over the Rhine, Max Gomez, the eChievement award winner, 15 year old Corinne Hindes, on flute, Nick and Helen, and the eTown House Band is particularly memorable.