Eddie from Ohio's first live album, Portable EFO Show, was recorded in 1998 at the Handle Bar in Greenville, NC, and the Barns of Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA. On Three Rooms, the rooms have gotten bigger. The two-disc set was recorded at Massachusetts' Somerville Theater, the Filene Center (Wolf Trap's main stage), and Alexandria, VA's legendary Birchmere. The music has gotten bigger, too. The band brought along guitarist John Jennings, keyboardist Jon Carroll, and even a three-piece horn section to vamp things up a bit. The extra help allows the band to finally marry the energy of its live show with the textured sound of its studio recordings. At the core, as always, is EFO's trademark brand of songwriting, breathtaking vocals, and a quartet greater than the sum of its part. Three Rooms includes songs from each of their six studio albums, pulling mainly from their most recent two, Quick and Looking Out the Fishbowl. Loyal Edheads will be glad to hear some old favorites like "Step into the Outside," "Fruited Plain," and "Fly South" dusted off and revived with the added instruments. Their resurrected version of William Spivery's "Operator" (the only repeat from Portable EFO Show), now complete with horns and organ, is enough to bring out the churchgoer in everyone. The disc's only other cover proves that Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" makes a beautiful duet. The album is a good representation of the range of their live shows, moving from touching to funny and venturing briefly into the ridiculous. As per usual, one-man rhythm section Eddie Hartness is given a few minutes of solo stage time to show off his chops, a treat live that loses some of its magic on the recording. The band's usual between-song banter is there, but it has all been moved to a hidden track at the end of the album. The result is a smoother although slightly more formal listen than Portable EFO Show. If the venues and music on Three Rooms aren't proof enough that Eddie from Ohio has come a long way, the audience ought to be. Their faithful followers (growing larger by the show) are present here en masse and with them for every note, laugh, and harmony-induced chill.
© Brad Kohlenstein /TiVo