930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: TheNomad on January 19, 2004, 12:09:00 pm
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So, other than Rhett, who's going?
Anyone tempted to sell their tickets for $40 to the guy on the tickets wanted page? For $40 you could go see 8 shitty Black Cat shows.
Friday night, Old 97's, I might need to drink 30 beers.
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I have to miss it. I'd love to go, but can't -- am headed out of town for my first skiing trip ever. And, it helps that I get to miss a Rhett siting...
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whoops, did not get my tickets
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Originally posted by Stuart Ransom Miller:
Anyone tempted to sell their tickets for $40 to the guy on the tickets wanted page? For $40 you could go see 8 shitty Black Cat shows.
Or one shitty Old 97's show.
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me neither... i was originally going to la to see the sugarplastic, but work and low fundage got in the way.
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I didnt get mine either, I didnt fancy shows 3 nights in a row. I guess this makes my decision easy. Gomez and Starsailor it is for me.
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Sold our extra one ticket for $15. Wouldn't sell the other two for $100 each...
Here's the set list for the Chicago show Friday night (taken from an Old 97's message board) (why he needed to do two songs off of the solo album after playing Chicago at least 8 or 9 times solo is beyond me):
Victoria
Barrier
Smokers (a Murry song with the refrain "she's a singer, I'm a smoker")
Streets of Where I'm From
Won't (be home no more)
Buick
WTX Teardrops
Indef (complete with audience participation)
Cliff (Rhett flubbed the lyrics, so we didn't get to yell "asshole")
Salome
Let the Train Whistle Blow(Johnny Cash cover)
Moonlight (previously a Ranchero's tune?)
Designs
Dressing (with Ken singing backup!)
Devil's
Big Brown Eyes
Doreen
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2 Rhett acoustic: The El & Come Around
Val (Murry, an acoustic guitar, and Rhett's backup--hello goosebumps!)
Shoe (didn't play)
Indef (written twice, didn't play this time)
Time
Lonely Holiday was in there somewhere too, but not written on the
list...
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Here's the set list for the Chicago show Friday night (taken from an Old 97's message board)
hmm, this seems like a shorter set than has been reported elsewhere, with fewer "new" songs ... maybe they shortened it in Chicago because Rhett has played there so many times, and they'll give DC a little more love? a boy can always dream...
I'm in, for what it's worth.
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It was a late show, there was another 3 band bill at the club earlier the same night...so it's quite possible the set time was shorter...i was thinking the same thing.
Chicago only had one opener, the damnwells. make sure you get to Friday's show early. Murry's wife Grey Delisle plays some tasty country tunes, with Murry on bass, and former Lone Justice member Marvin Etzioni stealing the show on mandolin.
Originally posted by MiloGTC:
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Here's the set list for the Chicago show Friday night (taken from an Old 97's message board)
hmm, this seems like a shorter set than has been reported elsewhere, with fewer "new" songs ... maybe they shortened it in Chicago because Rhett has played there so many times, and they'll give DC a little more love? a boy can always dream...
I'm in, for what it's worth. [/b]
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i'll be there. and at starsailor the night after, and perhaps gomez the night prior to rhett and the boys.
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Well since i'm doing absolutely nothing that night i'm thinkin' i'm not gonna go to the show.
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As much as I'd like to see the Old 97s, I'll be too busy hobnobbing with the Sundance glitterati on the slopes of Park City.
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fundage [/QB]
What is that? A fudge sundae?
I'm in. Sold the extra ticket I had...sorry.
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I'm going....
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Originally posted by mankie:
Or one shitty Old 97's show. [/b]
hehe. how did this show sell out anyway? i thought drug use was down in DC last year!
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Originally posted by Rob_Gee_a.k.a _Guiny:
Well since i'm doing absolutely nothing that night i'm thinkin' i'm not gonna go to the show.
Damn! And here I didn't buy a ticket thinking that I'd save that one extra just for you.
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The Minneapolis setlist:
Barrier Reef
Rollerskate Skinny
Busted Afternoon
Smoker
Won't Be Home No More
Broadway
Lonely Holiday
W. TX. Teardrops
Singular Girl
Doreen
Wish the Worst
Up the Devil's Pay
Bloomington
Dressing Room Walls
Crash on the Barrelhead
Murder or a Heart Attack
4 Leaf Clover
(Encore)
Our Love
Come Around
Mama Tried
Niteclub
Big Brown Eyes
Timebomb
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Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
As much as I'd like to see the Old 97s, I'll be too busy hobnobbing with the Sundance glitterati on the slopes of Park City.
say hi to Robert Redford and Ben Affleck for me
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I'll be there, thanks to my girlfriend and her pretty thoughtful X-mas presents.
GGW, when did you head out to Sundance? I just got back last night, but only managed to catch a 2 movies, since the skiing was so much fun.
I also managed to see Hank Azaria in a bar in Park City, which was kind of cool.
Originally posted by Celeste:
Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
As much as I'd like to see the Old 97s, I'll be too busy hobnobbing with the Sundance glitterati on the slopes of Park City.
say hi to Robert Redford and Ben Affleck for me [/b]
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Originally posted by nkotbie:
GGW, when did you head out to Sundance? I just got back last night, but only managed to catch a 2 movies, since the skiing was so much fun.
I'll be out there on Friday. I doubt I'll see any movies. I'm going for the skiing.
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
The Minneapolis setlist:
Well, if they were going to do two songs from the solo record, they could do a lot worse than "Our Love" and "Come Around." I'm still betting we'll see a longer setlist, but it's probably a fool's bet.
Was anyone else here at the Recher show a few years ago, when they played for, like, an hour and a half with three encores?
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I was at that Recher show. IMO, the best show I've seen them do. Well, maybe not quite as good as the first time I saw them, which was in a very small club in NC on the Too Far to Care tour. Ryan Adams was one of the audience members standing near me at that show.
Originally posted by MiloGTC:
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
The Minneapolis setlist:
Well, if they were going to do two songs from the solo record, they could do a lot worse than "Our Love" and "Come Around." I'm still betting we'll see a longer setlist, but it's probably a fool's bet.
Was anyone else here at the Recher show a few years ago, when they played for, like, an hour and a half with three encores? [/b]
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Originally posted by Jaguär:
Originally posted by Rob_Gee_a.k.a _Guiny:
Well since i'm doing absolutely nothing that night i'm thinkin' i'm not gonna go to the show.
Damn! And here I didn't buy a ticket thinking that I'd save that one extra just for you. [/b]
Thanx for thinkin' of me Jags.
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Originally posted by MiloGTC
Was anyone else here at the Recher show a few years ago, when they played for, like, an hour and a half with three encores? [/QB]
Well according to people that post here, encores suck, so with three i'm sure most people woulda hated that show.
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Old 97's
January 19, 2004
BY ANDERS SMITH LINDALL
In the big picture, the Old 97's weren't really gone that long. Only three years passed between the band's last album and its return to Chicago, and in the interim, ringleader Rhett Miller was a regular presence on local stages and radio waves.
All the same, fans treated the band's Saturday show at Metro like an event. Well ahead of the date they snapped up tickets or clamored for extras in online forums; come showtime, they lined up around the block in bitter cold.
Anyone who thought all of this a bit excessive should have seen the band in action. On the third night of a 10-date tour that precedes their return to the recording studio -- in Woodstock, where they'll track tunes for an album on New West Records -- the Texas-bred four-piece didn't disappoint.
They also didn't waste any time. One swaggering lick from lead guitarist Ken Bethea launched the band into "Victoria," and the crowd into a lusty sing-along that mostly drowned out Miller; over the next 90-plus minutes, the last echoes of one tune barely died away before drummer Philip Peeples was rapping out a rhythm for the next. The late-night set -- which started after 1 a.m. and didn't end until nearly 3 -- drew from every corner of the band's catalog but emphasized songs from the band's beloved 1995 disc "Wreck Your Life" and its follow-up, "Too Far To Care."
Not all of that was flawless, of course; the 97's naturally showed some rust. Almost off the top Miller flubbed a few lines of "Rollerskate Skinny," and later Peeples rushed the intro of bass man Murry Hammond's Johnny Cash cover, "Let the Train Blow the Whistle." But nobody was too picky, so they just grinned and blasted past the rough spots.
Frankly, the time off -- which Miller used to make a solo record, while he and others explored such side projects as marriage and kids -- has done the band a world of good. Although 1999's "Fight Songs" and 2001's "Satellite Rides" blazed modest radio inroads and made Miller a geek-rock poster boy, they lacked the spark of the band's beloved "Wreck Your Life" -- a disc that launched both the band and Bloodshot Records to wider acclaim.
Saturday's set included plenty of references to those early days. Miller introduced "Dressing Room Walls" with an anecdote about writing it in the basement at Lounge Ax, and he needled Jon Langford before banging out an aptly rowdy version of his "Over the Cliff."
Fueled by their second-home affinity for our fair city, the nostalgia was nice. But warm and fuzzy only goes so far, so the best part of the electric evening was its promise for the future. Judging by the few tunes the 97's debuted -- including an uncharacteristic riff-rocker called "Smokers" from Hammond, Miller's low-key lament "The Moonlight" and especially the signature witty wordplay of "Won't Be Home No More" -- the recharged band's horizons look bright.
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I'll be there with a few friends in tow - I'm glad I got up off my ass and got tix for this one - I can't fucking believe I'm not going to be at the Shins....oh well
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Man, when was the last time the ticket board got this much action?
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Justin Timberlake
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The setlist for the Indiana show was also 22-23 songs in length. Notably, it contained a song sung by guitarist Ken Bethea, who has not sung on any of their albums as of yet.
Originally posted by MiloGTC:
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
The Minneapolis setlist:
Well, if they were going to do two songs from the solo record, they could do a lot worse than "Our Love" and "Come Around." I'm still betting we'll see a longer setlist, but it's probably a fool's bet.
Was anyone else here at the Recher show a few years ago, when they played for, like, an hour and a half with three encores? [/b]
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Originally posted by ggw™:
[I'll be out there on Friday. I doubt I'll see any movies. I'm going for the skiing. [/QB]
You might want to take time to see this while your there: One critic's comments from Sundance on Ondi Timoner's DIG:
The best documentary I've seen so far is Ondi Timoner's DIG! Shot over a period of seven years, it's about a curiously obsessive competition between the charismatic stars of two '60s retro bands -- the genius-y, aggressively self-destructive Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and the not-quite-as-gifted, certainly more career-savvy Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols.
Boiled down, the film is basically about the goal of making beautiful art vs. attaining industry prominence and success.
Timoner examines the limits of bad behavior (i.e., Newcombe's) as he rails against various rock-industry scenesters and environments, and does a solid job of charting the stylistic and political differences between Newcombe being hell-bent on creating awesome sounds vs. Taylor being a bit more devoted to commercially making it, perhaps, than coaxing a smile out of God with one or more of his songs.
Timoner provides a fascinating journey into both the gritty day-to-day routine of bands trying to get over and make it happen, and the trippy-antsy psychology driving their two leaders. There's an understandable emphasis on Newcombe's shenanigans (arguments with band members and his manager, fights with audience members, a bad heroin habit), since they're more entertaining than Taylor's, who isn't whacked as much as driven and intense.
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Let's stickk to good music on this thread. :)
Originally posted by SPARX:
Originally posted by ggw™:
[I'll be out there on Friday. I doubt I'll see any movies. I'm going for the skiing. [/b]
You might want to take time to see this while your there: One critic's comments from Sundance on Ondi Timoner's DIG:
The best documentary I've seen so far is Ondi Timoner's DIG! Shot over a period of seven years, it's about a curiously obsessive competition between the charismatic stars of two '60s retro bands -- the genius-y, aggressively self-destructive Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and the not-quite-as-gifted, certainly more career-savvy Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols.
Boiled down, the film is basically about the goal of making beautiful art vs. attaining industry prominence and success.
Timoner examines the limits of bad behavior (i.e., Newcombe's) as he rails against various rock-industry scenesters and environments, and does a solid job of charting the stylistic and political differences between Newcombe being hell-bent on creating awesome sounds vs. Taylor being a bit more devoted to commercially making it, perhaps, than coaxing a smile out of God with one or more of his songs.
Timoner provides a fascinating journey into both the gritty day-to-day routine of bands trying to get over and make it happen, and the trippy-antsy psychology driving their two leaders. There's an understandable emphasis on Newcombe's shenanigans (arguments with band members and his manager, fights with audience members, a bad heroin habit), since they're more entertaining than Taylor's, who isn't whacked as much as driven and intense. [/QB]
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Man, when was the last time the ticket board got this much action?
What's with all the "big fans" waiting until the last minute to get tickets? I barely know anything about these guys, but I knew that they were certainly gonna sell out early. It's not like the tickets cost $100 and they had to save their money for months, and it's not like they sold out immediately. Tickets were available for weeks.
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I think they've headlined the 9:30 Club a couple of times, and this is the first time they've sold out. (club staff correct me if I'm wrong) I don't even think the Wilco/Old 97's double bill sold out.
Plus, they don't have an album out, and haven't in several years, so they're not really in the public eye. Also, Rhett's solo album didn't do that well, and he never headlined a club larger than the Black Cat.
I was slightly surprised they sold out, but not that surprised. Anybody who has seen them once will probably want to see them again and again.
Originally posted by Skeeter:
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Man, when was the last time the ticket board got this much action?
What's with all the "big fans" waiting until the last minute to get tickets? I barely know anything about these guys, but I knew that they were certainly gonna sell out early. It's not like the tickets cost $100 and they had to save their money for months, and it's not like they sold out immediately. Tickets were available for weeks. [/b]
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So do you think there will be any movie stars in Telluride, or just Park City?!?
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http://rhettmiller.com/photos.html (http://rhettmiller.com/photos.html)
even better, rock stars. scroll down, you'll see a glimpse of Rhett skiing with John Doe at Telluride.
Originally posted by Bags:
So do you think there will be any movie stars in Telluride, or just Park City?!?
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Old 97's strut some new stuff
â?¢ Where: The Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave.
â?¢ Bottom line: Old friends return to roots.
By David Lindquist
January 21, 2004
A feeling of renewed hope filled the Vogue nightclub Monday as the Old 97's delivered a rollicking performance of roots-rock yarns.
Many observers assumed this band was history after singer-songwriter Rhett Miller issued a solo album in 2002. But the quartet is back together and kicking tail (despite some random rustiness heard in botched lyrics and misplayed notes).
The Old 97's make music so spirited and polished, you might think you're catching the Beatles circa 1965 -- had the Fab Four hailed from Dallas instead of Liverpool and been followers of Johnny Cash, not skiffle pioneer Lonnie Donegan.
To underscore the comparison, Miller captivated the crowd with an unplugged rendition of "Question," his tender and melodic cousin of John Lennon's "Norwegian Wood."
Miller also has looks to rival a young Paul McCartney and the charismatic insight of author J.D. Salinger, who happened to inspire the "Catcher in the Rye"-themed "Rollerskate Skinny" from the band's last studio album.
At the same time, if the Old 97's are so good, why aren't they superstars? The quick answer is that the band's idiom of country-meets-rock- Americana never caught on with the mainstream. Artists such as Lucinda Williams and the Jayhawks have made brilliant albums, but they have yet to earn a platinum sales award.
Miller, bass player Murry Hammond, guitarist Ken Bethea and drummer Philip Peeples recorded five albums from 1994 to 2001. Thanks to sustained support from one mid-level radio station, WTTS-FM (92.3), Indianapolis ranks as an Old 97's town.
A new album is expected later this year, and the band previewed four compositions on Monday. Miller sang one dark rocker about restless travel and a breezy tune that seems to be titled "Bloomington." The latter, which recounts an afternoon spent with a pretty girl in a park, should be a crowd-pleaser in any number of same-named cities.
It was a rarity to see and hear Bethea sing lead. After revealing a case of nerves through awkward and rambling banter, he let rip a self-deprecating ditty: "I'm sittin' here suckin' on my cavity, thinking of things you used to say to me -- tragedy."
Hammond -- the band's winning X-factor because of his ability to yodel and generally summon that high, lonesome sound -- unveiled "Smoker," a jaunty tale suggestive of They Might Be Giants in a European folk mood.
Still, for all the twangy adornments and Miller's recent penchant for polite pop, the live 97's galvanize into a rough-and-ready crew. Anyone on hand for the final sprint of "Barrier Reef," "Big Brown Eyes" and "Timebomb" will tell you that.
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cleveland setlist...wow i hope WE get 8 songs from Too Far To Care...
It was really a great show, and the new songs sound
fantastic. I am really excited for the new album!
They played for about 2 hours, sounded fabulous and
looked like they were having a great time. They
played, in no particular order:
-Doreen
-Big Brown Eyes
-Dressing Room Walls
-Lonely Holiday
-Crash On The Barrelhead
-Valentine
-King Of All The World
-Rollerskate Skinny
-Buick City Complex
-Up The Devil's Pay
-Designs On You
-Four Leaf Clover
-Stoned
-Timebomb
-Barrier Reef
-Salome
-W. TX Teardrops
-Curtain Calls
-Niteclub
-4 or 5 new songs, sorry I don't know the titles (I
think one was "Smoker")
-Rhett also did acoustic versions of Our Love and Come
Around
Sorry about the lack of order. They opened with
Stoned, closed with Timebomb, and everything in
between was pure unadulterated joy.
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Philly got 27 songs last night...
Hands Off
Barrier Reef
Rollerskate Skinny
W. TX Teardrops
Lonely Holiday
Just Like California
Designs on You
Smoker
Ken's song
Doreen
Wish the Worst
Up the Devil's Pay
Jagged
Valium Waltz
The Very Same Moonlight
Crash on the Barrelhead
Streets of Where I'm From
Melt Show
Four Leaf Clover
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Question (Rhett solo)
Come Around (Rhett solo)
Valentine (Murry and Rhett)
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Indefinitely
Murder (Or a Heart Attack)
Big Brown Eyes
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Dressing Room Walls
Timebomb
Note: For Rhett's solo bit, he started to play "Our Love," but people
shouting for "Question" made him change his mind. The new songs were
very well received, especially "Smoker." The crowd wanted another
encore -- "Nineteen" was a bit of a rallying cry up front -- but it
was not to be.
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someone please post a review and set list for tonight. i just sold my ticket. my lungs are not fully recovered so i'm fucked if i go tonight and am packed in a smoke filled club for 3+ hours. i never thought i'd say this, but i'd be willing to support a smoking ban. :eek:
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Don't have a setlist, but I had a good time. It is a weird point of view for me because I saw Rhett solo 3 times before I ever saw the band together, and I think he had more energy when he was solo. But songs like Timebomb, Murder or a heart attack, four leaf clover and Barrier Reef are really fantastic with the full band. I still have yet to hear Rhett or the band to do Oppenheimer Road, which I would really like to hear live, it is cheesy, but I like it. I will be interested to hear how people who have seen them before say this show compares. I thought the set dragged occasionally, and was not real fond of the new songs, but that could change as they play and I hear them more. Was good to hear Crash on the Barrelhead, would like to have hear Niteclub as well.
I will be happy if I never see Alex Dezen or the Damnwells ever again, no idea why Rhett keeps touring with them. And I found Grey Delisle annoying at times, but a couple of her songs were not bad.
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They were a little rusty, but still great. I'll post the setlist and more thoughts tomorrow.
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Agreed! Heard a few bumps in couple of places but thought last night was great. And it hadn't snowed much so the drive back home wasn't bad.
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Well 9:15 came, and no Grey Delisle. Then 9:30, 10:00, and no Grey. My wife said she was probably somewhere doing her makeup. 10:15 came and on came that quartet of dullards known as the damnwells. I'm not sure why Rhett is friends with these guys, unless he has a secret thing for bad Goo Goo Dolls ripoff bands. And there really is no accounting for why anyone would like a band like this.
Then Grey managed to show up (just arrive via plane, did her makeup in the airport bathroom) with husband Murry on acoustic guitar and former Lone Justice dude Marvin Etzioni on mandolin in tow. She was enjoyable, but not "amazing" as the girl standing next to me proclaimed. Not nearly as enjoyable as at Bumbershoot, when she had a lead guitarist, Murray on bass, and a drummer, and when Marvin really cut loose and hammed it up.
The 97's took the stage at 12 and played until about 1:45. Some general thoughts...it really sucks when the guy next to you insists on twirling his ugly girlfriend around and ramming her into you throughout the show. And it sucks when she inisists on resting her head on your back and shoulders, as well as your wifes back and shoulders...
Ok, thoughts about the show. Much, much, much better than Rhett Miller and the Instigators. Ken's guitar work and Murry's harmony and lead vocals push them from being a good band to being a great band. Comparing the 97's to Rhett solo acoustic is like apples and oranges. Wouldn't expect or want Rhett to have the same energy level as when solo. They were a little rusty, Rhett flubbed some lines here and there. Rhett seems like such a happy guy, You wonder if he ever has a bad day, or even just a bad hair day.
Rhett seems to compliment each city he plays in. He calls Austin and Madison his favorite cities in America. He said something similiar in Seattle. Chicago is like their second home. Philly "fucking rocks". His compliment of DC seemed rather tepid by comparison, "People say DC is an ornery city, but y'all seem rather hospitable". "That's because we're Republicans" replied the icky people next to us.
So for comparisons...Can't remember how many times I've seen them now, but I would compare it in quality to their last headlining gig at the 9:30. Not as good as when I saw them in North Carolina on the Too Far to Care tour, and Rhett gave a shout out to Ryan Adams, who was sitting at the bar. And not as good as when I saw them at the Recher on the SR tour and the setlist was more heavily Wreck Your Life-centric. I think live they sound better doing stuff from the first three albums, and a bit more lame doing stuff from Satelite and Fight Songs. Thus, it was disappointing that they only played 2.5 songs off of their first two albums (Big Brown Eyes was on both albums 2 and 3), whereas in Chicago they played four songs off of Wreck Your Life alone (perhaps a nod to it being their one full Bloodshot album, and Bloodshot being in Chicago). They did a fair share of songs off of my favorite album, Too Far to Care, but less than the eight that Philly got.
They played four new songs. My favorite was "Smoker" with Murry on lead. Also enjoyed Ken's singing debut, and the faster of the two new ones Rhett did.
Favorites were all of the songs off of Too Far to Care album, and the duet on Valentine. Really really wish they had done Victoria and the Other Shoe off of Wreck Your Life.\\\\
Oh, and Ken was wearing a t-shirt of their friends the Deathray Davies, for anyone who might care.
The setlist:
St Ignatius
Rollerskate Skinny
Busted Afternoon
West Texas Teardrops
Streets of Where I'm From
Buick City Complex
Singular Girl
Smoker? (new, Murry vocal)
Coehla? (new, Ken vocal)
Doreen
Salome
Up the Devils Pay
Lonely Holiday
Denton Town? (new, Rhett vocal)
Won't be Home No More (new, Rhett vocal)
Crash on the Barrelhead
King of All the World
4 LEaf Clover
---
Question (Rhettt solo, was a request by a couple...the guy proposed, girl said yes...saved us from hearing "come Around")
Our Love (Rhett solo)
Valentine (Murry and Rhett duet)
---
Barrier Reef
Designs on You
Big Brown Eyes
---
Murder or a Heart Attack
Timebomb
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Thanks for the review and setlist Rhett....minor point. NOBODY FUCKING CARES! ;)
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the guy next to Kosmo and I said, "last time they had the worst fucking band ever open, the Deathray Davies", now I have never actually listened to the Deathray Davies, but I was not about to take this guys review seriously
and I like oranges more than apples :D
and by energy I dont just mean he jumped around less, he hit the spots in the a lot of the songs with less emphasis, he did not spit as much ;)
I also enjoyed Valentine
this was one of those shows which I had very high hopes for, probably also because I did not think I would be able to go for a little while, so there was no way it would have lived up to my expectations, but was very good show, and I heard a lot of "wow, that was great" on the way out, so people were happy
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I saw Deathray Davies at the Vevet Lounge after the 9:30 club Sex Pistols show (there were *maybe* 20 people there). We thought they were great -- a different vibe, maybe, than the Old 97s. 60s influenced, heavy bass and guitar rocker tunes. I think it may be at some shows, like the Old 97s, some fans are so in to the band they're there to see, that they're not all that open to any openers.
If they come through town again, I'll be there to see them.
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Originally posted by mankie:
Thanks for the review and setlist Rhett....minor point. NOBODY FUCKING CARES! ;)
I second that. ;)
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good gig - late though for a 9.30 club show - the new Smoker song is class
Only the second time I've seen them but thought they were excellent and really seemed to be having a lot of fun up there
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Props to whoever was dj'ing as well...
The Old 97's drummer and one of the Deathray Davies guys are in a side project together. called I Love Math. They'll be playing SxSW.
I expect the next 97's show to be better...after they've been back together awhile...
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Rhett, I've got a question for you. Since you've seen them well before the real Rhett had become some goddamned pretty, did he always toss his head back and forth like that? I know it's a minor point, but his movements seemed very conducive to letting his locks fly. Seemed odd to me that he would do that with the short haircut he used to sport.
Anyway, I had a great time at the show. They played just about every song I would've wanted to hear (with the except maybe of Victoria and Over the Cliff). I too had a pretty annoying couple next to me, who were drunk and dancing so badly I couldn't help but laugh. But hey, at least they knew the songs. And I'd like to give a quick thanks to our Rhett for going on and on about the 97's in the first place. I wouldn't have checked them out without your constant droning on about them ;)
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Thanks, NKOTBIE. glad I was able to help make a fan of you, and a few of others as well. I've always said that of all the alt-country bands, the Old 97's probably have the most appeal to the casual or the alt-country nonfan.
To answer your question, when I first saw then in '97 (of all years) on the TFTC tour, Rhett had a longish, pseudo-grunge style haircut (kind of long and unlayered, longer in the front than back). The headshake worked well with that 'do. Back then, he wore oversized 80's style geek glasses and looked really dorky (which i thought was more endearing than the pretyboy look). Guess he decided to go with the contacts because his glasses would get so steamed up he couldn't see what he was doing. The he cut it short and preppy about the time of Fight Songs, and he still did the headshaking, but lacked the hair to toss around.
If you have Hitchhike to Rhome, you'll notice he was a complete dork with a short buzz cut. (though i read that he had really long hair that he wore in a pony tail in high school).
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The Post review...
Old 97's
Bands are often torn asunder by members who have different ideas of what the group should sound like. So far, the Old 97's have escaped that fate, choosing instead to give equal time to guitarist and singer Rhett Miller's gritty rock tastes and poppier instincts and bassist and singer Murry Hammond's more countrified leanings.
At a sold-out 9:30 club Friday night, the appealingly scruffy Dallas band played a lengthy and fervent set that neatly combined the two styles into a satisfyingly organic, and at times mess-of-fun, whole. It was after midnight when the band came onstage and just before 2 a.m. when it left for the last time. In between, it sated the desire of rowdy fans that have had to wait a couple of years since the band last toured. (Miller, who recorded a solo album in 2002, has toured more recently.)
Opening with the aching "St. Ignatius," Miller gave voice to despair, singing, "Someday when we're older, deep in loneliness / Things we said today won't matter, no one could care less." That bit of darkness gave way to brasher tunes such as "Rollerskate Skinny" and such rave-ups as "King of All the World," "Singular" and the caterwauling, punky-tonk "Doreen." And in one of those "Aw, ain't that nice" moments, he dedicated "Question" -- a sweet song about getting engaged -- to Brian and Heather, a presumably newly betrothed couple in the crowd. Hammond took lead vocals on alt-country fare including "W. TX Teardrops," "Crash on the Barrelhead" and the exquisitely sad and lovely "Valentine."
Despite their clearly different tastes, Miller and Hammond seem to be complements of each other. Along with drummer Philip Peeples and guitarist Ken Bethea, they produce a sturdy, impressive sound all their own. Soon the band will head to the studio to record a new album -- its first since 2001's "Satellite Rides" -- and its strong songwriting along with a willingness to experiment and accommodate a variety of directions and interests almost ensures a favorable result.
-- Joe Heim
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Originally posted by SPARX:
You might want to take time to see this while your there: One critic's comments from Sundance on Ondi Timoner's DIG:
The best documentary I've seen so far is Ondi Timoner's DIG! Shot over a period of seven years, it's about a curiously obsessive competition between the charismatic stars of two '60s retro bands -- the genius-y, aggressively self-destructive Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and the not-quite-as-gifted, certainly more career-savvy Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols.
Boiled down, the film is basically about the goal of making beautiful art vs. attaining industry prominence and success.
Timoner examines the limits of bad behavior (i.e., Newcombe's) as he rails against various rock-industry scenesters and environments, and does a solid job of charting the stylistic and political differences between Newcombe being hell-bent on creating awesome sounds vs. Taylor being a bit more devoted to commercially making it, perhaps, than coaxing a smile out of God with one or more of his songs.
Timoner provides a fascinating journey into both the gritty day-to-day routine of bands trying to get over and make it happen, and the trippy-antsy psychology driving their two leaders. There's an understandable emphasis on Newcombe's shenanigans (arguments with band members and his manager, fights with audience members, a bad heroin habit), since they're more entertaining than Taylor's, who isn't whacked as much as driven and intense.
I don't know if you heard, but DIG! won the Grand Jury Prize in the documentary category.
The movie was bought and will be released in theatres later this year.
How cool is that?