Old 97s, Thalia Hall, Chicago, Illinois

The Old 97's are an alternative country band from Dallas. Though they’ve been around since the early 90s, I hadn’t heard of them until recently. However, I listened to a few albums and liked what I heard. Many of the band’s songs harken back to their Texas roots, though they could also be called a hometown band, having released albums on the Chicago-based Bloodshot Records label on and off since their early years.

We arrived as the show was starting. It wasn’t sold out, and while we didn’t feel the need to slide up particularly close, it was easy to find a spot with good sound and a decent view. The Old 97’s consist of Rhett Miller (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ken Bethea (lead guitar, backing and occasional lead vocals), Murry Hammond (bass guitar, backing and occasional lead vocals), and Philip Peeples (drums, backing vocals). Rhett Miller reminded me of another Texas native introduced to the world in 1993, the fictional character Randall "Pink" Floyd, as portrayed by Jason London in the Richard Linklater film Dazed and Confused (1993). Both wore tight pants, an open flowing shirt, and had long flowing brown hair.

With 18 albums under their belts, the Old 97s had a deep catalogue from which to pull. They seemed to dig deep, such that even following my attempt to learn their most commonly played songs, there were a lot that I didn’t recognize. Their set also included a handful of covers. The full band participated in the majority of the performance, though a few songs featured only Hammond on an acoustic guitar and Miller on vocals. Overall it was a fun show and despite their long career, they’re all still enthusiastic performers that are highly appreciative of their continued fan base.

Setlist:
Give It Time
What We Talk About
King of All the World
Wasted
Up the Devil's Pay
Salome
Wheels Off
Nashville
Big Brown Eyes
The Other Shoe
You Belong to My Heart [Bing Crosby cover]
Over the Cliff [Jon Langford cover]
Color of a Lonely Heart Is Blue
Longer than You've Been Alive
I'm a Trainwreck
Guadalajara
Rollerskate Skinny
White Port
Murder (Or a Heart Attack)
Barrier Reef
Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)
Most Messed Up
Encore:
Most in the Summertime [Rhett Miller song]
Valentine
Wish the Worst
Let's Get Drunk & Get It On
Timebomb