After 18 years as a band the Old 97’s may be getting older, but they still electrify a stage and captivate an audience.
New West recording artists Old 97’s have hit the road to promote their eighth full length studio album, The Grand Theatre, Vol. One. For a super fan of their material, shows these days can be less satisfying as their vast catalog often leaves their setlist void of a few fan favorites. That wasn’t the case this time around. They played new cuts “Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)” and “You Smoke Too Much,” vault tracks “Indefinitely” and “Smoker,” and classics like “Wish The Worst,” “Four Leaf Clover,” and “Rollerskate Skinny.”
Towards the end of the six song encore, lead guitarist Ken Bethea called an “audible” and started riffing on the first few chords of the Cramps classic “New Kind of Kick.” The band followed suit and it slayed. During the show closer “Time Bomb,” frontman Rhett Miller rocked so hard that actually looked dizzy and bewildered on his way off the stage.
The 97’s have always been an amazing live band but they seem to be getting better with age. The show Friday night at the Music Box in Los Angeles was polished and professional… exactly what you’d expect from a group of guys playing together for almost 20 years.
