Local Band:

Founded 1993, based in Dallas, TX
http://www.old97s.com/

Old 97's

Sound Description:

Sometimes rockin' out with a country twang; sometimes beautiful interlocking harmonies; sometimes power-pop at its best.

Recommended if you like:

Wilco, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, Robbie Fulks, Cheap Trick, Waco Brothers, The V-Roys, Reckless Kelly, Slobberbone

Alt-Country / Americana

Pop

Rock

Upcoming Shows

Sunday, May 26, 8:00 p.m. at Levitt Pavilion For the Performing Arts

View past local shows

Songs

Band History

For more than a decade, the Old 97's have been the golden boys of (at different times) the Dallas, alt-country, and pop rocker scenes. From playing the parking lot behind Bar of Soap to major venues around the world, the band has ridden a career roller coaster and is still hanging in there.

Decidedly alt-country on their initial release and its followup, the Old 97's were generally mentioned alongside Wilco, Son Volt and Ryan Adams as standard-bearers of the No Depression movement. But with a major label behind them in the mid-to-late ninties, the 97's veered more heavily into hooky pop. Thanks to musical trends, erratic promotion and bad single quarterbacking on the part of the label, the band never "hit it big" as so many of their fans were sure they would.

While Rhett Miller took time off to release a well-received solo album (with another on the way), the band and its several side projects forge on, best known for their electrifying live shows, as captured on 2005's Alive and Wired.

From staff reports.

Members

Rhett Miller guitar, lead vocals, vocals
Murry Hammond bass, vocals
Ken Bethea guitar, vocals
Philip Peeples drums

Sound Description

Sometimes rockin' out with a country twang; sometimes beautiful interlocking harmonies; sometimes power-pop at its best.

Influences

X, The Pixies, Merle Haggard, Jon Langford, The Kinks, Elvis Costello, The Clash

Albums by this artist

Hitchhike to Rhome Released 1994

Wreck Your Life Released 1995

Too Far To Care Released 1997

Fight Songs Released 1999

Early Tracks Released 2000

Satellite Rides Released 2001

Drag It Up Released 2004

Alive & Wired Released 2005

Blame it on Gravity Released 2008

Comments (7)
Fans (96)
Is this your band?

Mike Orren, verified:

One other little-known fact about the Old 97's:

The apostrophe / no-apostrophe question has long thwarted fans searching for the band across the internet. (See second entry here: http://old97s.com/biography/factoids....) It also seems to thwart our search engine.

So, as a reader service:

Old 97s

Old Ninety Sevens

Auld Ninety Sevens

Red Monroe!

"Old 97s"

Although the proper use is "Old 97's."

7 years, 4 months ago
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