happy periwinkle days and post-Rhett swett
This stunner of a cake dates from April 2008, when I embarked on CONCERT BINGE 08, a three-day, three-show, two-state mini-extravaganza that included a Rhett Miller concert in New York and a day afterward hanging out at my loyal concert buddy Michelle’s place. Somehow, a cake was needed.
I’m not sure if last week’s Old 97’s show counts as a “happy periwinkle day,” but there was definitely Rhett swett involved again. This show started with a bit of of sellout scare the day before (hey, go Old 97’s — selling out three nights in NYC), but fortunately, tickets were released around 4 a.m. on showday, and we grabbed ours.
After a yummy dinner and thaw-out at Organic Grill, it was time to freeze once again on the walk to the Bowery Ballroom, which was all decked out in its holiday lights and finery. For some reason, the crowd was thin (and surprisingly… old!), so we grabbed front-row center. Fond memories of Wallflowers shows and waiting for hours for those coveted spots.
As the New York Times noted, the opener, Hayes Carll, was quite… Texan. He told entertaining anecdotes between songs, the lyrics went from funny to heartbreaking and back again, and the band was great. Not a bad way to pass the time until the main act!
So, front-row center. Turns out that does have its hazards — namely, getting gently rained upon by Rhett swett, which generally starts by the second song or so and only intensifies as the night goes on. We should know; we’ve tracked its progression in the official Rhett Swett Logs at previous shows. (This is the point where, in the remote chance that anyone representing the band is reading, security detail is swiftly summoned.)
No log this night, though, for we were too busy getting swept up in the energy of the show. Old 97’s live tracks have always sounded incredible, and I’ve always wondered how that would translate into real life. The answer? Yup. Every bit as energetic and rockin’ and fun as expected.
Unfortunately, I’d only bought the new album one day prior to the show, so I wasn’t too familiar with the songs yet, but they mixed in some classics like “Rollerskate Skinny” and “Big Brown Eyes,” the latter of which featured an awesome karate kick from Rhett. Once again, he did not disappoint with his trademark windmill-arm motion, his hip swiveling, or any of the other usual moves that always communicate such contagious, pure joy (or really, really impressively feigned joy, at least) on stage. Uh, and he’s still really pretty, especially up close.
We’ve seen solo Rhett many times, so it was pretty novel to see the actual Old 97’s for the first time. Despite their lack of karate kicks and hip swivels and showers of swett (how dare they), the love of playing really came through all across the stage, creating a great vibe. The crowd enthusiasm didn’t hurt, either.
Honestly, they’re the first band I want to throw at those horrible, close-minded, obnoxious people who define their music taste as “anything but country.”
Here are some photos, courtesy of Michelle. My new camera is somewhere in Amazon free-shipping purgatory and is ever-so-slowly making its way to my doorstep. Maybe I’ll get it by Valentine’s Day. In the meantime, it’s nice to have friends with working cameras!
