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Arts & Entertainment
 

Old 97's still know how to rock

By Barrett Goldsmith
The Daily Cougar

It's about time. 

After a two-year break from touring and recording, the Old 97's are back with a new album and a national tour, and tonight the band will bring its tangy Texas twang to Houston for a 7 p.m. show at the Meridian, 1503 Chartres Street. 

Following the release of its fifth album, Satellite Rides, the alt-country quartet took a breather, allowing its members to become family men. Frontman Rhett Miller, whose lilting drawl and aw-shucks lyrics provided the 97's distinctive flavor, recorded a solo album, The Instigator, which was an artistic if not commercial success. 

Now the band is a little bit older and a little bit wiser, with wives and kids and homeowners' insurance. But if the band's most recent album, Drag it Up, is any indication, the Old 97's still know how to rock with the young 'uns. 

The album, which hits stores Tuesday, recalls the band's first few albums with a honky-tonk disposition and a few delicious country hams mixed in with some of the more pop-friendly Miller tunes. 

But the Old 97's have never been recording artists -- this is a live band, and very few artists can match the energy created at an Old 97's concert. And the natives of Ft. Worth always save their best shows for the Lone Star State. 

Tonight's outing at the Meridian should be no different. Expect a palpable energy and an almost manic intensity from the band. Miller, bassist Murry Hammond, lead guitarist Ken Bethea and drummer Phillip Peebles never let up from their pounding, riffing and cavorting across the stage. 

Expect tracks from the new album, well-known hits from previous albums and a few hidden gems from demos and bootleg recordings. Miller and Co. infuse every lick with the same end-of-the-world urgency and old-time showmanship.

And above all, expect a band that's a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll. Whatever label you want to tag onto their unique sound, the only label that matters is the label of Grade A premium Angus rock music.

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