The Old 97s recently toured their new album, American Primitive, with a show at 9:30 Club, and Steve Satzberg was there to photograph the concert.
The following article is adapted from a press release.
Thirty years after the release of their powerhouse debut, Hitchhike to Rhome, alt-country pioneers Old 97’s celebrated with the release of their lucky 13th studio album, American Primitive, in April via ATO Records.
In advance of the album, singer and guitarist Rhett Miller, bassist Murry Hammond, guitarist Ken Bethea, and drummer Philip Peeples released the official video for first single “Where The Road Goes,” which features Peter Buck on guitar.
“I was in Montana and found myself on the banks of the Blackfoot River, watching the water pounding with a ferocious power, and I started building this song as a statement of gratitude for having survived this long,” Rhett said. “It revisits some of the darkest moments of my life, including a suicide attempt at age 14 that by all rights I shouldn’t have lived through and yet somehow did. In a way, it’s like a spiritual travelogue that rolls back through all the places that shaped me for better or worse, and ends up in this beautiful place that I felt so thankful to experience.”
Watch the official music video for “Where the Road Goes” by Old 97s on YouTube:
At 9:30 Club on Sept. 19, Old 97s played “Where the Road Goes” in the latter half of the set. They also performed two other new songs from American Primitive — “Falling Down” to open the show and “Western Star” early in the concert.
The show also featured crowd pleasers from Satellite Rides (2001) and Too Far to Care (1997); the encore included Satellites’ “Question” and “Rollerskate Skinny.”
Here are some photos of Old 97s performing at 9:30 Club on Sept. 19, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
