The Old 97’s at First Avenue, Minneapolis (09 Aug 2024)
Old 97’s Setlist
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John Buffalo, who previously worked and toured with The Deathray Davies, was personally asked to be support for Old 97’s on this tour. Buffalo explained on stage that he got open heart surgery for a hereditary condition that left him unable to play guitars or do anything to do with lifting. This led him to started writing music using synthesizers and loops and a drum machine. As a result, he created a whole all-electronic album, with songs like “Accidents,” “Who Gotta Lighter,” and “I Got This Now.”
Basically, it’s just a quirky guy and his microphone, singing over pre-recorded music and video projected on stage. He certainly made it interesting, by “acting” out the music and over exaggerating his movements. It was entertaining.
The highlight of his set was a brand-new original song that he came up, specifically for this tour. The Old 97’s band members helped him play it, I don’t know the song title, but let’s just call it “Whoo-Whoo”, as a man, dressed up as an owl, came on stage to flap his wings and sings the chorus.
He ended his set with “Why Are You Lost”, a song from the Shithouse movie in 2020. If you were wondering, it’s credited as performed by John Dufillho, which is John Buffalo’s real name.
The Old 97’s started off their set with “Falling Down”. Why that song? According to singer and guitarist Rhett Miller, you have to “start with a banger. Then follow that with two more bangers…. Three bangers—it wakes the audience up and it wakes you up.”
He actually has a whole thought process in creating his setlist, including when you should talk, and set closer… you can read all about it at his Substack.
I leave it to Emily who wrote in Nov 2013, “Bassist Murry Hammond strode out on stage, followed by drummer Philip Peeples sporting a fantastic ‘stache, singer/guitarist and dreamboat extraordinaire Rhett Miller and lead shredder Ken Bethea and they launched into a breathless two-hour set starting with the sing-along classic “Barrier Reef” from the band’s 1997 offering Too Far to Care. The Old 97s have acquired quite a following in their 20-year career and you couldn’t ask for a better audience; the energy off stage was just as potent as the energy on stage. Grown men and women were giggling like schoolchildren, grins plastered on their faces and all eyes adoringly on one of the greatest live bands ever.”
The Old 97’s new album American Primitive, available on ATO Records.
Remaining tour dates:
- 8/10 – Davenport, IA – The Raccoon Motel
- 8/11 – Kansas City, MO – Madrid Theatre
- 9/10 – Boston, MA – Royale
- 9/11 – Amherst, MA – The Drake
- 9/12 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
- 9/13 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
- 9/14 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
- 9/15 – King of Prussia, PA – Concerts Under the Stars
- 9/17 – Lititz, PA – Mickey’s Black Box
- 9/18 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Café
- 9/19 – Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
- 9/20 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
- 9/21 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
- 9/22 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
- 9/24 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
- 9/25 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room Greenville
- 9/26 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
- 9/27 – Columbia, SC – The Senate
- 9/28 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
- 9/29 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s
