Old 97s at the Codfish Hollow Barn -- June 24.
Wednesday, June 24, 8 p.m.
Codfish Hollow Barn, 5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa IA
Praised by Americana Highways as "consistently exciting and rambunctious," delivering "alt-country with a little garage-rock grunge," the touring talents of Old 97's headline a June 24 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, Glide magazine adding to the band's numerous raves by saying the musicians "come off as down to earth in a rock subgenre that's rarely grounded.."
As stated at AllMusic.com: "One of the most enduring bands in the alt-country community, the Old 97's merge power pop melodies with a classic country feel, anchored by the rock-solid twang of guitarist Ken Bethea and the emotive vocals of Rhett Miller, whose tales of romantic misadventure hit a sweet spot between yearning and swagger.
"Old 97's made their Elektra debut in 1997 with Too Far to Care, a muscular album that balanced the band's Texas traditionalism and pop leanings. Many publications placed the group among the leaders of the alt-country movement, and Old 97's toured extensively in support, joining the Lollapalooza tour that summer and playing alongside Whiskeytown for a series of shows sponsored by No Depression magazine. Arriving two years later, 1999's Fight Songs offered another polished, pop-friendly set of songs, allowing the band to sell out 1,500-seat venues during their return to the road."
Moving ahead to September of 2022, AllMusic.com continues, "Miller's eighth solo studio album, the playfully eccentric The Misfit, was released by ATO. Two months later, filmmaker James Gunn debuted a seasonal television spinoff from the Guardians of the Galaxy film franchise, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, for the Disney+ streaming network. The Old 97's were invited to appear on the show, and they contributed a new seasonal tune, “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)," co-written by Gunn and Miller and performed by the band decked out in alien makeup. They also backed Kevin Bacon for another tune on the show, "Here It Is, Christmastime," which they originally recorded for the Love the Holidays album. While the band usually went through extensive pre-production before recording an album, the Old 97's took a different tack for 2024's American Primitive, rolling into the studio with producer Tucker Martine and cutting a dozen songs with minimal rehearsal. (One of the songs appeared twice, with an acoustic reprise of "Falling Down" closing the LP.) The album also included guest appearances from former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and Young Fresh Fellows and Minus 5 leader Scott McCaughey."
The Old '97s play their headlining engagement in Maquoketa on June 24 with an opening set by The Shackletons, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $45-50, and more information and tickets are available by visiting CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
