On Friday, November 8, 2019, the Ranchero Brothers played at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA. People who are interested in reading this probably already know the identity of the Ranchero Brothers, but for any uninitiated readers who stumble upon this post, the Ranchero Brothers are Rhett Miller, lead singer/rhythm guitarist, and Murry Hammond, harmonies/bass player for the alt country band, Old 97’s. The duo adopted this alternative moniker when they would play extra week night shows in their younger days for rent and beer money. I originally was not going to post about this concert at all, but it was such a special night that I wanted to at least share the set list, a few thoughts, and photos.
The duo had announced that in honor of the anniversary of the Old 97’s album Fight Songs, they would perform a few shows where they would play the whole album. This album is in my top three favorite Old 97’s albums. I love it for its insidious hooks and straight-up listening appeal, as well as its no nonsense lyrics that create story vignettes. Rhett’s words plunk you right down in the middle of whatever scene he has created, where you are immersed until you are whisked off to the next location. You may find yourself on a road called Oppenheimer, among the redwoods and the oak trees, leaving the back door open, or in a dream on a bus. Listen closely and the band will transport you.
On this night, Rhett and Murry paid homage to this album in front of a crowd filled with superfans. And I really do mean superfans, as several people in attendance had flown in from other states to see this show and the one they would be playing at Largo on the following night. The atmosphere at Saint Rocke was fantastic as quite a few people already knew each other or were easily friends of friends and recognizable as Old 97’s concert regulars. The warm, community feeling among the attendees, the ease with which Rhett and Murry perform together, and Rhett’s affable nature as he tells stories, made this not merely a concert, but a real celebration of the music.
The opening act was Texan Jonny Perdue (I believe transplanted to the South Bay), who played solo acoustic guitar and sang a short set of original songs. His clear, resonant voice and cool, easy manner effectively drew the crowd in. You can check him out with his band, Lost Beach.
As soon as Rhett and Murry entered the ring for Fight Songs, people were singing along and cheering with no holding back. The enthusiasm level never dropped as the pair played straight through the songs on Fight Songs, before playing a few favorites and rarities. The set list was as follows:
From Fight Songs:
- “Jagged”
- “Lonely Holiday”
- “Oppenheimer”
- “Indefinitely”
- “What We Talk About”
- “Crash on the Barrelhead”
- “Murder (Or a Heart Attack)”
- “Alone So Far” — I used a fragment of the lyrics for the title of this post
- “Busted Afternoon”
- “Nineteen”
- “Let the Idiot Speak”
- “Valentine”
The Ranchero Brothers played a generous selection of bonus songs once they finished running through the album. These were:
- “Singular Girl” an outtake from Fight Songs that ended up on Rhett’s solo album, The Believer
- “Let the Train Blow the Whistle,” cover of a Johnny Cash song, in which Murry takes the lead vocals — check out the video below that I shot at the show
- “Question” from Satellite Rides
- “Loves Gonna Live Here,” cover of a Buck Owens song
- “Am I Too Late” from Satellite Rides, I believe this was requested by the owner of Saint Rocke
- “Barrier Reef” from Too Far to Care
- “My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin’,” cover of a Bill Monroe song
- “Daybed” a Ranchero Brothers song that can be found on the expanded edition of Too Far to Care — check out the video below that I shot at the show
- “Longer Than You’ve Been Alive” from Most Messed Up
- “Designs on You” from Satellite Rides, requested by an audience member
- ENCORE: “Por Favor” an unrecorded Ranchero Brothers song (as far as I know)
- “Timebomb” from Too Far to Care
Rhett also told a few stories in between songs, which made it feel similar to a solo show. Some of the stories were already familiar, such as “Murder (Or a Heart Attack)” being inspired by a missing cat or the first verse of “Alone So Far” originating from writing with magnetic poetry. Here are a couple I hadn’t heard before.
Rhett talked about having written “Nineteen” as potential song to be given to Emmylou Harris and Linda Rondstadt. He wrote it as if they were reflecting back on an earlier time, but ultimately it wasn’t a match up, leaving it for the Old 97’s to record. He followed that by talking about meeting Dolly Parton and that she had made a remark to him that had taken him to another dimension: “If we was to be kissin’, our moles would be kissin’.” There was a lot of cheering and laughter after that as Rhett reeled slightly and I believe everyone in the place imagined an alternate timeline where this event took place.
The other story involved playing the 1997 Lollapalooza tour, which had headliners such as Tool, Korn, and The Prodigy. The audiences were filled with stone-faced teenagers. Rhett said that no matter what the Old 97’s played, they couldn’t seem to win them over. So to be equally contrary, the band wondered what they could play to really piss off the crowd and decided that it would be the song “Love’s Gonna Live Here” by Buck Owens. Those metalheads got cowpunk’d! The crowd at Saint Rocke gave the song a welcome reception; superfans love hearing a rarity.
Instead of leaving the stage at the end of the set, Rhett hid behind the curtain surrounding the back of the stage, pulling Murry in there with him. When they came out to do the encore they teased the audience about the good catering back there. It was fun to see their camaraderie and goofy sense of humor stitched throughout the evening in moments like that one.
After the show, Rhett was in the lobby signing merchandise and taking photos with fans. He shared a little time with each person that wanted to talk to him, listening attentively and never rushing anyone on, exuding sincerity and openness to all. Murry popped up outside just as the venue was closing and I was glad to be able to say hello to him too. It was a lovely way to wrap up a memorable night.
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