Why Elaborate…? — Ranchero Brothers

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. Click the title to read more…

Do You Want to Dance With Me

The night of Thursday, March 30, 2017, I was out again to see Ha Ha Tonka and Old 97’s, this time at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Some people may question seeing the same bands at shows on consecutive nights. I find that if I see the same bands and even if they keep to the same or a very similar set list, there are elements of the performance and the overall experience that still make it worthwhile for me.  The previous night I had seen the bands at the venue nearest to where I live, Saint Rocke, which

Remember Back When You Got Lost With Me

Thrilled to see one of my favorite bands, Old 97’s, at my local venue, Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA, on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 and with an opener I’d heard of before, Ha Ha Tonka! Doors opened at 6pm, but the show wasn’t scheduled to start until 8pm. This is a small venue and it is absolutely fantastic to see the Old 97’s play here. There was still plenty of space open in front of the stage when I arrived at 6:45pm, but by the end of the night the place was packed and pulsating. Ha Ha Tonka opened

We’re Sharing this Night That’ll Soon Be a Blur

What a privilege to spend Friday, September 18 at the Troubadour seeing one of my favorite bands, Old 97’s, perform. They’ve been around for “20 good years of about 25” as Rhett sings in their song “Longer than You’ve Been Alive,” but I only jumped on the bandwagon almost exactly one year ago. (I also borrowed the title for this post from that song.) I’ve made up for lost time since then, buying all of their albums and nearly all of lead singer Rhett Miller’s solo albums. In the past several months, I’ve managed to see Rhett perform solo five