Review: Old 97s, Lucero

The 16-year history of the Texas-born Old 97s follows a trajectory well worn by other bands: start out with plenty of youthful energy and fire in the belly and gradually grow more mellow and/or pop-oriented. For theirThursday night’s performance at Crossroads, the alto-country quartet shrugged off its pop trappings and attacked their material with vibrant intensity.

The first sign of the evening’s energy came on the second song, “Dance With Me.” Recorded as a pop song for their latest album, 2008’s “Blame It On Gravity,” guitarist Ken Bethea tore into the main riff like a buzz saw, pushing the tempo to nearly double its original speed. When bass player Murry Hammond was given the mic shortly thereafter for a cover of Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried” the band pushed and prodded the laid-back vocalist.

Flanked by Bethea and Hammond in nearly matching red plaid shirts, photogenic singer/front man Rhett Millershook his hips like Elvis behind his Stratocaster. He yelped, yowled and screamed his way through the 90 minute set list that featured as many cuts from their first album – four- as their latest. 

The band’s third album, “Too Far To Care,” is widely considered its best. They treated the crowd to six cuts, or nearly half the album and they consistently received the biggest responses of the night. “Big Brown Eyes” and “Barrier Reef” got everyone dancing and Miller took an audience request of “Niteclub” during the encore.

Miller seemed to enjoy playing the scorned lover and dumping extra venom into likes like “I hope you crash your momma’s car” and “Thought so much about suicide/parts of me have already died” on back-to-back trips down lonely street during “Lonely Holiday” and “Wish the Worst.” A couple songs later, on “Melt Show,” he emphatically kicked the air during the chorus.

Bethea spurred Miller’s energy, leaping into the air at the start of “The Fool,” dropping a Dick Dale-style guitar solo into “Smokers,” another Hammond vocal showcase,” and adding a nice countermelody to the most delicate and upbeat song in their catalog, “Question.” His solo leading into “Timebomb,” the traditional closer, turned the already fast number into something like a punk song.

Drummer Philip Peeples was the brick on the accelerator that never let up. His cadences consistently pushed the band harder and faster. His kit was at the center of “Every Friday Night Is Lonely Without You,” a staccato-riffed song from the band’s upcoming fall album. It was the only song the half-capacity crowd didn’t sing or air guitar along to all night, but embraced just the same. Peeples also took nice mini-solos during “Doreen” and “Early Morning.”

The drum solo after “Early Morning” led into a reading of R.E.M.’s “Driver 8,” one of covers the band cut for its new “Mimeograph” EP. The arrangement hewed closely to the original, but it was interesting to hear the lyrics through Miller’s enunciation.

Normally the more rambunctious of the two bands, Lucero was more subdued that night. Singer Ben Nichols embraced the band’s mellow side with numbers like the gospel piano ballad “Goodbye Again,” “Kiss the Bottle” and the one-two of “Hey Darlin’ Do You Gamble?” and “Nobody’s Darlings.”

The five-piece band displayed its Memphis roots by adding a two-piece horn section for a set that featured several cuts from last year’s album “1372 Overton Park.” Early in the set the horns competed with the pedal steel in the mix, but they soon settled in adding extra punch and depth. The brass gave “That Much Further To Go” and “Sixes and Sevens” an E Street sound. 

Lucero’s 65-minute set ended with nearly everyone taking a solo during the joyous “All Sewn Up.”

Old 97s setlist: Streets of Where I’m From; Dance With Me; Won’t Be Home; Mama Tried (Merle Haggard cover); Lonely Holiday; Wish the Worst; The Fool; Smokers; Melt Show; Question; Stoned; Up the Devil’s Pay; Barrier Reef; Driver 8 (REM cover); Early Morning; Can’t Get A Line; Big Brown Eyes; Doreen. Encore:Every Night Is Friday Night Without You; Niteclub; The Easy Way; Timebomb.

| Joel Francis, Special to The Star

Comments

[ReverbTank]

Spot-on review. Low point being Macy Gray-wannabe-vocalist from opening band greeting the patient crowd with “Hello Kansas City, Kansas!” Palpable buzz kill. The highlight was everything thereafter. Perfect match of weather, bands and venue.

[Graham Reaper]

I hate that. How hard is it to look up where you are playing that night?

[Josh]

Who gives a shit about the KC KS/MO flub that lots of people make. Do you expect bands to prep themselves with a short geography lesson for each tour stop?

[pellboy]

I gotta admit, I'm with you on this one, Josh although if they're going to make a big onstage pronouncement about rocking said town, they should probably get it right. They could call us Cleveland for all I care.

"We've got to drive all night and do a show in Chicago
Or Detroit, I don't know
We do so many shows in a row
And these towns all look the same"

[ReverbTank]

You should always know what state you’re standing in. It matters. That’s why we have them.

[Green]

It a couple miles from the state line, seriously who cares

[bewlay]

When we saw Ian Hunter in Oklahoma City with Ringo's All Starrs during "Cleveland Rocks" he chimed out "Tulsa Rocks." Guess they could put the city or state on the set list perhaps?

[pellboy]

In defense of Ian, songwise, Tulsa Rocks works alot better than Oklahoma City Rocks. Next time in Oklahoma, he should book Cain's so he needn't worry.

[Kimbo Slice]

"Who gives a shit about the KC KS/MO flub that lots of people make."

"It a couple miles from the state line, seriously who cares"

MISSOURIANS care, Mofos! Bands play in Missouri and make this mistake, but you never see it in Kansas because across the state line, outside of Sandstone (my least favorite KC area venue of all-time), there ARE no venues to play. Whether you "care" or not, it shows lack of respect for our state by musicians, who spend their lives traveling and should know better. This debate will go on forever, but as a Missourian, I want to personally punch every musician who makes this mistake.

[Sin City Disciple]

Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights came out guns blazing with their first two songs. They never got that momentum back and the rest of the set suffered. Also kind of sounded like Tyler's voice might be wearing out a little.

I'd been looking forward to finally seeing Lucero. Kind of bummed. I thought there set was a little too laid back, borderline sloppy. From the looks of it they were having equipment issues w/ the keyboards. I figured once they got that addressed they would pick it up a little bit. Never happened. Too bad. They seem like one of those bands (ala The Blues Brothers) that could turn goat piss into gasoline.

Old 97's were excellent! I remember last year's set being closer to 2 1/2 hours long, but it might have been on a weekend. Regardless, they didn't hold back and put on an energetic and entertaining show.

[Patchchord]

Great review, Joel. Also cool to get a chance to meet you while catching a solid show.

I put up some shots from the evening on my blog: http://www.patchchord.com/blog/2010/07/30/lucero-old-97s-crossroads-kc-07-29-10/

[Michael]

it turns out these musicians just believe the same thing Grandpa Simpson believes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM3NSTbi4OQ&feature=related

[Naturelle]

Saying you want to punch a musician for making an honest mistake is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, Kimbo Slice. Kansas is in the city name - easy mistake to make, especially when you're not familiar with the area - no need for violence.

[Kimbo Slice]

Apparently spoken by a Kansan.......If you are from Missouri and say that you don't mind this little "honest mistake," and sit idly while our state is more or less slandered by TRAVELING musicians who should know better, then you are simply a cowardly pacifist not seen since the French during WWII and I pity you. End of story! Kimbo has spoken!

[lmao]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
These retarded douches who still whine about this are the biggest fkg morons of all time.
GET A LIFE IDIOTS!!!!

Go find something worthy to complain about.

[wadkc]

SXSW tickets are now on sale! Hotel reservations can be secured! Go. Run. Go.

[Naturelle]

How can it be the end of the story when you say the debate will go on forever Kimbo? Slander?! Give me a break. You take your state a little too seriously. Whether you want to admit it or not, the state is shared with Kansas. Ever been to Kansas Missourian? I'm done. Get back to it, Rockville!

[pellboy]

"I'd been looking forward to finally seeing Lucero. Kind of bummed. I thought there set was a little too laid back, borderline sloppy."

Funny you should say that, SCD as that was my impression from seeing Lucero a couple of years ago at TwangFest in St.Louis. I think they were doing their best to channel a ragged Replacements set c.1982. Very sloppy with some band members clearly drunk (bass player was falling over himself)and it was an effort only redeemed later by strong sets from the Bottlerockets and BR549.

However, did get hint of Ben Nichols talent at a solo acoustic in-store performance earlier in the day at Euclid Records. He nailed it there but that only made the band's evening performance that much more disappointing.

[Sin City Disciple]

You could always count on BR549 to deliver. I probably saw them a dozen or so times, and don't recall a single bad show.

I probably should have chosen my words more carefully about Lucero. Not implying that they we hooched up or anything. Just that the set seemed to lack any real energy. Admittedly, they played one of my favs (nights like these), but just seemed like the rest of the set was nothing but panty pullers. I guess if they are going to bring a horn section with them, then it's money well spent to get them in on as many songs as possible. The new record is solid, but reminiscent of The Hold Steady (who in turn is pretty reminiscent of early Bruce/E Street). It's definitely a departure from their earlier albums. So in hindsight, I probably shouldn't have been surprised by the mellow'ish show. I'm more than willing to give them another shot next time they are in town.

[pellboy]

Hmmm, admittedly not really all that familiar with Lucero's work (only own one album that I bought at that in-store appearance) and haven't heard their new record but if it's similar to The Hold Steady then that actually sounds like something I might be interested in.