Following the release of their latest album “American Primitive,” the rock group Old 97’s are touring the country with a stop at Laramie’s Gryphon Theater on their list for Friday, April 19.
The band from Dallas, Texas, has made a splash in the music industry and grown to prominence with their signature old-school and high-energy sound. Perhaps most notably, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special featured two performances from the band, including one with Kevin Bacon.
Their latest album “American Primitive” grapples with themes of love, longing, and the beauty of life, and was recorded over the course of just a few weeks with zero pre-production. Rather, the album relied on the bands’ cohesion and intuition that has formed after more than 30 years of playing together.
“We’ve been musical collaborators for 30 of my 53 years of life,” Old 97’s lead singer and primary songwriter Rhett Miller said. “It’s been decades and decades of collaboration and friendship, and really just brotherhood.”
The group doesn’t often tour this region of the United States, so the band is especially eager to visit and perform in Laramie, Miller shared.
“It’s a part of the country that we don’t get to very often. But I find, as a songwriter and a human being, I find that part of the country really inspiring and beautiful and just very spiritual. So I’m super excited to be there.”
“(We’re) really excited about this visit,” he said. “This is a really beautiful time of the year to come, so I can’t wait to maybe take a hike, check out the vibe and nature.”
Miller also promised the audience a night that would “rock”, and explained that hard work and careful consideration go into planning each show, and the tour for “American Primitive” is no exception.
“The Old 97s are renowned for being a great live band, and we never phone it in,” he said. “I agonize over the set list to make sure that no matter what era of our 30-year career you are most acquainted with, you are going to hear something that you love, and we are going to rock.”
“We’re a really hard-working band. We really care about putting on a good show and making sure that people are glad they came out.”
Miller added that music is more than just a job, but rather a far-reaching back-and-forth between fans and other musicians which they are excited to share with Laramie and the Wyoming audience.
“I really love the idea of music as a conversation,” Miller said. “I just really love the continuum and the community that are at the core of the musical experience.”
“We’ve devoted our lives to being a part of that continuum, it really feels like a noble thing. I know that’s hyperbolic, but it feels like we’re doing something good and real.”
Tickets are available in advance at the Gryphon Theater’s website gryphontheatre.org for $25 with the show starting at 8 p.m. in the Laramie Plains Civic Center. The band’s discography, including “American Primitive” can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music.
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Rachelle Trujillo is a freelance journalist with the Laramie Boomerang. She currently is a student at the University of Wyoming and has written for the Casper Star-Tribune and The Wyoming Truth, and was an assistant editor at the Branding Iron. She can be contacted by emailing news@laramieboomerang.com.
