You slipped a mickey in my heart

The Old 97s are the best band in the world; no one touches them live (at least until I see the Figgs again). Simultaneously tight and raw, sorrowful and exuberant, fun and (most of all) sincere. Rhett, Murray, Ken, and Phil are four of the most charismatic guys ever to grace a stage. With equal parts punk energy and classic country swagger, they raced through countless tunes, touching on all their styles and all their albums (even a Pixies cover!). Wow. So good. Well worth the trip to Columbus. $2 PBR, incredibly enthusiastic crowd. Just fantastic. I really don't think my words can do these guys justice. Granted, I'm a bit biased, as their albums have provided the soundtrack to years of my life...everyone just go buy "Too Far to Care" and thank me later.

The show had its share of surreal moments. I recently decided that the best song on "Hitchhike to Rhome" is "Hands Off," narrowly surpassing "Wish the Worst" and "St. Ignatius" (both veritable classics). I'm all over that song lately. That said, I was surprised as hell to hear them play it live, and I pretty much freaked like a teenager at a Beatles concert when they did. A guy from Louisiana who I'd met earlier that night - really BIG guy (seriously, this dude was 3 lanes wide, big ol' lug of a guy...huge...made bouncers look small) - apparently loved this song as much as me. So the 97s bust out with "Hands Off" and I find myself nodding knowingly at this guy as we scream insanely in unison:

"It's all your fault/you spiked my malt/you slipped a mickey in my heart!
and I can't break free/although I'm shaking like a tree/I should have never let it start!"

Weird as this was - and it WAS weird - it was nothing compared to hearing him belt out "Salome."

http://www.old97s.com