Wreck on Time

The Old 97’s put on an energetic show full of ebullient twang, spit, sweat and whiskey last night at Boston’s sold out Royale club.

The set of alt-country pop originals at times recalled Uncle Tupelo, The Rev. Horton Heat and even Soul Asylum, but retained plenty of the Texas train fanatics’ own brand. They threw in a couple of choice covers (a manic version of R.E.M.’s “Driver 8” and Rhett Miller’s solo rendition of The Pixies’ “Wave of Mutilation”) to reinforce their indie influences. Overall stand outs of the evening’s performance included: the rockin’ opener, “The Grand Theatre”; the honky tonk of “Barrier Reef”; the propulsive “Please Hold on While the Train Is Moving”; the plaintive atmospherics of “Let the Whiskey Take the Reins”; the Dylan re-write, “Champagne, Illinois”; and the new song featured below:

I shot flip-cam videos of a couple of songs. I was pleased to get this new one, slated for Grand Theatre Volume Two, which the band announced will be released in July.