Alt-Country Legends Old 97’s Bring High-Octane Heart to Towson
Why You Should Seee Old 97’s
at The Recher on March 26
Old 97’s are rolling into Towson this spring, and if you care at all about smart songwriting, sweat-soaked rock shows, or the kind of hooks that lodge in your head for days, you’ll want to be at The Recher on Thursday, March 26. The Dallas band has been at this for more than three decades, pioneering the alt-country sound before bending it into something bigger: a high-octane blend of twang, punk energy, and melodic rock that their frontman Rhett Miller once dubbed “loud folk.”
Formed in the early 1990s, Old 97’s came up in Texas clubs, slowly building a national following on the strength of their relentless touring and a catalog that has grown to thirteen studio albums. They were tagged early on as leaders of the alt-country movement, but where some bands leaned heavily into roots nostalgia, Old 97’s always pushed harder toward rock and roll, drawing as much from the Clash and the Pixies as from Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. That tension between pedal-steel heartache and full-throttle guitar attack gives their live shows a rare charge.
At the center of it all is Miller, a seventh-generation Texan whose quick, literate lyrics and nervy stage presence have made him one of the most charismatic bandleaders of his generation. His songs are packed with crooked love stories, late-night misadventures, and the kind of oddly specific details that make you feel like you’ve stumbled into someone else’s memories. Bassist Murry Hammond and guitarist Ken Bethea bring the band’s country and rockabilly DNA into focus, locking in with drummer Philip Peeples to create that unmistakable Old 97’s gallop—the “train’s-a-comin’” beat that has left Miller flat on his back more than once at the end of a set.
If you’ve only encountered Old 97’s on a playlist, this is your chance to see what those songs do when they’re rattling the walls of a club. In a venue the size of The Recher, their music feels gloriously oversized: choruses shouted back at the band, limbs in motion, strangers turning into backup singers by the second verse. It’s the kind of night where ballads feel like barroom confessions and the uptempo numbers blur into one long, cathartic sprint.
The best part for Towson fans is that you don’t have to drive to D.C. or Philly to catch them. On Thursday, March 26, Old 97’s will headline The Recher, with tickets starting around $60 and doors at 8 p.m. For a band that has defined and then outgrown an entire genre, that price for an up-close view of a legendary live act feels like a bargain. - Get Tickets
+ You may want to get there early for Lizzie No
Why? Because you’ll get a rare opener who brings a harp, sharp lyrics, and a wry sense of humor instead of generic background strumming; multiple reviews single out her set as memorable on its own, not just a warmup.
Lizzie No is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harpist in the indie-folk/Americana world, known for sharp, character-driven writing and a distinctive live presence that mixes vulnerability, humor, and intensity.
