Customer Reviews

Old 97's Live

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What can I say? I really think this band is the best band around these days. Overstatement? I don't think so. I put them up against my other favorite touring band-The Rolling Stones -but if the 2 bands were playing next door to each other,I'd go see the Old 97's.
You have to experience them live at least once to appreciate what a great touring band they are. Their music speaks for itself. This DVD captures the unvarnished beauty of their live performances. I don't think it captures the electricity in a typical live performance because you are not in a bar [their natural habitat]. It also captures their off-key singing, which makes it seem all the more real [their albums are more polished and in their live performances you hear the instruments a little more than their singing]. I would have liked a some shots with a hand-held camera from the back and down in front of the stage to make it feel as if the viewer is in the audience; plus I'd like some smells of beer and cigarettes to pour out of my DVD player for more bar-scene effect, but you can't have everythig ! A must have for Old 97's fans. This should get me through until they go on a big tour again in a couple of years.

I have never seen the Old 97's live, but bought tickets for the May 8th show in Cleveland the minute the credits rolled. I own all of their CDs, but always thought the band would have to be seen live for true appreciation. The DVD was great! I felt like I was there! Good/fun interviews too. I like the older stuff better, so I wish there had been more from Hitchhike to Rhome, Early Tracks, and Wreck Your Life, but I'm not complaining. I have been listening to the CDs non-stop since I watched the DVD, and even enjoy the recorded music more now too. Wow!

I guess I'm spoiled. I was addicted to Old 97's playing live dives in Dallas in the Mid 90's. Went to every show I could and yowled every lyric at the top of my lungs with the boys. Well, I got married, had kids and did the whole PTA mom gig. I would listen to every CD and sing in the car, but that was about it... Saw Old 97's last October in Denver and about had a heart attack of pure pounding, giddy joy. Honestly, if I found out I was gonna die, I'd become a groupie until I took my final breath - that is how ALIVE you feel watching Old 97's rock live on stage. Back to my little novel: I found the LIVE DVD, thank God, and last night I popped it in and was transported back to those unbelievable sweaty, raw nights at Naomi's or Sons of Hermann Hall. I literally danced my ass off in my living room til 2:00 in the morning. My 2 kids, my hubby and the dog were all asleep and I was a sweaty, head-banging lunatic having the time of my life! I couldn't wipe the crazy smile off my face. I wanted more though (had to watch it 3 times to get my fix). BUY THIS DVD, NOW. The incredible sound and film quality is fab, but it's the fact that Rhett is howling in your living room that is such a rush. Old 97's: give us what we want...MORE: Barrier Reef, Victoria, Broadway, Goin' Goin' Gone, WIFE, Oppenheimer, need I go on? Old 97's are the best live band you'll ever see; see them live, but if you can't, the DVD will have to do (and it doesn't suck, believe me).

There are few better experiences in the music universe than the Old 97s live. I have seen them several times and every show has been wonderful. This DVD is a good presentation of a March 2004 show in LA. Most of their fan favorites are here but, sadly, 'Barrier Reef' is not included. The sound quality, with a dolby 5.1 choice offered, is excellent and the video quality is superb. My only minor complaint is that there are way too many close-ups of Rhett and not enough shots of the whole band in action. Overall this DVD is a great choice for fans and a good alternative for people who like the music but have never seen them live. Buy it, you'll like it!

I really enjoyed this DVD, I had been waiting for it for a long time. The songs all sounded great. There is a short but entertaining documentary on the disc as well, and its definitely worth watching. If you're a 97's fan, pick up this DVD.

DISCLAIMER: I've been a card-carrying, hometown 97's and Rhett Miller fan since 'Hitchhike to Rhome', and have multiple copies of everything they've ever done, yadda, yadda, yadda. Ahem. But apparently the "Shawn Cassidy" rider in Rhett's contract (the one that gave us the cover photo on 'The Instigator') required the incessant, soft-focus-frontman-glam shots that make this DVD hard to watch, frankly (and something - maybe the lighting - doesn't seem right...we're they filmed in the 'Flashdance' studio and spliced in with footage of the rest of the band later?) I now look for 'The Facts of Life' reruns on cable, and turn the sound down, when I play this DVD. That Tootie is such a card!

Most people writing reviews for this DVD are focusing on the music and performances which I agree are great BUT unfortunately the DVD which I am reviewing was lousy. The editing was extremely ridiculous. You would be hard-pressed to find an instance of an image that lasted more than a second. It was more like 5 per second (OK that may be a slight--VERY SLIGHT-- exaggeration). This a trend in concert video editing that is evident here in the nth degree. Terrible! The images come at you like a machine gun. Please support this band by buying their CDs but unless you have the attention span of a 3-year old on speed skip this DVD.

No experience can replicate seeing the greatness of the Old 97's live, but this DVD is a fitting portrayal. The venue and camera angles were great, and the editing was crisp and fit the flow of each song. I would have loved for the sound to have picked up more of the crowd to help bolster the energy that the band puts out, but all in all I loved it completely. And best of all, my five-year-old prefers it to watching cartoons!

First of all, any Old 97's fan will love this DVD. The guys are there, playing the songs you love - what's not to like about it? I agree with other reviewers that the mix is a bit off; Ken's guitar and Murry's bass get a bit lost in the vocals. Also it's a bit Rhett-centric (not that my girlfriend had a problem with that); I really do enjoy watching the whole band.

I saw them in Denver this year and in Lancaster, PA - this reminded me much more of the Denver show - early in the tour - not rusty, but not polished. I saw them a few months later in Lancaster and if there was a single mistake by any of them I couldn't hear it - they were dead on all night long and ranks in my top 10 live shows ever. I think the DVD plays a bit more to their punk/rock fans and to the crowd at the Troubadour.

All in all, if you're a fan, you'll love it. If this is your first exposure to the Old 97's please buy a few CDs and see them live - you'll see what all the hype is about.

I've been following these guys since a friend of Kenny's introduced me to the band in 1995 Dallas. I remember seeing some of the best shows I have ever seen in little known places like The Ginger Man and The Barley House and Club Dada. As other reviewers here have alluded to, there simply is no better live band anywhere, and I have seen the Stones 3 times, the Who 4 times, and Led Zeppelin. No one has the energy of this band. When you combine a hard driving beat fed by a relentless drummer and a rip-roaring bass line, raunchy guitar, genius lyrics and harmonies, a frontman with a persona that is a little bit Jagger and a lot Pete Townsend, and songwriting that combines twang, pop, and punk in a unique concoction that, quite simply, rocks the house--you have a rock and roll dream team. When I see the 97s I think of the Who when they first came over.

If you ever see they are coming to your town, do not hesitate to go. The video captures their energy as well as can be done short of being there. But it isn't the same as being a part of the crowd when they hit the stage.