Old 97's

The Old 97's are about to return from some pretty active downtime. While not performing or formally working on new material, front man Rhett Miller released his third solo album The Believerback in February, and the band managed to pop up in that Jennifer Aniston-Vince Vaughn movie, The Break-Up. Neither was very memorable. And thankfully so. An appearance in a more successful romantic comedy might have led to the band going all Hollywood, instantly diluting their gangsta street cred. Or if Miller's record had really taken off, then what was to keep the dude from going solo forever, like Sting's punk ass? Not everybody is as cool as Jon Bon Jovi, who stuck with his brosephs even after the runaway success of "Blaze of Glory." But I digress. As hometown of the Old 97's it is our duty, nay our privilege, to welcome the boys back from momentary hibernation. The residents of New Jersey would do the same thing for Bon Jovi. I'm sorry. As much as I want it to be, this is not a forum for Bon Jovi chatter. That would be the "Jon Bon Junkies" chat room I moderate on alternating Wednesday afternoons.