Rhett Miller, frontman for the Old 97s, took the stage, declaring that he was out to prove that rock and roll wasn't dead - all by himself. Even without a backing band, Miller and his lone, amped-up acoustic guitar were definitely able to pull a few nails out of the coffin with a mix of Old 97s songs and Miller's solo work. Dancing about the stage, long hair tossing to-and-fro, and some serious swinging of the hips, one might have thought that Elvis hadn't yet left the building.
Standouts included a cover of X's "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" and a duet of the Old 97s song "Four Leaf Clover" with Exene Cervenka (yes, of X). At the end of their give-and-take performance, Miller said, over tremendous applause, "I should just quit right now. That was fucking awesome!"
But quitting wasn't part of the plan, and Miller continued banging out one song after another - including a bit of Ziggy Stardust - slowing it down but once with a unique rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love with You." Hey, look, it's Elvis!
Alternative rock favorites (from way back when "alternative rock" meant something), Camper Van Beethoven, surpassed expectations, reaching back into their catalogue and enhancing each song with extended jams and even a bit of lap-top enabled electronica (keywords being "a bit" - too much electronica is rarely a good thing and CVB got it right). David Lowery and the band played such memorable songs as "Eye of Fatima," "Pictures of Matchstick Men," and the ever-confusing, yet always classic "Take The Skinheads Bowling." Andy never thought he'd be surrounded by throngs of people who knew the words to that song, but - there they were - someone call Rod Serling.
It only got stranger with CVB's cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" - based on a 2002 release of a 1987 recording the band made of the entire album.
Seriously.
X was our final act of the festival and, full disclosure, my notes of their performance have been abducted to the place where missing notes of punk performances go. In short, Exene and John Doe still have it in them after all these years to give a blistering, unique show, any outer effects of aging to the contrary. Billy Zoom, laid back as could be while driving cowpunk chords from his guitar, and DJ Bonebrake on drums rounded out the X sound we know and love (or, if you don't, then you don't).
Article comments
1 - Matt Moore
Dude, you forgot about Gilligan of Nazareth!
2 - Andy
*Ahem*, actually, he DID say that it was "fucking awesome" and THEN said "I just made my night." I decided to end his statement on the bad word. So there.