Musical Moments #2: Old 97's

Second band in my "yay memories!" series is Old 97's. I became a fan after I saw a free Rhett Miller performance at the Madison Music Awards. Before that show, I barely knew who Rhett Miller was, let alone that he was otherwise in a band. Afterward, I was finding out all I could. Three memories that stand out for me:

• On my first business trip ever, I bought my first Old 97's album ever. It was "Too Far To Care" and I listened to it that night on my Discman, sitting in a chair in my hotel room, gazing out the window.
  
  
• A couple of years later, a post-concert house party petered out in the wee hours of the morning. My car was still parked in the Barrymore lot, and a group was walking back in that direction. It was a crisp October night, far from campus, and it seemed like the rest of the world was asleep. The residential streets were quiet save for the murmur of voices and the crunch of leaves under our feet. Ken and I were walking a few yards behind the others, down the middle of the road, kicking leaves and discussing Poptarts, Nutella, and other sundry topics.
  
  
• Before my first Sloan show, at the Double Door in Chicago, "Barrier Reef" was played during the preshow music. My friends and I couldn't resist singing along ... and apparently neither could quite a few other people near us. A gleeful, impromptu Old 97's singalong ensued.