Old 97's coming to outdoor venue at Wachholz College Center in July

Celebrated for their infectious fusion of rock, country, folk and power pop, Old 97’s have been a driving force in alt-country since the early 90s. 

The group will be performing in Kalispell on July 28, outside at the O’Shaughnessy Outdoor Amphitheater at the Wachholz College Center.

The original group of vocalist/guitarist Rhett Miller, bassist Murry Hammond, guitarist Ken Bethea and drummer Philip Peeples have been performing together for over 30 years, releasing 13 studio albums. Their latest album, “American Primitive” released in 2024, is a gloriously rowdy body of work, revealing a veteran band more attuned than ever to the raw and reckless energy of truly timeless rock-and-roll.

While it’s not the band’s first time in Montana, it will be their inaugural performance in the Flathead Valley. 

Inspiration for the lead single off their new album “Where The Road Goes” came to Miller while on the banks of the Blackfoot River. 

“I was watching the water pounding with a ferocious power, and I started building this song as a statement of gratitude for having survived this long,” says Miller. “It revisits some of the darkest moments of my life, including a suicide attempt at age 14…In a way it’s like a spiritual travelogue that rolls back through all the places that shaped me for better or worse, and ends up in this beautiful place I felt so thankful to experience.” 

The track features R.E.M.’s Peter Buck on guitar and celebrates the band's more than three decades together. 

“I think a lot of that longevity has to do with the fact that we’re really the same band we were back then…we’ve had experiences outside the band where we’ve learned new things, but the way we approach this music has fundamentally remained the same. Our heart is still in the exact same place,” says Miller.

The show will take place outside in the O’Shaughnessy Outdoor Amphitheater, directly behind the Wachholz College Center. The O’Shaughnessy is a grass-terraced open-air performance space with a sloping lawn that features sweeping eastern views of the mountains. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Tickets to the show are general admission with relaxed festival-style seating. Patrons are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Food trucks will be on-site, and a variety of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

Tickets are on sale now. General admission tickets are $28, including all service fees. Youth tickets (age 3-16) are available for just $20, children under 3 years old do not require a ticket. For more information about the show or to purchase tickets visit wccmt.org or contact the WCC ticket office at 406-756-1400.