Rhett Miller and the Serial Lady Killers
Rams Head on Stage
Annapolis, Md.
July 12, 2012

Even as Rhett Miller brought a recent high-energy, two-hour concert with the Serial Lady Killers to a close, his boyish smile and joyful vigor sparkled through the sweat pouring off his brow.

If one didn’t know that Miller is a much-lauded alt-country, Americana artist who seems to have the Midas touch in all his musical projects, including the much loved Old 97s, they might mistake him for an overly exuberant newcomer – with world-class musical talents, of course. Although Miller undoubtedly has logged countless hours playing the songs in his set at Rams Head on Stage in Annapolis, Md., he and his band mates sang and played each with pure delight jumping from one to the next.

“We have got a shit load of songs,” he said with a boyish smile from the stage by way of explaining his minimal banter. “So we’re all rock, less talk.”

Well, not all rock. Miller chatted about everything from the 15th anniversary of the Old 97s to what he saw watching the audience ( “I watched people decide on dessert. I watched people eat dessert. I watched people pay their tabs. I think I saw one guy [leave without paying] his tab.” ) and his on-stage antics.

“Every time I climb up on an amp and jump off,” he said with a smile. “Every time I think ‘Will this be the time I die?’”

But like a shaken can of cola, it seems impossible for Miller not to bubble over when he is one stage. Almost as soon as Miller and the Serial Lady Killers — Angela Watson (drums), Greg Beshers (bass) and Tommy Borscheid (guitar) – took the stage, he was bounding around the stage singing and striking various poses with his guitar.

The Serial Lady Killers, who had played on Miller’s recent release The Dreamer were almost as exuberant as they opened the show with “Lost Without You,” the album’s first track.

“You are welcome to stand up if the people behind you don’t get pissed off,” he said willing the seated crowd of about 300 to dance. “So talk among yourselves.”

As the band continued through its set with songs from ‘The Dreamer (‘Sleepwalkin’), his solo albums ( ‘I Need to Know Where I Stand,’ ‘Things That Disappear’) and the Old ‘97s (‘Murder (or a Heart Attack) Miller would jump, pounce and scamper around the stage. Every once in a while, he’d stop and look at the crowd with mock disbelief and good naturedly grumble “sitting down. Hm!”

Fair enough. Miller’s songs are so jubilant that even if they don’t have an audience dancing, you’d be hard-pressed not to find an array of foot tappers in the crowd.

That was even true on some of the slower numbers including when Heather Robb of The Spring Standards, which opened the show, joined Miller on stage to sing “Picture This” and “Long Long Long” and “Firefly.”

And as heartfelt as those renditions sounded, once Robb left the stage Miller and his band were back to their hard rocking ways.

Miller may joke about being over 40 and touring with an oxygen tank, but his performances like his songs are as robust as they come.