Although they became one of the most enduring bands in the alternative country-rock catalog, Old 97′s drew inspiration from a broad range of genres, including the twangy stomp of cowpunk and the melodies of power pop. Formed in 1993 by frontman Rhett Miller and bassist Murry Hammond, the group spent the bulk of the decade posed on the brink of mainstream success, issuing albums that often drew warm reviews but never yielded a substantial hit. Old 97′s tightened their sound as the decade drew to a close, retaining their bar-band vigor while introducing a stronger pop/rock sound on albums like Too Far to Care and Satellite Rides. Miller also mounted a solo career in the early 2000s, but the band remained together nonetheless, continuing to release material with their original lineup intact into the following decade.

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Rhett Miller and Murry Hammond first partnered up in 1989, when Miller enlisted the latter’s help in producing his debut solo album, Mythologies. One year after Mythologies‘ release, Miller and Hammond teamed up once again, this time as part of the short-lived Sleepy Heroes. Although the Sleepy Heroes disbanded after issuing one album, the band’s mix of pop and Texas-styled twang helped lay the foundation for Old 97′s. Continuing to build upon that sound, Miller and Hammond linked up with lead guitarist Ken Bethea and drummer Philip Peeples, and Hammond’s childhood obsession with trains inspired the band’s new name, which paid homage to the country ballad “Wreck of the Old 97.” With their lineup intact, Old 97′s released the debut album Hitchhike to Rhome in 1994. It garnered positive reviews and began to build the group’s alt-country fan base, which they consolidated on the album’s follow-up, 1995's Wreck Your Life.

Old 97′s made their Elektra Records debut in 1997 with Too Far to Care, a muscular album that balanced the band’s Texas traditionalism and pop leanings. Arriving two years later, 1999′s Fight Songs offered another polished, pop-friendly set of songs, allowing the band to sell out 1,500-seat venues during its return to the road. By this time, Miller had moved to Los Angeles and shed the thick, ’50s-style glasses that had become a major part of his image. He and Hammond returned their focus to Old 97′s, releasing another pop-influenced record with 2001′s Satellite Rides. Miller took a temporary leave after its release to work on a solo power pop record, The Instigator, which was released in late 2002. A period of relative inactivity followed, as the bandmembers found themselves in different cities, with several of them starting families.

The hiatus ended in 2004 with the release of Drag It Up, whose subsequent tour featured prominently on the double-disc live album Alive & Wired. Afterward, Miller returned to his solo career with 2006′s The Believer, which found the frontman experimenting with strings and orchestral arrangements. Old 97′s returned to the studio once again in 2008, though, this time holing up in their native Dallas to help channel the energy of their earlier records. The move worked, and the resulting album, Blame It on Gravity, delivered some of the band’s strongest songs in years. While touring the country in support, Murry Hammond launched his own solo career, packaging a wealth of old-timey gospel ballads and locomotive imagery onto the album I Don’t Know Where I’m Going But I’m on My Way. Miller also found time to release a solo album, 2009′s self-titled Rhett Miller, which appeared one year before the ninth Old 97′s record, The Grand Theatre Volume One. Originally intended as a double-album, The Grand Theatre was followed in mid-2011 by a companion record, The Grand Theatre Volume 2.