Podcasts | Political Beats

Episode 44: Jessie Opoien / Old 97s

Hosted by Scot Bertram & Jeff Blehar
Old 97’s Too Far To Care

Scot and Jeff discuss Old 97s with Jessie Opoien, political reporter with the Capital Times in Wisconsin.

Introducing the Band:
Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Jessie Opoien (@JessieOpie). She’s a political reporter for the Capital Times in Wisconsin and host of the Wisconsin politics podcast, “Wedge Issues,” featuring interviews with candidates, strategists and other players in the Wisconsin politics world.

Jessie’s Music Pick: Old 97s:
One of the seminal alt.country bands of the mid- and late-90’s, Old 97s continue releasing vital albums to this day. Celebrating 25 years together, the band has consisted of the same four members for the entire time, each with his distinctive qualities — Rhett Miller’s front-man good looks and incredibly detail-oriented songwriting, Murry Hammond’s muscular bass and perfect harmony vocals, Ken Bethea’s surf/country approach to guitar, and Philip Peeples insistent drumming. From the classic country-influences of the early years, to the power pop-leaning of Fight Songs and Satellite Rides, to the band’s incendiary live shows, all is covered in the episode. Are they the best band you might never have heard of?

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