Rhett Miller of alt-country band The Old 97’s performed at the Veronica Hagman Concert Hall on Friday, April 24. Miller performed for students, faculty, and old friends alike followed by a Q&A session open to the audience. 

Audience members entered the Veronica Hagman Concert Hall starting at 6:30 PM for the 7:00 show. Miller’s guitar case, bright red and lined with red velvet, caught the light from the high wood paneled ceiling of the hall as the audience lined the seats. 

Miller didn’t waste a second after he took the stage, opening with his song “Jagged.” From the high notes in “Rollerskate Skinny” to the modulation in his performance of “Dance With Me,” Miller exhibited an impressive command over his voice after having undergone vocal cord surgery only months prior. 

Miller captured the audience’s attention not only with his voice but his dynamic movement. Miller’s hair flew like his fingers did over the fretboard “I can’t say there was ever a point where he stopped moving,” said one audience member. Miller seemed to treat his guitar as if it were an extension of his body, rocking it from side to side as he slid across the floor in his leather boots. The audience cheered, clapped, and moved with Miller to his music, with some audience members mouthing along with the lyrics. 

Between songs, Miller connected with his audience by sharing anecdotes on his songwriting journey. Miller explained how he took the melody from Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row” and wrote new lyrics for what would become “Champaign, Illinois” at a time he couldn’t compose on his guitar, humorously remarking that it probably would have been dangerous to stick the guitar neck out of the van window. 

“You use the stuff that gets piled up in your head,” said Miller, remarking on his experience writing “Jesus Loves You.” Miller described performing in his church’s choir when he was younger and absorbing the stories from the Bible. 

Miller’s song “I Used To Write In Notebooks” also connected with audience members as he discussed the changes in technology he’s experienced. One audience member mentioned how his generation grew up listening to albums but younger people gravitate towards streaming individual songs.

The show was also a multi-generational bonding experience, as multiple audience members attended the show with their parents. 

“To hear the music that brought solace and solution to my dad in his 20s, as a terrified 23 year old myself… was transcendent,” said graduate student Caro Malley, who attended the performance with her father. “Maybe one day I’ll feel nostalgic for tonight’s show myself,” Malley continued, “Maybe I’ll share a similar one with my daughter. I can only hope Rhett Miller is still singing in thirty years or so.”

Dr. Brian Clements, a creative writing professor and current director of the Kathwari Honors Program, led a Q&A for Miller that was open to members of the audience.

During the show and the Q&A session, Miller addressed clichés in the bluegrass and country genres. Miller noted his regrets in writing one song about the protagonist hiding under the bed to kill a cheating spouse. Miller explained that a common theme in these genres is violence against women.

“Let’s kill the dude for once,” said Miller, eliciting cheers from the crowd.

Miller had noted early on in the show that the concert hall was different from other environments he had played, saying that he was used to “smoky bars.” Miller said that he was nervous because of how nice and quiet the audience and environment were. “I wanted to be good for you because I wanted to sort of live up to this room,” said Miller during the Q&A. 

Miller emphasized to the crowd the importance of collaboration in creativity. “You learn to let go of the things that destroy the connection,” said Miller in describing the experience of working with bandmates who might have vastly different opinions and personalities.

From 2:00-4:00 PM, Miller hosted a songwriting workshop for WCSU students, also on the Westside campus. “WestConn is an incredible community, there’s so many creative people here. I loved getting to meet everyone and talk about creativity. I wound up getting very inspired myself,” said Miller in reflection. 

“Rhett Miller delivered a powerhouse solo performance, but just as moving were his insightful comments and storytelling both during the performance and in the Q&A session that followed,” said Dr. Clements in reflection on the show and earlier songwriting workshop. “His comments about his own creative process and the value of individual creativity and communal experiences through music provided a perfect close to this year’s Kathwari Spring Seminars series on Design Thinking/Creative Thinking.”