Old Crow Medicine Show BY MARK DOLEJS On a warm Wednesday October night, the crowd really seemed to appreciate Old Crow Medicine Show, a...
BY MARK DOLEJS
On a warm Wednesday October night, the crowd really seemed to appreciate Old Crow Medicine Show, as they brought the party out to the Carolina Theatre of Greensboro. It wasn’t a huge crowd, but it was a crowd full of loyal fans that sang along all night.
At one point, during “Sweet Amarillo,” frontman Ketch Secor invited everyone to step out into the aisles and waltz. Those in attendance were encouraged to dance with whomever they came with to the concert, or anyone else they saw fit to dance with that they had their eye on.
The night was filled with familiar tunes from this band that cut their teeth in North Carolina a couple of decades ago. Songs including “God’s Got It,” “Alabama High Test,” and “James River Blues.”
They also shared a couple of songs off their June release, Union Made, including “Rye Whiskey,” “My Side of the Mountain,” and “Howdy Do America.” The latter being one of three songs that the band gathered around one microphone to sing together. The other songs were “Stealin’” and “CC Rider.”
The band is made up of an incredible set of musicians, often changing instruments and switching up lead vocals, while also harmonizing on the chorus. In addition to Secor, the band is made up of Morgan Jahnig, Chance McCoy, Cory Younts, PJ George, Joe Andrews, and Willie Watson.
Throughout the night, Secor shared brief stories from when he lived in Greensboro, including a mention of being arrested at some point. While none of the band members are originally from NC, the band spent their formative years in Western NC. They were discovered by Doc Watson more than 25 years ago, when they were busking in front of a drug store in Boone, after which Watson invited they band to play at MerleFest.
“Wagon Wheel,” the band's most well-known song, was saved for last before leaving the stage prior to returning for an encore. The crowd jumped to their feet and swayed to the music as they sang their lungs out to the chorus.
Old Crow returned to the stage for a fantastic rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” and then ended the night as they usually do with “I Saw The Light.”
The night started off with opener, Palmyra, a three-piece folk/Americana rock band from Virginia. The band is made up of Teddy Chipouras, Sasha Landon, and Mānoa Bell. For the tour they were joined by drummer Samir Tawalare.
These folks were great and had wonderful report with each other and fantastic energy on stage. They performed quite a few songs and remarked how lucky they were to be touring with Old Crow. Their songs included “Cheap Beer,” “Shape I’m In,” and “Blame Game.”
They ended their set by stepping away from the microphones and doing an acoustic song called “Jubilee,” a beautiful song about returning to home.
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- MARK DOLEJS
Photography is an avenue that
Mark Dolejs uses to learn about the people and places that cross his path. After more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mark enjoys concert, macro, and roadside photography. Follow Mark on Instagram at @solidrockpix.
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