Old Crow Medicine Show – Indianapolis, July 19, 2012

Old Crow Medicine Show heated up Indianapolis’ Egyptian Room at the Old National Center (Murat Center) on Thursday July 19, 2012.

The record-high temperatures and humidity of the day followed hundreds of plaid-clad young hipsters into the venue for a night of grass roots rock and roll. The heat didn’t slow down the Nashville-based string ensemble from kicking off its national tour with high energy right on the back of its July 17th release of its seventh full length album, Carry Me Back.

When Old Crow Medicine Show (O.C.M.S.) hit the stage, they were met by the high energy of a Hoosier crowd ready for foot-stamping good American roots rock. “It’s going to be a good time in Naptown tonight,” O.C.M.S.’s Keith Secor shouted to the crowd. The amped crowd matched the band’s energy right from the second song “Alabama High Test.” Secor switched from his fiddle to harmonica and right into twangy vocals without missing a beat.

While Secor seemed to lead the band, not one of the six band members took a solo on stage, which is typical of old-time music. They each played heavy and steady throughout the whole show. Guitarist and banjo player, Critter Fuqua (what a honky-tonkalicious name?!) took his turns at lead vocal, as did slide guitar and banjo player Gill Landry and guitjo player Kevin Hayes. New band member Chance McCoy showcased his versatility with the banjo, fiddle and vocals throughout the night.

All vocals found sweet harmony in the chorus of a slower tune, “Caroline.” Secor called it a dance number and sure enough the crowd swayed together, singing along.  Behind the dense crowd that nearly filled the Egyptian Room, couples could be found moving around the floor with dances of a southern dance hall. “We love them,” said a grinning 40-year-old woman middle school teacher from South Bend. “They’re down to earth and pure and make us happy,” she said referring to her husband of 19 years.

The high energy only built as the group jammed, moving around the stage, jumping from risers, all the while stringing their respective instruments through “Bootlegger’s Boy.” Each tune was followed by hoots and hollers from the fully engaged crowd. “We’re just getting warmed up,” Secor teased as he wiped sweat from his face with a towel and then he tossed the sweat-drenched towel into the crowd. He went on to tell the audience that he and the rest of his band mates visited the Indiana War Memorial earlier that day. It was the perfect segue into “Levi,” honoring a fallen veteran. The beautiful storytelling tone of tune was wrapped up in touching twangs of the strings.

The energy picked back up with “Mississippi Saturday Night” and “Mary’s Kitchen.” It was hot, hot, hot in the Egyptian Room and Secor said they were “serving it up hot and greasy in the Circle City tonight.” Throughout the show Secor engaged the crowd with Hoosier talk, asking questions like, who came down from Goshen from on buggy? “We’ve been playing the Hoosier State for over a decade and this is the most people we’ve seen at any Indiana show.” Secor demonstrated his ability to keep an audience’s attention by personalizing the show for the people of Indiana—quite impressively in fact.

“Methamphetamine” brought an eerie vibe with wicked fiddling and lyrics. It was a “nasty little tune” as Secor described it. It was followed by Landry-written “Genevieve,” a slower, sweet number. Secor introduced and offered a big welcome to band newcomer, McCoy. “I am digging it,” McCoy said of his third gig with O.C.M.S.  The strings engineer kept busy switching up the guys’ instruments through “Take ‘em Away” and “Sewanee Mountain Catfight,” a track off the new album.

The show was mixed with older favorites and several newer tunes. “Ain’t It Enough” kept the crowd moving only to be followed up the obvious crowd favorite, “Wagon Wheel.” The middle school teacher busted her flip flop dancing to the tune, as did the guy next to her.  O.C.M.S. wrapped up the set with “Cocaine Habit.”

Opening act Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys joined the O.C.M.S. gang for a five-song encore including covers of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” and The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” 

The energy of the gritty folk group filled the night with raw picking on the strings for a stellar first show of the tour. “God bless our little record as she goes out in the ether,” Secor said. “And may she make people feel good, just like good music should.” By the busted flip flops, constant dancing and sing-a-longs, it’s safe to say the music of O.C.M.S. made the fans of the Indy show feel pretty darn good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tagged: Old Crow Medicine Show, Egyptian Room