photo by Kit Wood
Old Crow Medicine Show
appearing at Brown County Music Center
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~by Ryan Stacy
ere in the age of instant access, it’s easy to forget that music wasn’t always so easy to come by. Back in the day, the sounds of America’s folk traditions—country, bluegrass, blues—were heard over radio waves, played on the phonograph, or performed live, and that was about it. But that scarcity also made music a big deal: Families gathered around their radios to hear popular songs. People packed barn dances, juke joints, and honky-tonks on Saturday nights to listen and dance. Church choirs and instrumental accompaniment were the highlight of Sunday mornings. “Every town in America had a legion of musicians,” explains Ketch Secor, frontman for Old Crow Medicine Show. “People always thought of musicians as local entertainers. Music was a reason to get together and celebrate.”
48 Our Brown County • Nov./Dec. 2021
“It’s about fun, and music connecting us to where we are. We’re homespun music, bottled at the source,” —Ketch Secor It’s this spirit of music Ketch wants to keep alive, and it comes through in Old Crow’s lively, whiskey-soaked blend of country, folk, and bluegrass, often served with a side of rock-n-roll attitude. Based out of the “other” Nashville a few hours south of here, the band has stomped and shouted its way to gigs at the Grand Ole Opry, a Grammy, and a platinum record, sharing the stage Continued on 50
