The members of Old Crow Medicine Show would be the first to tell you that they're not a bluegrass band. But in the 21st century, writers and promoters figure that any group flailing away on banjo, fiddle and mandolin qualify as direct descendants of what Bill Monroe gave the world. Even though the band's name alludes to old-time string- and jug-band music, the perception nonetheless persists, with some critics going so far as to say that the quintet draw on '20s and '30s-era bluegrass, which would mean music that predates Monroe and company's invention of the genre.
This, of course, is nit-picking over definitions, and part of what makes Old Crow so invigorating is their disregard for categories. Five young guys who find inspiration in the earthy energy and rowdy musicality of Depression-era music, Old Crow cap off their most successful year with a three-day run in their adopted hometown. That they're playing the Station Inn, one of the world's premiere bluegrass clubs, just shows that there's no need for purism when a young group like this stir up enthusiasm among young and old fans alike.
Still, that the club would turn over an extended weekend to Old Crow testifies to the band's fast-rising popularity. (They're currently the No. 1 seller in Tennessee on amazon.com.) Beyond that, it bears witness to the openness of the local traditional music community to letting youthful boisterousness re-construct older sounds with punkish abandon.
Just back from a successful tour of the U.K., Old Crow will have plenty to celebrate as they kick off the holiday season. Considering the guys like to dress like they just left a hobo village, the success of their self-titled breakthrough LP gives a new wrinkle to the phrase "rags-to-riches." Just don't expect their newfound seats on the gravy train to alter their affection for spitfire tunes about cocaine, moonshine and mules kicking in the wrong stalls.
—Michael McCall
