Is it possible that we’ve reached a new age for old-time roots music?
“There are growing trends in American roots music among young bands, and that’s a great statement to be able to make, because there are some great songs from the old times – from the ’20s and ’30s and back – that should be sung,” said Ketch Secor, one of the guys behind the Old Crow Medicine Show.
“At the same time, a lot of the bands are taking their own chances with the music as far as the direction they want to point it in. It’s always been around, but it’s really great that it’s becoming a force all around America.”
Old Crow Medicine Show, which plays Wednesday at the Bluebird Theater and Thursday at the Boulder Theater, is part of a trend that is moving forward while looking backward. The Nashville quintet is making music with a nod to the past and two feet firmly planted in the 21st century. Like the Avett Brothers, Gillian Welch and other modern roots-rockers, Old Crow’s music is reminiscent of another era and a different place – even while the lyrics and attitudes often reference modern advantages and ailments.
The band is approaching the end of its record cycle touring its 2006 disc, “Big Iron World,” and that means Colorado audiences will be hearing new material amid this swing. The Denver Post caught up with the band’s singer/fiddle-banjo-harmonica player Secor to talk about the band’s roots and its future playing progressive folk music in a stodgy old place like Nashville.
Q: Last time we talked, you were prepping to sing a song with Emmylou Harris at the Americana Music Awards?
A: Well, it was great to be on the stage at the Ryman (Auditorium). We had been there a week before, playing our own show, and the place was packed. But this time around was OK, too. We sang “We’re All in This Together” with Emmylou, and that was nice.
Q: The Avett Brothers were also at the AMAs last week. And it seems like something is happening – a movement is swelling – because of the music you all are putting out.
A: In terms of us having banjos and upright basses and guitars that are acoustic and singing harmonies together, there’s definitely something that’s going on in music among a certain group of musicians. I guess you could call it a trend. Since we started playing together, we’ve seen every town develop at least one band that makes old-time music in some way or another.
Q: Is that something that makes you happy?
A: Oh yeah.
Q: Do you remember the first records you heard as a child that turned you onto this road?
A: There were folk music records I heard when I was young. I heard Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger records. Myself, and all of us in Old Crow, were anomalies. It was a different time when we were growing up, that short, 20-year period of exposure when you’re young and being introduced to art.
Q: How was it a different time?
A: Now there’s an overriding uniformity to what people take in when they’re young. And we were lucky to be growing up more in that ’70s, Kodachrome, orange glow of a time. I engaged with the songs and the places of roots music and developed a real passion for American songs and the ways people were singing and playing them. I don’t know how you get turned on to that stuff. But forces all around us have made us an old-time, American roots kind of band that has a lot of rock ‘n’ roll feeling to it.
Q: It seems like “Wagon Wheel” is one of those songs that has turned you on to a much larger audience.
A: That’s always been our most popular song. It’s always been a popular song, as long as it’s been around. I just fooled with it and added to the story line, but Dylan initially wrote it. I wrote my parts when I was 17, and I guess it’s an autobiographical song about going down to North Carolina and playing music. It was really fortunate to be able to catch a little bit of the Bob Dylan shooting star for that song, which made it shine a little bit more than anything else out there.
Q: As traditional as it is, your music is progressive at its core. How is it received in Nashville?
A: We have a great relationship with Nashville as our hub. We have a crack team there, and I wouldn’t want to work out of anywhere else. We’ve been able to position ourselves in a strong spot, but the best is yet to come. We’re still passionate about what we do, and it’s still a thrill to play. I’m glad that we’ve done it on our own, beholden to nobody else but greatly in debt to many – most of whom are musicians who have helped move us along.
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com
Old Crow Medicineshow American roots. Bluebird Theater, Denver. 9 p.m. Wednesday; Boulder Theater, Boulder. 9 p.m. Thursday. $20-$24. bluebirdtheater
or 303-830-8497; or 303-786-7030
6moreconcerts
Supagroup. Call it stoner metal, call it guitar rock. These New Orleans lads have heard it all. Benji Lee, above, and company play Sunday at the Larimer Lounge with fellow metal aficionados Valiant Thorr.
Big Head Todd & the Monsters. These Colorado boys — who made a hit out of “Bittersweet” in the ’90s — will play a special show tonight at the Soiled Dove. Tickets can be obtained only through KBCO 97.3-FM.
Tracy Byrd. The popular country crooner returns to the Grizzly Rose tonight with his band.
Dave Matthews Tribute Band. Every major band has a tribute band. And this all-covers group will play with the backing of the Colorado Symphony on Saturday at Boettcher Concert Hall.
The Hold Steady. This group likes its rock ‘n’ roll straight with no chaser — no arty nuances or indie leanings — as fans will see on Monday at the Ogden. Art Brut opens.
Black Dice. This percussive experimental rock band makes music that sounds like a lower-key Squarepusher. Its live shows are legendary if, you know, you’re into that sort of arty thing. It plays Thursday at the Walnut Room.
Ricardo Baca
