Two-time Grammy-winning band Old Crow Medicine Show will be bringing their dynamic country-folk act to Charlottesville with a show at the Ting Pavilion Thursday. A rotating six-piece band known for hits like “Wagon Wheel” and fiery live performances, the group is a celebrated presence in modern country and bluegrass. The Cavalier Daily spoke to Old Crow member Cory Younts about the history of the band, the energy and specialization that goes into shows, and the camaraderie that makes Old Crow feel like home.
The band claimed their place as legends when they were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2013, one of country music’s highest honors that acknowledges their lifetime commitment and accomplishment. Playing since 1998, Old Crow shows no sign of slowing down and will be bringing their energy to the Ting Pavillion stop on the band’s “Circle the Wagons” tour. Renowned for their ferocious stage presence, the six-piece has dominated stages from the Newport Folk Festival to the Hollywood Bowl, bringing their music to life with an enthusiastic and lively performance night after night.
“People, honestly, to this day, still think we're on a lot of speed. We prefer no dead air,” Younts said. “It's a blessing and a curse being able to keep up that energy. I don't think any of us have a gym membership, because our show is so intense.”
This kind of high-energy show translates perfectly to a college crowd. Younts expressed his affinity for playing shows in student towns ahead of the Charlottesville performance.
“I personally love the college crowd. I love a sticky floor. I love people dancing. I love people spilling beer. I love the guardrail,” Younts said. “I love college crowds to death.”
Old Crow brings the small town feel no matter where they are performing, and have been doing so ever since they were playing shows on the side of the road and in small-town bars. While now they play on historic stages, the group was discovered busking outside of a pharmacy in Boone, North Carolina in 2000 by bluegrass legend Doc Watson.
The band’s story began two years prior to their discovery when the original members were teenagers back in 1998, departing from Ithaca, New York on a journey to cross the Canadian border and play all the way out to the Pacific. The lineup was fluid as the band travelled across the country, picking up talented artists they found along the way into their black station wagon before making their way back down to North Carolina. Old Crow still carries the traveler ethos, channeling it into their songwriting and live performances.
“We do find inspiration from the towns that we play in and the people that we meet,” Younts said.
The members of Old Crow make an effort to explore each town they play in before their show, believing that it is the little things that make all the difference when the band gets up on stage. Younts discussed the band’s rituals, including Secor’s preshow routine which involves going to a library or post office, and just talking to the people he meets.
“Our philosophy is to try to be every hometown's favorite band. Whether you're in Wisconsin or you're in New York or you're in Athens, Georgia, we try to relate to the people of the area,” Younts said. “We'll find out where the local swimming hole is, and you know, the real seedy bars and just inside jokes and things like that.”
The lineup of Old Crow has changed a lot over the years, but the core spirit of the group has remained intact. The current six members include frontman Ketch Secor, Morgan Jahnig, Cory Younts, Mike Harris, Chance McCoy and PJ George, who each play a variety of instruments varying from the slide guitar to the banjo to the dobro. Younts, who joined in 2009, noted that rehearsing with this many people can be chaotic, but it also has plenty of benefits when it comes to fun and flexibility.
“It looks like a party,” Younts said. “I mean, for the first time ever I think five of us play banjo, three fiddle players, five or six guitar players, two upright bass players, two keyboardists, two drummers, you name it. And we can rotate around, because everybody has different styles.”
While Old Crow is based in Nashville, the members of the band live in different places. Because of this, they tend to learn songs on the road, rehearsing backstage before gigs.
Despite their history of being on the road, Old Crow feels like home for many of its members. Younts took a break in 2012 to play with The Buzzards, a band with Jack White — the famous rock musician best known for his work in the White Stripes — which he called a rewarding and exciting experience in its own right, but he found himself missing the comfort of his Old Crow family.
“I never really grew up playing rock and roll. It was kind of like I got homesick for Old Crow,” Younts said. "My heart is in that music. It just is. It's just natural for me and everything.”
The members of Old Crow decided to channel this feeling of home that has accompanied them on the road for the past two decades into a tangible manifestation. In 2020, the band built Hartland Studio, a project that became even more personal when COVID hit and they had to finish building and remodeling the space themselves. Having their own studio allows the band to relax and take their time with recordings, a luxury most bands do not have when paying astronomical studio fees in Nashville.
Old Crow has recorded and released nine studio albums, with their 2014 record “Remedy” winning a Grammy for Best Folk Album, and their most recent 2023 record “Jubilee” receiving a Grammy nomination in the same category. Famously, their single “Wagon Wheel” from their debut album has become a country staple, and is now a certified three-times platinum hit. While “Wagon Wheel” has been playing on the radio and in bars and everywhere in between since 2004, Old Crow still has a special place in their hearts for the tune.
“I never get tired of it. That song has provided me with everything that I own, and I'm very, very grateful,” Younts said.
While their music might bear a striking resemblance to the beloved country acts of bygone days, the essence of the band is entirely their own, carefully preserved through decades of friendship, music, and history. Old Crow has captivated the country with their nostalgic sound for over 25 years, and plans to keep bringing their spirit to fans’ hometowns across the world.
“It's kind of set in stone. Even people that are younger that have joined this band, they grew up on Old Crow, and know what it's about and the energy,” Younts said. “It's something that is kind of ingrained in our history."
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