Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show is an Americana string band based in Nashville, Tennessee, known for its blend of old-time, folk, and alternative country music. The band originated when a group of young string musicians left Ithaca, New York, bringing fiddles, banjos, guitars, and washboards to street corners and venues across Ontario, Lake Superior towns, Manitoba, South Dakota reservations, and cities including Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland.

Bluegrass musician Doc Watson discovered the band while its members were busking outside a pharmacy in Boone, North Carolina. Watson's daughter, after hearing the group perform, introduced them to her father, who then invited them to perform at his annual MerleFest festival. Frontman Ketch Secor has described this invitation as a pivotal moment in the band's career.

Formed before "Americana" became a widely recognized genre, Old Crow Medicine Show developed a sound that merged traditional old-time music with contemporary influences, contributing to a broader folk revival. Their self-titled debut album reached Number 1 on the Bluegrass Albums chart, a position matched by all nine of their subsequent releases. The song "Wagon Wheel," co-written by Secor and Bob Dylan, achieved platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America and has been covered by various artists, including Darius Rucker, who brought the song into the top 40. "Wagon Wheel" is recognized as one of the most widely sung folk songs and is among the top five country singles certified by the RIAA.

With an old-time string sound infused with punk rock energy, Old Crow Medicine Show has influenced acts such as Mumford & Sons and played a significant role in the resurgence of banjo-driven Americana music. Marcus Mumford has credited the band with inspiring his interest in folk and country music and influencing the formation of country music events in London. According to Americana Music Association President Jed Hilly, the band's contributions are central to the evolution of Americana music.

Old Crow Medicine Show, alongside Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, won the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video for the film "Big Easy Express," which documented their tour from California to New Orleans. The band became members of the Grand Ole Opry and received the Trailblazer Award from the Americana Music Association. They later won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album with their LP, "Remedy." The group has toured internationally, sold hundreds of thousands of albums, and performed at major festivals including Bonnaroo, Coachella, and The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

For more than a quarter century, Old Crow Medicine Show has blended American vernacular traditions—mountain music, bluegrass, old-time, and folk—into contemporary songs, serving as a cultural bridge between past and present. Their discography includes albums such as "Paint This Town," "Jubilee," and "Union Made," which features collaborations with John Carter Cash, Evan Felker, Maggie Rose, and Jesse Welles. The band's recordings capture their energetic sound, while their live performances are known for dynamic displays of fiddle, banjo, and harmonica, combining traditional American music with the intensity of a modern rock show.