The seasoned string band rocks the scene at Zoo Tunes

Every summer, Seattleites flock to the the lawn of the Woodland Park Zoo for some alfresco music magic. This year’s Zoo Tunes line-up ranges from Randy Newman (July 24) and Indigo Girls (July 30 & 31) to Todd Snider’s Traveling Folk Show (August 11).

Recently, we were fortunate to catch up with the talented lads from Nashville-based Old Crow Medicine Show, who play the zoo June 30. Here’s what they had to say about busking, riding the rails and their most infectious, toe-tapping tune.

Seattleite: You got your start busking on street corners. While here in Seattle, will you have time to check out some of this city’s yet-to-be-discovered musical talent (perhaps down at Pike Place Market)?

Old Crow Medicine Show: Old Crow first busked Pike Place back in the fall of ’98. We had great crowds, and a lotta free food, but the market was so strictly regimented we quickly found the money was better out in front of the Starbucks. Gill Landry, our dobro player, grew up in Seattle and spent a lot of time busking at Pike. Now he’s got his brother Jake raking in the coins. I’ve heard some great music in that market, but even better than the sound of the strings, I like the smack of the fish.

S: How has your sound evolved since the early days of collecting coins in open instrument cases?

OCMS: The stage plot has grown tremendously in the past few years. There’s a lot of gear now. I used to play an old pawn shop fiddle down on the corner, now I keep a half a dozen out on the road, all trimmed out with wireless mics. What hasnt changed a bit from our days on the sidewalk is the spirit. We’re having so much fun these days that when I close my eyes, I swear I see the curb.

S: Who have been the pivotal characters and mentors along your road to success?

OCMS: Bob Dylan, Doc Watson, David Rawlings & Gillian Welch, Cowboy Jack Clement, Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard and many many more. At the 15-year mark, it’s truly humbling to look back and remember just who all we’ve gotten to pick a tune with. But being a Seattle blog, I have to mention Nirvana, whose music erupted into my life at age 13. For Critter and I in our shitty little poultry processing town in Virginia, Kurt Cobain’s incendiary voice was a call to arms for us both. We heard Nevermind and went right down to the pawnshop to get some electric guitars. For my generation, nothing was the same after Nirvana.

S: What three pieces of advice would you offer your younger musician selves?

OCMS:

+Listen to the deep cuts

+Remember there are children watching

+Try and enjoy the ride

S: Could you have ever predicted that “Wagon Wheel” would be the song to captivate such a loyal fan base? What do you think it is about this particular song that appeals to such a wide audience?

OCMS: It’s all about Bob. He’s the wizard who conjured up the spell of that song. I was just lucky to be holding a pen when I heard it.

S: You’ve talked about feeling “a sense of urgency” in the type of music you play—can you expand upon that?

OCMS: Old -Time music is full of fire in the first place and we got a red-hot fiddle that burns like the flames of hell. Not to mention three banjos. It’s more than urgency; it’s holding on for dear life.

S: The fantastic documentary Big Easy Express documented your tour by train (from Oakland to New Orleans) with Mumford and Sons and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. What were the biggest takeaways from this experience?

OCMS: Some of my happiest childhood memories are riding Amtrak trains as a family. We rode ’em all. I’d been out to Seattle three times on the train before I’d turned 16. Then all up and down the eastern seaboard as well.  My father was onboard with me for most of the RR Revival trip. He did all the Mumford boys’ laundry.

S: What were the highlights? Do you have a favorite memory from that once-in-a-lifetime journey?

OCMS: I’ve been thinking a lot about Ted Dwane, who I hear has been really sick. He was a great pal of all us old crows on that journey. Nobody ever watches the bass player, but you can’t take your eyes off Ted Dwane; he’s got that crocodile smile. I loved the railroad revival, but I love those Mumfords most of all.

S: What can Zoo Tunes concert goers expect of your show?

OCMS: This is Zoo Two for OCMS. We rocked it six or seven years back on a co-bill with the Be Good Tanya’s. Nobody plays a Zoo back east. It’s just one of those wiley NW things that make the rest of us wonder what else we’re missing.

S: What’s on the horizon for OCMS?

OCMS: A hip flask of Tennessee whiskey in Pioneer Square.