the hum / By Bob Doran

Down Home

(Aug. 16, 2007)  College is almost back in session, the students are back in town and it’s time for another CenterArts season. The local concert juggernaut kicks off a stellar ’07-’08 season on Sunday, Aug. 19, with a show at the Van Duzer featuring what is likely the most successful old-timey band working today, Old Crow Medicine Show .

A video for the band’s cover version of the old Stones’ tune “Down Home Girl” shows OCMS busking on the street in what seems to be New York City, initially being told to move along by a sympathetic cop who lets on that he likes their music. They dutifully cross the street with their guitars, banjo and standup bass and start again as city life grinds on. At the end an old guy wonders, “Are these the Sex Pistols?” The band does not correct him, answering, “How’d you know?”

Old Crow Medicine Show

GALLERY >

Now, it’s not likely you’ll see OCMS busking on the Arcata Plaza, but there’s a grain of truth in the vid. The band got its start in NYC and played on the street and in dive bars for some time before they got their big break, a mythic meeting with Doc Watson (coming soon to CenterArts) in front of a North Carolina pharmacy. That led to a slot on Doc’s annual Merlefest (named for his late son, not Mr. Haggard, by the way, although OCMS later toured with that Merle).

Moving up in the world, they relocated to Nashville and eventually got to play the Grand Ole Opry, which is about as big as it gets in the country scene. A couple of albums and a coupla hundred thousand units later and they’re playing all the big festivals — Bonnaroo, Telluride, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage and so on. They’re regulars on Prairie Home Companion , and CMT is playing their videos. That country-blues take on “Down Home Girl” crossed over to Triple-A radio and won them new fans at home and abroad.

After working their way down the West Cost they head for Europe for the fall, returning late October just in time for another visit to the Ryman, home of the Opry, and my guess is they’re having a grand ole time.

If you’re thinking of going, you might want to act now. I’m told the show’s close to selling out. Tickets are also moving fast for the return engagement by Portland’s loungey orchestra Pink Martini (playing Sept. 9), and also for blues legend B.B. King (Sept. 11), the Celtic Christmas show (Dec. 14) and especially for the Cirque du Soleil/Pickle Family spin-off Cirque Works in Birdhouse Factory (Sept. 25).

Coming (relatively) soon to CenterArts, jazzy chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux (Aug. 28), funky world music by Zap Mama (Aug. 31), jazz guitar giant John McLaughlin (Sept. 23) and Mickey Hart’s spacey Planet Drum (Sept. 30). Then, in one week in October, a veritable festival of American music, with the aforementioned Doc Watson (Oct. 4), Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby (Oct. 7), Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (Oct. 8) and Solid Blues , a mini-fest in itself with Mavis Staples , Charlie Musselwhite , The North Mississippi All-Stars and New Orleans-style pianist Joe Krown (Oct. 10).

Now, the truth is, between the music styles and the prices, the CenterArts season is not really designed for HSU students. Their on-campus musical needs are met more by Associated Students Presents, whose season also opens this coming week with a visit by the funky San Fran Afrobeat band Albino! , playing at the Depot Wednesday, Aug. 22. AS Presents has beaucoup coolness on the horizon, including the 7th annual Fall Harvest Festival Sept. 9, with a double dose of neo-old-timey: Hot Buttered Rum and Devil Makes Three. Then it’s a turntablist’s dream, with DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist reunited for their Hard Sell tour (Sept. 17), followed immediately by an indie rock one-two with Built to Spill and those old school alt. masters Camper Van Beethoven (Sept. 18). There’s still more old-timey with the ladies known as Uncle Earl , plus local opener Huckleberry Flint (Oct. 16), then (drum roll please) a visit by alt. rock royalty: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth fame, playing at the Depot of all places (Oct. 26).

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