Music in Glasgow

I'm aware that I still have yet to describe the Old Crow Medicine Show show yet, so I thought I'd just compile all of the cool music-y experiences I've had since I've been here. Starting with, of course, OCMS.

Ok, so by incredible chance of fate, we stumbled upon this show at O2 ABC which is a music venue about two blocks away from school, it's really close. The tickets were only 15 pounds, which I think is pretty darn good. So we got to the venue, and had to wait in line a bit to get in. It was an interesting crowd--definitely a mix of older and younger, which was interesting to me, but the best part was all the Glaswegians were decked out in their country gear. It was kinda precious not gonna lie. They were all in plaid shirts an cowboy hats and boots and such. I thought it was great. It was endearing because it was like trying to be country, but it was slightly off: for example, during the show there was this big guy standing in front of me, and he was really enthusiastic and awesome, and he was wearing his western pearl snap, but I'm pretty sure he was wearing flip flops as well. Anyway, their trying to be country made me feel super legit, which is a nice feeling to have. So the venue was basically this big open floor, stage at one end, bar at the other, large disco ball overhead. The opener was called Dave Rawlings Machine, who I'd never heard before, but they were really really good. Gillian Welch was in the band, and I have heard of her. It drives me crazy that she pronounces her name Gill-ian, like Gilligan. Anyway. They were spectacular. Probably the highlight of their set was a medley they played that included This Land Is Your Land, and all the Scots sang along. Warms your heart.

Then finally came Old Crow Medicine Show. Words cannot describe (also because I've waited so long to write about this) how good they were. They had an amazing amazing fiddler. He sawed off like half of the strings on his bow during the show. They had mandolin, upright bass, banjo, fiddle, everything your heart could desire. Their main singer was a skinny guy with a mess of hair who was just very happy and relaxed and had a bluegrass-y voice. Lovely. I really wish I knew their music better before I saw them, but otherwise, it was wonderful. And then they played Wagon Wheel. Up there in the best moments of my life, for sure. Everyone loved it, and everyone danced and sang along, and the whole atmosphere of the room was so warm and so exciting, it was just wonderful. It was a moment where everyone in that room was alive and happy and totally suspended in the moment. Wonderful.

Alright, that's all for now. I'll possibly talk of music again, but as it is this draft has been sitting around for much too long, so I release it to the ether.