Old Crow Medicine Show Performs ‘Methamphetamine’ Live At The Ryman

On October 4, Old Crow Medicine Show will issue a live album, Live At The Ryman, featuring highlights from the band’s various performances at the famed Nashville venue through Columbia Records/The Orchard. The group previewed the forthcoming set by unveiling video featuring a performance of “Methamphetamine” performed at an empty Ryman.

OCMS originally released “Methamphetamine,” which was co-written by Ketch Secor and David Rawlings on their 2008 album, Tennessee Pusher. The new version of the tune finds the five members of the band joined by guest member Charlie Worsham. In addition to video of the performance, the Grand Ole Opry documents the genesis of the song in an episode of The Write Stuff.

“I hoped that by writing a song about crank in East Tennessee that I could add a little bit of the healing and restorative nature of music to something that’s really, really screwed up,” said Secor. “You can sing about moonshine and you can sing about mountain-top removal. I tried to roll it all up into one and say that meth is symbolic of the pillaging of the region of Appalachia that’s been happening for 200 years with almost total disregard for the folks who call it home.”

Watch both videos via Rolling Stone below:

Methamphetamine Performance

Methamphetamine The Write Stuff Episode