Old Crow Medicine Show performs at the 57th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
Regardless if you recognize the name of the song, the band or the backstory, you know “Wagon Wheel,” The Old Crow Medicine Show hit that should be a block-rocking sing along Friday at Jannus Live in downtown St. Pete. Covered by Darius Rucker, Mumford & Sons and many others, Dylanologists recognized the melody right away when Old Crow’s signature song started gaining popularity a decade ago.
The song is based on an unreleased but heavily bootlegged ditty called “Rock Me, Mama,” which Dylan recorded while working on the 1973 soundtrack to “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid.” Thanks to lawyers and luck, Old Crow’s Ketch Secor shares a songwriting credit and lots of royalties with Dylan, who, incidentally, has never publicly performed the song. The Devil Makes Three is the opener Friday.
8 p.m. Friday; Jannus Live, 200 1st Avenue N., St. Petersburg; $36 advance / $42 day of show; (727) 565-0550; jannuslive.com
