Mumford and Sons and the Lumineers may get all the publicity, but they owe their success to the path blazed by Old Crow Medicine Show. For nearly a decade, the country and bluegrass revivalists have been kicking out their back porch party songs, organically building a passionate and dedicated audience.

Old Crow launched their 2012 tour Wednesday night at the Old National Centre in support of new record Carry Me Back. The band opened with that album’s title track, a tongue-twisting hootenanny of a song that was perfectly calibrated to establish the mood. Fan favorite Alabama High-Test followed, fully entrenching the Egyptian Room crowd in the six-piece’s comfort food sound.

The band did a nice job of mixing in the old with the new, providing the audience with the tunes they come to hear, as well as introducing fans to brand new tracks like the somber Genevieve and the old-school Mississippi Saturday Night. The most striking of the new songs was Levi. With its delicate harmonies and more traditional pop structure, Levi is the type of song that could help the band reach new audiences, or at least those who are fans of Mumford et al who aren’t familiar with Old Crow.

An Old Crow show may not surprise you, but you are going to have a good time.

What did you think of the show?