Ryman Auditorium Becoming the Hot Venue for Live Records
This story has been updated.
It’s kind of curious that the Country Music Mother Church hasn’t become a conveyor belt for live records like some other important venues in country music have. Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, TX has a whole series of live albums and DVDs out there. Austin City Limits has a series of live albums as well. In fact it was Emmylou Harris’s 1992 live album At The Ryman from the Ryman Auditorium in 1992 with the Nash Ramblers that help revitalize the original Grand Ole Opry home after it had been shuttered for some 15 years after the Opry moved across town.
Now after Jason Isbell released a Live from the Ryman album in 2018 (granted, with some audio concerns), others are getting in on the action. Grand Ole Opry members Old Crow Medicine Show will release their own Live at the Ryman record on October 4th. The Ryman is like a second home for Old Crow, which made their first appearance on the stage in 2001, and have since played the Ryman stage a whopping 40 times, including 20 times as a dedicated headliner act. This includes the string band’s New Years Eve shows which started in 2009, and have led to Old Crow Medicine Show being considered as sort of the house band of Nashville.
The Old Crow tracks for the live album were not recorded all in one setting. They selected the best 11 tracks from performances between 2013 to 2019 to compile the record. The cover features Hatch Show Print posters from the respective performances, and the album is being released by The Orchard from Columbia Records.
Brothers Osborne have their own live album from the historic venue in the works. Live at the Ryman will be released on October 11th, and feature 12 tracks recorded over a three-day residency the brother duo performed in February 2019.
“Recording at the Ryman is an incredible experience,” says TJ Osborne. “This place never loses its charm or luster. I hope it never does for me. It’s always a special spot. This room just has a way about that even though it’s up on this tier that’s so overwhelming, it has this comforting soul about it. I just always trust this room to take care of us, and it does every time.”
“The ‘Live at the Ryman’ album highlights who we really are,” adds John Osborne “To play this place one night is a gift and an accomplishment that everyone should remember but the fact that we did it three, I can’t even wrap my mind around it.”
Don’t be surprised if these two records and Jason Isbell’s previous one don’t open the floodgates for live Ryman records as part of the venue’s growing legacy. Alabama also recorded a live album at the Ryman in 2014. Brandi Carlile has a Ryman residency coming up in early 2020, and if these performances aren’t being captured for a live record release, they should be. The acoustics of the venue are legendary, the atmosphere is exceptional, and the majesty put behind each performance from the history of the building is something that should be captured more.
Old Crow Medicine Show Live From The Ryman Tracklist:
- Welcome To The Ryman
- Tell It To Me
- Shout Mountain Music
- Take ‘Em Away
- Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer
- CC Rider
- Sixteen Tons
- Methamphetamine
- Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man
- Wagon Wheel
- Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Brothers Osborne’s Live at the Ryman Tracklist:
James Williams
August 15, 2019 @ 10:00 am
Wasn’t the Ronnie Milsap Live album from 1976 recorded at the Ryman?
OlaR
August 15, 2019 @ 10:30 am
As far as i know…the Ronnie Milsap Live album was not recorded at the Ryman. It was recorded at the “new” Grand Ole Opry House.
The album won the CMA AotY-award (1977). Ronnie Milsap won the award for four of his albums (1975, 1977, 1978 & 1986).
I was 5 years old & “Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night)” was my first “official” country song i heard on the radio. It was a year-end-chart show on a public station in Germany (SWF3).
A couple of month later a 6 year old boy became a country music fan after hearing Tanya Tucker with “One Love At A Time” & the voice of Earl Thomas Conley.
Luke the Drifter
August 15, 2019 @ 10:30 am
How can Old Crow leave out Mother Church from a Ryman live album??? Feels like an obvious oversight.
bshott
August 15, 2019 @ 11:17 am
Anderson East’s “Alive in Tennessee” is also from the Ryman
Sam
August 15, 2019 @ 11:35 am
Robert Earl Keen’s “Live at the Ryman” is also spectacular. In my opinion, it’s one of the finest live albums of all. Anything cut from performaces at the Mother Church has my attention.
Talmadge East
August 15, 2019 @ 11:37 am
That Emmylou live record from the Ryman has long been my favorite of her releases, and the one I point folks toward to get them into her music.
Woogeroo
August 21, 2019 @ 3:06 am
it was also mostly rerecorded in a studio, like most ‘live albums’
Nicolet
August 15, 2019 @ 11:56 am
Coulda swornd that Old Crow was going on hiatus. I guess not, then. How ’bout that?
Trigger
August 15, 2019 @ 12:49 pm
Old Crow did take a hiatus recently. They are back now.
Ray
August 15, 2019 @ 1:35 pm
Charlie Worsham has been filling the spot Chance McCoy had with the band. I am not sure if theses temporary, but it seems the band has not missed a beat. Chance and Charlie are both amazing.
Drew
August 15, 2019 @ 9:05 pm
Hiatus mainly involved a less sporadic tour with Critter taking most of the summer off. At this point, won’t be totally shocked if Charlie Worsham becomes a full-time member of the band. He brings a lot to the table including a great rendition of “Next Go ‘Round.”
Scott
August 15, 2019 @ 12:44 pm
Pretty sure Margo Price has stated that she plans on releasing a live album soon from her performances there in 2018
Happy Dan
August 15, 2019 @ 12:46 pm
And of course Neil Young’s Heart of Gold movie, absolutely killer.
Tracy
August 15, 2019 @ 2:09 pm
Planning to buy the Brothers Osborne Ryman album on vinyl, which I heard won’t be out til November. I am really excited for it, and really hate that the singles from Port Saint Joe are struggling at radio BUT I think that really just proves how horrible “country” radio truly is.
wayne
August 15, 2019 @ 8:29 pm
Marty Stuart did this years ago.
Drew
August 15, 2019 @ 9:01 pm
The Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man song on this album is Ketch singing with Margo Price. Also, the new release date is Oct. 4 after they had “some great opportunities come up” around the release.
NJ
August 17, 2019 @ 2:22 pm
Dwight Yoakam has a couple of back to back shows booked at the Ryman later this year. I’d take a new live album if he was willing.