Folks from all walks of life packed the seats and lined the aisles of the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor to get a taste of this season's hottest hootenanny. Youngsters and not-so-young adults tapped their toes to the thumping bass and fiery fiddle of Old Crow Medicine Show.

On June 5, the scene inside the Opera House resembled a wild hillbilly hoedown, as the crowd howled and bounced to the explosive string band that makes New Englanders feel like good ole country bumpkins.

“Looks like we made it to Boothbay boys! Let's dance a little longer,” shouted lead singer, Ketch Secor with his Tennessee twang. “Look at all those choppers out there just beaming those pearly smiles … unlike in Houlton.”

The band had wanted to stop by Boothbay for two nights on their way back through its Northeastern tour, said Opera House manager Cathy Sherrill. Both shows sold out, and some people drove as far as 10 hours away to see them, Sherrill said.

Old Crow Medicine Show were discovered by country music legend Doc Watson on a street corner in North Carolina. They became a national hit with their 2004 debut “Wagon Wheel,” a song co-written by lead singer Ketch Secor and Bob Dylan.

Secor, who attended school in New Hampshire, penned “Wagon Wheel” to describe his longing to head back south, away from the cold winters up in New England.

Although his heart belong in Dixie, Secor showed a clear understanding of coastal Maine culture. Hours before the first show on June 5, Secor and his band hung out by the dumpster behind the Opera House and wrote the song “Summer Folk.”

They premiered the song the same night and had the audience in hysterics with lyrics lampooning the people that “invade” the shores every summer.

Old Crow Medicine Show fuses folk, bluegrass and old style country music with a modern Americana that resonates across multiple generations. A diverse sample of youngsters, baby boomers, hipsters and older folks turned out on June 5, as Boothbay Harbor's Opera House was transformed into a sensational southern shindig.

The final June 6 show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor. If you're lucky enough to have tickets, the doors open at 6:30 p.m.