\t\t\t\t\tGillian Welch and David Rawlings Take Acoustic \u2018Reckoning\u2019 Tour to Brooklyn Bowl Nashville\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
On April 3 and 4, Gillian Welch and her longtime musical accompanist, David Rawlings, commenced their Acoustic Reckoning Tour at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville. The landmark two-set concerts nodded to the 45th anniversary of the Grateful Dead\u2019s double live album, Reckoning, recorded in September and October 1980 in both New York and San Francisco. During the live shows, the musicians leaned into a bank of traditionals and alternative versions of beloved classics. Like the record, the duo underscored their choice material while paying homage to the Dead\u2019s acoustic capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the opening night of Welch and Rawlings\u2019 Reckoning run on Friday, April 3, they opened the show with a slowed-down rendition of fan favorite \u201cBertha,\u201d before follow-ups: \u201cDire Wolf,\u201d \u201cOh Babe It Ain\u2019t No Lie\u201d [Elizabeth Cotten original], and \u201cIt Must Have Been the Roses.\u201d They carved a path for Jerry Garcia\u2019s \u201cLoser\u201d before a take on Bill Browning and His Echo Valley Boys\u2019 \u201cDark Hollow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A haunting \u201cChina Doll\u201d emerged ahead of \u201cCassidy\u201d and a frame ending \u201cCumberland Blues.\u201d The second set found the pair stepping into \u201cBrown-Eyed Women,\u201d before traditionals turned Grateful Dead-arranged \u201cI\u2019ve Been All Around This World\u201d and \u201cDeep Elem Blues.\u201d The second set floated the intimate ballad \u201cTo Lay Me Down,\u201d a well-paced \u201cJack Straw,\u201d and seasonal \u201cCold, Rain and Snow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before ending the tour opener, Welch and Rawlings played through \u201cHigh Time,\u201d \u201cBird Song,\u201d and \u201cRipple.\u201d For the night\u2019s encore, they landed on \u201cSt. Stephen,\u201d before tipping their toes into \u201cNot Fade Away,\u201d and the final number, Bonnie Dobson\u2019s \u201cMorning Dew.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s return to Brooklyn Bowl Nashville found the pair delivering a rearranged two-set concert that also included fresh additions like \u201cThe Monkey and the Engineer,\u201d \u201cBrokedown Palace,\u201d and \u201cJack-a-Roe\u201d during the first half of the night. Set two featured a newly added \u201cBlack Peter\u201d and a live debut of \u201cStella Blue,\u201d spiced with a \u201cBird Song\u201d conclusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like set two, the pair pulled out another debut during the evening\u2019s encore, via \u201cAlthea.\u201d Before ending their time in Nashville, Welch and Rawlings delivered \u201cFriend of the Devil\u201d as well as \u201cWe Bid You Goodnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
After submitting the initial Reckoning Tour concerts at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, Welch and Rawlings will take their affinity for the Dead\u2019s double live LP to Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, N.C. Tickets remain on sale.\u00a0<\/p>\n