Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings – Civic Theatre January 28, 2016

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Gillian & Dave. For many, this was the show they waited 12 years for. That’s how long it’s been since Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings performed in New Zealand. The vibe outside the Civic was similar to when Nick Cave performed his solo shows there a couple of years ago. Sure, the music was different, and there were fewer folks dressed in black, but the atmosphere was the same, like-minded music fans enjoying that communal experience of what was about to take place.

There was no opening act for tonight’s show, just Gillian and Dave, for two sets, although there were plenty of potential opening acts in the audience… I spotted Ebony Lamb, Bernie Griffin, Nadia Reid, Will Wood, to name just a few.

Gillian and Dave took the stage just after 8. It was just the two of them with acoustic guitars, a banjo perched behind them and a small table to hold harmonicas, picks, capos and other implements of destruction.

They started off with Scarlet Town, a track from Gillian’s 2011 album, The Harrow & The Harvest. Gillian’s voice was exquisite and their harmonies even more so. Meanwhile Rawlings rocked back and forth while notes cascaded from his guitar. His first solo of the night was an indication of things to come. Yes, he played with precision and dexterity, but there was also passion in his playing. These weren’t just solos, they were flights of fancy that almost took the listener out of their body. Occasionally he would play what initially sounded like a bum note, but these turned into gateways to enable him to go to unexpected musical destinations. From where I sat I swear I could see him smile to himself each time he pulled that little track.

Additionally, Gillian’s between song patter was charming and entertaining.

“They talk about Auckland, you know”, she teased the audience, “do you wanna know what they say? You’re a banjo lovin’ town,” she revealed as she strapped on her trusty 5-string to play Rock Of Ages.

Dave was a bit more deadpan.

“This next one’s kind of a downer,” he announced before The Way It Will Be, then after it he continued, “The next one is faster than that, but it’s sadder, too. It has a higher death count.”

Later, as Gillian prepared to sing Wayside/Back In Time, she advised the female members of the audience, “In case some of you ladies want to take up the harmonica, it won’t smear your lipstick.”

The first set ended with a Doc Watson cover (Weary Blues) and Red Clay Halo, from Time (The Revelator)

Set two picked up where they left off with Down Along The Dixie Line an early highlight. That was followed by Six White Horses, which found Dave playing banjo and harmonica while Gillian sang and played a bit of hambone…slapping her knees and arms to provide percussion. She even stepped out to show off a few dance steps.

The absolute highlight of the evening came next. Dave Rawlings’ guitar solo during Revelator was simply amazing. It began almost like punk rock, with Dave banging on the strings of his guitar, but then took off into the stratosphere. The crowd was on its feet by the end of it.

Dave then sang Sweet Tooth, a tune from the Dave Rawlings Machine album, Friend Of A Friend.

“We just don’t feel right unless we do a good killing song,” Gillian stated and the set ended with Caleb Meyer.

The audience wasn’t going to let them get away that quickly and the four-song encore included Look At Miss Ohio and Orphan Girl…two of Gillian’s finest compositions, along with a rousing sing-along of the old hymn, I’ll Fly Away.

Finally, the evening ended with Jackson, the tune Johnny Cash and June Carter made famous over 50 years ago.

With the spectre of their 2004 show at the St James looming large, Gillian and Dave had plenty to live up to, and they did…building on their legacy with another stunning show that will leave folks talking about it for at least another dozen years.

Marty Duda

Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings set list:

First set:

Scarlet Town
Elvis Presley Blues
Rock Of Ages
The Way It Will Be
The Way It Goes
I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll
Annabelle
Wayside/Back In Time
Weary Blues
Red Clay Halo
Second set:

No One Knows My Name
Hard Times
Down Along The Dixie Line
Six White Horses
Revelator
Sweet Tooth
Tennessee
Caleb Meyer
Look At Miss Ohio
I’ll Fly Away
Orphan Girl
Jackson

Marty Duda
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