{"id":797,"date":"2014-06-26T10:34:19","date_gmt":"2014-06-26T14:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mattsteffen.com\/?p=797"},"modified":"2016-08-08T11:21:52","modified_gmt":"2016-08-08T15:21:52","slug":"dave-rawlings-machine-the-brown-theatre-louisville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mattsteffen.com\/dave-rawlings-machine-the-brown-theatre-louisville\/","title":{"rendered":"dave rawlings machine @ the brown theatre – louisville"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When Dave Rawlings puts together a touring band, he is not screwing around. \u00a0Known best for backing Gillian Welch with his fluid flat picking guitar and pinpoint harmonies, stepping into the leading role could be a daunting task. \u00a0Especially when you are leading a group comprised of Gillian, Willie Watson of the Old Crow Medicine Show, and Paul Kowert from the Punch Brothers. \u00a0As if that were not enough to guarantee their supergroup status, on Mandolin was former Led Zeppelin multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones. \u00a0Even with such talent on the stage, it was clear that Dave was holding the reigns. \u00a0Stepping in with his\u00a0renowned\u00a0leads and vocal harmonies, he was quick to cast the spotlight on those around him.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was apparent from the beginning that they were truly enjoying themselves. \u00a0The lighthearted performances of songs like “Sweet Tooth”, “Candy”, and the\u00a0interspersed\u00a0crowd interaction kept things from getting too serious. \u00a0Even a snapped high E string by Willie Watson on the first chord of Charley Jordan’s “Keep it Clean” got a laugh as Dave fished a fresh one out of his ever present box of tools, dubbing Willie the “fastest string swapper this side of the Ohio”. \u00a0It was when Dave introduced the individual players that showed his admiration. \u00a0Called out over generous applause, lastly, with a grin of astonishment, he yelled what we were all thinking, “JOHN PAUL JONES!!!” \u00a0The generous ramped up to thunderous.<\/p>\n

The setlist was made up of Rawlings’ originals, Americana medleys and songs crafted by the supporting musicians. \u00a0With the knowledge and mastery between the five of them you might get a chance to hear the entire Great American Songbook, it’s almost a musical history lesson. \u00a0Mixing in his numbers with songs by Dylan, Jesse Fuller, The Band, and Woody Guthrie, it’s easy to hear who has influenced Dave’s work, but they are still delivered with his trademark rambling picking style. \u00a0To hear him trade and overlay spectacular runs with the legendary John Paul Jones was amazing. \u00a0Audible gasps and wow’s were heard from the hushed, attentive audience. \u00a0Playing two sets, each a little over an hour long, they mixed melancholy with humor but were still able to get the crowd roaring, most notably with a medley of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “I Hear Them All” blending into Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land”. \u00a0Nearly 100 years after those lyrics were written, they never sounded more true.<\/p>\n

After the two sets, they came out for an encore playing the classic Led Zeppelin hit “Going to California” in their trademark lilting,\u00a0psychedelic\u00a0Americana style. \u00a0Rawlings was surprisingly in control of the challenging vocal range, with the whole band picking up the reverb soaked bridge. \u00a0A second encore had everyone but Jones sing a verse for The Band’s “The Weight”. \u00a0And not being known to call it an early night, they snuck back out for a quick, a capella “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby”, made popular by Welch, Alison Krauss, and Emmylou Harris on the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” film score. \u00a0Dave Rawlings Machine stood around one mic and sang, clapped, and stomped, bringing it all back to how this music began.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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