Deborah J Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 That was awesome! Jonesy as always amazing. I wished I could have been at that show, or the one in Atlanta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayougal65 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I wished I could have been at that show, or the one in Atlanta. Me too, Deb! We can only hope it was such a good experience they might make a go of it again! If so I am there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hi Bayougal! I did not even know they were playing here (at least Jonesy) until the day this thread was started! Maybe he will do something again soon and we can go:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators sam_webmaster Posted March 17, 2014 Author Administrators Share Posted March 17, 2014 2014 Summer Tour Date Announcement Dave Rawlings Machine’s barnstorming 2013 lineup is back for six nights only this summer, beginning June 18 in Boulder, CO, and finishing up on June 27 at Nashville, TN’s legendary Ryman Auditorium. Gillian Welch, John Paul Jones, Willie Watson and Paul Kowert will join Dave Rawlings for an evening of distinctive picking, high lonesome songs and many other high caliber acoustic entertainments. Fan club pre-sale for the tour will begin on Thursday, March 20, at 10am local time. The fan club presale password for all dates is DAVE14. General on sale begins March 21. Complete tour dates are below. photo: Andy Tennille. Wed 6/18 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater [Tickets] Fri 6/20 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Bluegrass Festival – SOLD OUT Tue 6/24 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater [Tickets] Wed 6/25 – St. Louis, MO – The Sheldon [Tickets] Thu 6/26 – Louisville, KY – Brown Theatre [Tickets] Fri 6/27 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium [Tickets] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayougal65 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Thanks for posting this, Sam! Looks like a trip to Nashville might be in my future! I really regretted missing them last go-around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyingzepp Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 They will be here in KC. It's super easy at Uptown Theater to meet the bands and musicians. Would love to see JPJ up close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyingzepp Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Just ordered my tickets for KC. Uptown theater is perfect for this. Will post pics after the show Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 The Dave Rawlings Machine, featuring Gillian Welch, John Paul Jones, Willie Watson, and Paul Kowert with bandleader Dave Rawlings, is headed west this fall, playing dates in California, Oregon, Montana, and Washington state. Full details to include ticket information at the link below. http://www.daverawlingsmachine.com/071414/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators sam_webmaster Posted September 18, 2014 Author Administrators Share Posted September 18, 2014 [09/18/2014] Taking the Lead: Gillian Welch's almost-silent partner leads a true "supergroup" in the Dave Rawlings Machine By Dan Nailen Dave Rawlings is best known as the longtime musical partner of Americana songstress Gillian Welch and as a producer and cowriter for artists unafraid of a little twang in their tunes, including Ryan Adams and Bright Eyes. Comfortable playing second fiddle to Welch on stage or toiling in the shadows of a recording studio, he's also led his own band, the Dave Rawlings Machine, for nearly a decade. Welch is the sole other permanent member, and there's only been one album released — 2009's Friend of a Friend. But late last year, Rawlings decided he'd like to tour a bit and put together an iteration of the Machine featuring an incredible crew of musicians. Punch Brother Paul Kowert, former Old Crow Medicine Show member Willie Watson and a fellow named John Paul Jones (yes, that would be Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones) are all part of the Machine again for a short stint on the road in 2014, fleshing out the guitar/vocal interplay he and Welch have showcased for years. Seeing his name on the marquee still isn't routine for Rawlings — he jokes, with a distinct high-pitched laugh, that there are "at least two people in the band I'd rather hear sing than myself" — but he loves the ability of the Machine to take his songs to places impossible for he and Welch to find as a duo. "It's been easier each run as we've been finding our way as a band," Rawlings says of leading the current Machine. "I've grown into this a little bit over the years. The role of lead singer is one thing, but the role of being kind of a bandleader is more natural. Working with Gillian, or producing records, I'm used to thinking about a whole picture, or a whole group, and how it will sound at a given moment." The response to the recent shows has been overwhelming to the jocular Rhode Island native, now sporting a slight Nashville accent. The biggest difference between the Dave Rawlings Machine and what he and Welch typically do "lies in how we have to alter what we do to fit in with three other musicians." And playing with Jones, Kowert and Watson, as well as Welch, well, "I'd be a fool not to do that as often as possible," Rawlings says. The Inlander asked Rawlings to describe what each "part" of the Machine brings to the group: Paul Kowert "If JPJ and Paul and I are just picking out a tune in a circle, Paul can keep up with anything we can play, improvising all together," Rawlings says of the classically trained double bassist. "He's got the ear and the ability to stay right with you, which is really a shocking thing on the upright, a challenging, physical instrument to play. There aren't that many guys in the world who have that kind of ability." Willie Watson "We've always had a similar appreciation for old-time music up through the early folk records," Rawlings says of Watson, whose debut solo album Rawlings produced earlier this year. "Willie is a terrific singer; he's vastly overqualified to be singing baritone to me. With this little group, I didn't know how it would all fit when we started. Willie played some guitar, and some banjo, and then he started playing a little fiddle. He definitely brings that old-time spice, which is great." John Paul Jones "He's always had a real love of acoustic music, and he's a really talented mandolin player," Rawlings says of Jones, who took a break from composing an opera to join the Machine on this tour. "I have a little cross-picking thing I do on the guitar, and he does a similar thing on the mandolin. We played a little the first day we met, and we immediately sort of felt our two instruments and two styles fell in nicely together. That interplay, that ability for one of us to be soloing and the other to be trading off, that's one of my favorite things about playing with the Machine — when he and I get really stirred up. For me, it's hard to believe it happens, let alone happens on a nightly basis." Gillian Welch "We've always been interested in the fact that if we take a song and I sing lead on it, as opposed to Gillian, there's just a different feel to how we play," Rawlings says. "That's kind of why we started doing [the Machine] in 2005. I joke that the Machine is just like our other band, but with a worse lead singer. We're both big fans of what we call 'squirrely, male lead singers,' not card-carrying, world-class vocalists. And if you think of people that sing that way, one of the things that makes it work is really nice-sounding harmony singing. And that's what Gill does that really makes this all work." Dave Rawlings Machine • Tue, Sept. 23, at 8 pm • $32.50 • All-ages • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague • bingcrosbytheater.com • 227-7638 http://www.inlander.com/spokane/taking-the-lead/Content?oid=2355211 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators sam_webmaster Posted September 25, 2014 Author Administrators Share Posted September 25, 2014 CONCERT REVIEW: Dave Rawlings Machine live up to high expectations at the Bing Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch are songwriting royalty among Americana music fans, with two decades of recordings and tours as a duo — mostly under Welch’s name — helping them build up an incredible amount of good will. Surround them with an amazing band, as happened Tuesday at Spokane’s Bing Crosby Theater, and you have the makings of an unforgettable night. Rawlings was the ostensible leader of the proceedings, held as they were under the Dave Rawlings Machine moniker. But what happened on stage was close to an old-fashioned hootenanny, with Rawlings regularly asking the others to step up and take over lead vocals or break out an instrumental solo. Welch, naturally, garnered loud hoots from the crowd filling the venue, and guitarist/former Old Crow Medicine Show member Willie Watson had some of the best songs of the night when he took center stage (metaphorically speaking — he stayed at stage-right all night). Even bass player Paul Kowert was offered a few opportunities to take over vocals with his baritone, most notably on the show-closing cover of the Band’s “The Weight.” The only person on stage who didn’t sing lead at any point was the man whose introduction elicited the loudest roar all night. John Paul Jones, most notably a former member of hard rock pioneers Led Zeppelin, sang plenty of harmonies with the others, while his mandolin solos mesmerized regularly on songs like “To Be Young (is to Be Sad, is to Be High)” and a scorching cover of Bob Dylan’s “Queen Jane Approximately” late in the show; he and Rawlings traded rapid-fire licks throughout that one, with Rawlings even looping in a few bars of the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider” along the way. In a show full of highlights, it’s hard to pick out favorite moments. The obvious joy on display, led by Rawlings and his huge grin and self-deprecating between-song banter, was infectious. It’s hard for me to remember seeing a band smile so much during a show. The crowd regularly burst into applause at particularly strong instrumental passages, even mid-song, and every break between tunes was met with whoops and hollers. Rawlings kicked off the proceedings with “The Monkey and the Engineer,” a Jesse Fuller tune the Grateful Dead was fond of, followed by an as-yet-recorded tune, “Candy.” Watson took over for an old-time mountain song, “Dry Bones,” before Welch took lead for the first time on a harmonica-driven “Wayside Back in Time” from her Soul Journey album. Next came a transcendent run of songs highlighted by the Machine’s first-ever performance, according to Rawlings' introduction, of Bob Dylan’s “As I Went Out One Morning,” the aforementioned “To Be Young (is to Be Sad, is to Be High),” which Rawlings wrote with Ryan Adams, and Watson’s take on “Keep It Clean.” From that point on, the crowd was fully engaged, clapping and stomping along with the fast tunes, falling silent during the ballads. The band took a break mid-show, and the crowd serenaded Watson with “Happy Birthday” after intermission before Rawlings led his Machine through a second set full of winning performances. Rawlings’ own “Ruby” featured some stunning four-part harmonies between him, Welch, Jones and Watson. Welch led the way through “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” before a raucous rip through bluegrass spiritual “He Will Set Your Fields on Fire” — the picking got so fast Welch exclaimed at its conclusion, “I think my pick is smaller now!” The latter stages of the show were heavy on cover songs. “I Hear Them All,” a song Rawlings co-wrote with Old Crow Medicine Show, was mashed up with a stirring “This Land is Your Land.” The epic combination of Bright Eyes’ “Method Acting” and Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer” stretched a good 10 minutes, and I would have happily taken more. Dylan’s “Queen Jane Approximately” closed down the second set, leading to a thrilling encore of Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California,” Jones’ mandolin leading the way while Rawlings tackled vocals. Welch’s “Miss Ohio” satisfied a woman who’d been shouting for it all night before the band closed it down with “The Weight,” a song that’s probably been covered a few too many times, but never by any group of musicians more skilled than the Dave Rawlings Machine. By Dan Nailen - Wed, Sep 24, 2014 http://www.inlander.com/Bloglander/archives/2014/09/24/concert-review-dave-rawlings-machine-live-up-to-high-expectations-at-the-bing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 (edited) First of all, a big thank you to Dave Rawlings, Gillian Welch and John Paul Jones for bringing your Machine to Los Angeles at last. I was hoping to see the Seattle show last night but logistically it just didn't work out. But thanks to the added L.A. date on October 6, I will be able to see them after all...and their show is a day before Robert Plant's gig in Hollywood Oct.7! Might there be a chance JPJ and Plant check each other's show out while In L.A.? Possibly even drop in for a song or two on stage together? Could you imagine if Plant came out to sing "Going to California" at the Dave Rawlings Machine show? I guess Sam or SAJ would have the answer to that, as they probably know the tour itineraries best of anyone here. I am as excited to be seeing Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings as I am JPJ on this tour. Their album "The Harrow & the Harvest" and ensuant tour was one of my musical highlights of 2011. Riveting music. Edited September 25, 2014 by Strider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azad Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 I would love to see them in Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocean Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 (edited) http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk239/Joreve_2008/DSC03660.jpg Here's a painting I did of JPJ/Dave Rawlings/and Gillian Welch when they played the Grey Eagle Nov 2013. Amazing night! Here's alink to my all my work. Tons of Zeppelin paintings. https://www.facebook.com/StuArtOriginals?ref=bookmarks Edited September 25, 2014 by ocean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayougal65 Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk239/Joreve_2008/DSC03660.jpg Here's a painting I did of JPJ/Dave Rawlings/and Gillian Welch when they played the Grey Eagle Nov 2013. Amazing night! Here's alink to my all my work. Tons of Zeppelin paintings.https://www.facebook.com/StuArtOriginals?ref=bookmarks Ocean, The JPJ and DRM piece captures the artists unique nuance and the feel of their energy beautifully! I do sincerely love your work! It is very emotionally stimulating! Your "when the levee broke" captures a feel and his movement in a moment! I love it! Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocean Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Ocean, The JPJ and DRM piece captures the artists unique nuance and the feel of their energy beautifully! I do sincerely love your work! It is very emotionally stimulating! Your "when the levee broke" captures a feel and his movement in a moment! I love it! Thanks for sharing! Thank you so much Pagette! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azad Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk239/Joreve_2008/DSC03660.jpg Here's a painting I did of JPJ/Dave Rawlings/and Gillian Welch when they played the Grey Eagle Nov 2013. Amazing night! Here's alink to my all my work. Tons of Zeppelin paintings. https://www.facebook.com/StuArtOriginals?ref=bookmarks Oh wow... Ocean, your art is fantastic. I hope you get that Jimmy/ Robert one signed. How could they possibly knock you back??? Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocean Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Oh wow... Ocean, your art is fantastic. I hope you get that Jimmy/ Robert one signed. How could they possibly knock you back??? Well done! Thank you so much Azad. I have been lucky enough to get Robert to sign TWO of my paintings, and JPJ one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azad Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Thank you so much Azad. I have been lucky enough to get Robert to sign TWO of my paintings, and JPJ one. You are very welcome and that is great news that Robert and Jonesy have already signed some of your works. I will keep an eye out for your work. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators sam_webmaster Posted October 6, 2014 Author Administrators Share Posted October 6, 2014 Dave Rawlings Machine: Spontaneous Great Americana Love Bomb Explodes at the Crystal Ballroom by Stephen Murray on October 6, 2014 Dave Rawlings Machine at the Crystal Ballroom / Photo by mirifoto “Absolutely no cameras or photos allowed. No recording devices whatsoever. Turn off your phones, folks. We mean it.” This directive was repeated doggedly and with considerable volume and firmness (though without hostility) as audience members filed into the Crystal Ballroom for the Dave Rawlings Machine show some nights ago. After a minor hiccup, I and my media photographer were allowed to proceed with full kit in hand. Only later would I discover that this seemingly heavy-handed instruction would reveal its source and intention–not simply a case of authoritative over-policing. In a recent Charlie Rose interview, the Coen Brothers, regarding their most recent film Inside Llewyn Davis (set during the early ’60s Greenwich Folk boom), admitted that the film would probably not have been made at all had it not been for the unexpected explosive success (eight times platinum!) of the soundtrack to their 1999 movie O Brother Where Art Thou? And, moreover, that the artists such as Marcus Mumford (of Mumford and Sons) and Chris Thile (of Nickle Creek, Punch Bros.)–both major contributors to …Llewyn Davis–would probably not have anything like the careers they enjoy today. And possibly, in some part, the acorn of inspiration for this film itself may not have taken root, had it not been for the success of old and less old resonances oddly rubbing up against each other. A strange, if delightfully fortuitous, full circle of circumstance. While absolutely none of this could have been predicted, or even imagined, there is an unmistakable common denominator; a connective tissue to it all. And that is producer T Bone Burnett. Burnett, who is now one of the most sought-after producers in the whole of the recording industry…Burnett who, among other things, produced another unexpected mega-hit when he paired Bluegrass chanteuse Allison Kraus, and former Led Zeppelin Rock icon for the understated Raising Sand (another left-field Grammy winner and platinum-selling record). It is Burnett who produced the …Lywyn Davis soundtrack. And it is Burnettt who shepherded and produced Gillian Welch’s first record, Revival, in 1996–before any of this current “Americana” craze had begun. And had it not been obvious at that time that, really, there was no particular context for a record by Gillian Welch, now the undisputed queen of the contemporary Americana music landscape (whose enormous success has been achieved with absolutely no capitulation to the Nashville record industry), aided by her co-conspirator/creator–the brilliant David Rawlings– there would be before long. The utterly unanticipated audience (demographic in industry terms) was cemented by Welch’s 2nd release Hell Among the Yearlings. In fact, each subsequent Gillian Welch record, truly an uncontestable ccollaboration between Welch and Rawlings, established their collective power to cast a unique spell– one which an ever-growing audience of hungry listeners would devour: an utter yin/ yang partnership featuring, largely, no other musicians and one which is largely built on simple, powerful songs delivered via their seemingly otherworldly telekinetic musical fusion. Dave Rawlings Machine at the Crystal Ballroom / Photo by mirifoto …Which brings us back to David Rawlings and his band, The Dave Rawlings Machine live at the Crystal Ballroom (Whew!) I suppose it’s impossible not to see Dave Rawlings Machine as a “side project” sifted from the Welch/ Rawlings juggernaut. But whereas such off-shoot endeavors nearly always seem to manifest as either a vapid vanity project–or he an obviously desperate, half-baked expression of some band member’s symptomatic disenchantment and inevitable boredom that often accompanies the creeping decomposition of vitality of the “real band.” A signal that what was once-red iron has cooled. And so one could be forgiven for presuming that the “…Machine” is exactly one of these endeavors. To be blunt, the record that announced the existence of the Dave Rawlings Machine carried a dubious air about it: the Welch/ Rawlings partnership had not yielded a commercial release in 5 years. Welch has since admitted the substantial gap was largely to a dearth of great material and that they’d found themselves in a song-writing rut. So a “A Friend of a Friend” was greeted by hardcore fans with great enthusiasm. It was, to a good extent, a pleasant, if mostly inconsequential, record of medium-heat. Apparently, an answer to the mostly unasked question of “What if the Welch/ Rawlings team created a parallel universe in which the roles were reversed to Rawlings/ Welch?” despite the presence of the poker-hot combination of these 2 musical dynamos, aided in .”..Machine” form by contributions from top-shelf ringer supporting musicians, such as the sublime and ubiquitous Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers), the whole of the thing emanated the quality of a well-intentioned, “why-the-hell-not?” one-off excursion. A lovely unassuming record permeated by some charming moments. A few of those moments were, indeed gorgeous and even inspired–such as the lovely opening: a Rawling’s-penned opening track, “Ruby, ” and the slightly unlikely medley of Bright Eyes’ gorgeous “Method Acting” and Neil Young’s epic stream-of-conciousness slow burner “Cortez the Killer “–which embodied the very definition of “closet classic”; a concoction that would almost inevitably wend its way into the Gillian Welch show’s set for all time. More than anything, the record made for a great excuse for this extraordinary duo to get out on the road, playing live for their a hungry audience. But the narrative, it seems, has taken an unexpected twist. While Ms. Welch launched a stunning return to form with the release of the stellar The Harrow and the Harvest in 2011–seemingly making the DRM side venture a thing of the past–the humble saplings of the Dave Rawlings machine have somehow grown into something resembling its own tree. And on this night this Thursday evening, the treehouse at the Crystal Ballroon was packed to capacity atop small branches and substantial trunk alike. After a hearty whoop and holler of a greeting from the highly expectant audience, the group launched into a spirited version of “Goin Down the Road Feelin’ Bad,” a song popularized by both Woody Guthrie and an early-’70s Grateful Dead–both of whom would be referenced, both obliquely and directly throughout the night. In fact, the second song “Monkey and the Engineer,” though written by Bay Area one-man-band legend, Jesse Fuller, was also part of the Dead’s repertoire when in acoustic mode. The version of “Monkey…” on the Friend of a Friend record was mild fun, if slightly anemic in comparison to Fuller’s boisterous performances. But here, on this night, the song was far more lively and full, thanks in no small part to the extraordinary band of musicians accompanying Rawlings. And, oh damn, what a band. Dave Rawlings at the Crystal Ballroom / Photo by mirifoto Aided by the fine bass of Paul Kowert, was the unmistakable presence of, of course, Ms. Gillian Welch–who effortlessly projected substantial rhythm guitar and vocals that were, at turns, authoritative and tender. And among them were 2 absolute stunners. Willie Watson, of recent Grand Ole Opry inductees, Old Crow Medicine Show, proved to be something of a revelation and was much-appreciated by an audience already agog for the Dave and Gil team. Proficient on both guitar and banjo, his piercing tenor voice reminiscent of both Appalachian Legends Clarence Ashley and Roscoe Holcomb, brought the chorus of vocals to a glorious high plane. Watson, whose contributions are often over-shadowed in the 8-member Old Crow, proved a perfect foil to the others vocally and instrumentally and brought a hard-stompin’ dustdowl-evoking quality that was often missing on thee Rawlings recordings. And then there was the Mandolin player, the Brit. As unlikely and seemingly impossible as it was to process, yes that man on the far left was none other than Led Zeppelin’s secret weapon: John Paul Jones. Jones had an unfathomably busy and rich career as a session musician pre-Zeppelin, arranging hundreds of recordings and playing a dizzying multitude of instruments for such acts as the Rolling Stones, Donovan, and Dusty Springfield. And while his main gig in one of the biggest rock bands of all time was mostly that of creating classic bass parts, often he played organ, bass foot pedals, and wind instruments among other things. Those flutes on “Stairway to Heaven?” John Paul Jones. The clavinet in “Kashmir?” John Paul Jones. A man who is postponing the completion of his nearly-finished opera to rattle around with some hillbilly upstarts? JPJ. And, oh yes, well, he plays the mandolin too. On this night, plucking with a crew cast with classic Bluegrass instrumentation, Jones’ playing always had the quality of sounding just right; sometimes understatedly exotic, consistently fresh, often utterly brilliant. And always tilting against the 50 or so licks that too often predictably characterize the instrument in similar context. Throughout the night he seemed perfectly happy to play the role of steadfast side-man, but when summoned to take a solo, he repeatedly rose to the occasion with powerful prowess, vivid imagination, and deep connection to his fellow players–particularly Rawlings. Dave Rawlings has become widely recognized as one of the finest and most dynamic guitarists playing today in any genre. While most of his work is associated with the Americana medium, the musical vocabulary behind the playing is deep and wide. A graduate of Berklee College of Music (most often recognized for its emphasis on jazz and classical), Rawling concurrently played with a post- punk outfit he’s likened to the Pixies–as well as other folk-based projects– during the time of his studies. And unlike many of fellow students, he gigged relentlessly. As a result he has fashioned himself into a sort of oddball virtuoso; one who siphons deeply from the well of established rural musical traditions, but one who also has spiked the waters with his own particular hooch. It’s a very personal, spontaneous compositional playing approach that draws on dissonance occasionally and always on unique, often surprising, phrasing and tone. As much reminiscent of Django Reinhart as Doc Watson, he has done something few ever achieve: he has invented his own style. With this band at his disposal, Rawlings was free to paint the songs and performances with a palette that ranged from hushed delicacy to locomotive propulsion. And on this night, Dave Rawlings, with his own charming, friendly, and infectious tenor vocals and–his ever present Epiphone Olympic archtop guitar–was in great form and seemed to enjoy himself all the more as the night advanced. When playing his “greatist hit,” “To Be Young is to Be Sad is to Be High,” co-written with Ryan Adams, Rawlings became so absorbed in the performance, he suddenly realized he wasn’t sure where was for a moment: Young, Sad, or High? It was a comic moment that he and the electrified audience relished. So he kept on searching, the crack band on high-alert as Rawling toyed with and teased the moment until finally settling on a choice. And then, as the rock n roll energy of the section peaked, he and the band, telepathy abounding, swung into what is possibly one of the greatest bridges in song history: melancholy, yearning, aching…and then shot like a fireball back into the driving main riff. It was a dazzling, magical, rollercoaster moment which left the musicians and the audience in a post-coital glow. But you won’t find it on You Tube. Not a single iPhone overhead. And suddenly the pre-show stern dictate “NO RECORDING OF EQUIPMENT OF ANY KIND” revealed its genius. All persons collected under the roof of the Crystal Ballroom had experienced a unique moment that would never repeat itself and would live on only in the minds and hearts of those actually present. Like in…real time. From that shared moment on, the musicians, each and as a band, and the audience fused into one beating heart, throbbing with the life-blood that only the mysterious magic of music can create. As the show progressed the band seemed to become, with each other and with the entirely-smitten audience even more synced up,more dynamic, and more energized–whether it be rave-up, sing-along vocal choruses of “This Land is Your Land” (with the forbidden people-power lyrics intact), or the strange, spidery, spell-inducing guitar solos that only Dave Rawlings, up high on his toes, eyes closed, forever churning his guitar neck in circles as if to wring out every last bit of mojo, can conjure. Nearly always these interludes, sometimes pretty, sometimes oddly dissonant, somehow marry the red clay of the American South with the luminous, mysterious curiosities of Deep Space. And after all that earthly and celestial passion and exuberance, clocking in at over two hours, and before a string of demanded encores, the band eased it all down with a stunning, hushed a capella lullaby: O Brother Where Art Thou’s “Didn’t Leave Nobody But the Baby.” Truly a song for the ages–credited to the legendary feild collector of song Alan Lomax, Gillian Welch, and one T Bone Burnett. A transcendent evening. May the Circle Be Unbroken. http://oregonmusicnews.com/2014/10/06/dave-rawlings-machine-spontaneous-great-americana-love-bomb-explodes-crystal-ballroom/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 ^^Great article Sam! Led Zeppelin's secret weapon for sure No wonder I cannot find any videos of the events! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) A few quick thoughts about last night's Dave Rawlings Machine show... Every once in a while you go to a concert at which you feel humbled and privileged to be in attendance. The Dave Rawlings Machine concert last night at Immanuel Presbyterian Church was just such a show. One felt baptized in the purity of bullshit-free musicianship that characterized the evening. No flash, no gimmickry, no ear monitors, no lyric teleprompters. Just five honest-to-goodness musicians who love what they do and have a generosity of spirit towards both the audience and each other. The fact that the concert was a low-key little-publicized gig in a church helped add to the folksy intimate atmosphere. It was far from sold out and I was able to walk up to the church door at a little past 7pm. and buy my ticket...cost $38. It was as if Dave Rawlings had only invited their closest friends for a hootenanny...I estimate the audience at less than 500. These were devoted music fans...fans of traditional folk, blues, Americana, and of all the gathered musicians on stage. Not just casual fans only interested in seeing John Paul Jones. From left to right on the front line was our beloved John Paul Jones on mandolins and FIDDLE!!! (who knew?!?), the Master of Ceremonies Dave Rawlings on acoustic guitar and banjo, the beautiful Gillian Welch (wished she had done more from her excellent "The Harrow and the Harvest" album) on acoustic guitar and harmonica, and the amazing Willie Watson ( a real treat for us long-time fans of the Old Crow Medicine Show...his new solo album "Folk Singer, Vol. 1" is a must) on acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle and harmonica. Behind them was Paul Kowert on standup bass. Everybody took a turn on vocals and lent a hand on backing vocals...even Jonesy. They played an assortment of traditional folk standards such as "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and "This Land Is Your Land" and some Gillian Welch originals. And they played five KILLER covers towards the end of the show: Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" Bright Eyes "Method Acting" Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" Bob Dylan's "Queen Jane Approximately" The Band's "The Weight" There were two sets with about a 20-minute intermission in between. They began at 8:10 and finished up around 10:45...over two solid hours of music. The sound and the acoustics of the venue were impeccable. Even though Robert Plant was in town, I don't think he was at the show...at least not visibly and no guest appearance during "Going to California" as I had hoped.. This was the last date of the tour and you could tell they were giving it a little extra juice and having a blast up on stage knowing it was the last night. The intricate acoustic filagrees that Dave and John Paul were weaving all through the night were spellbinding. Here's hoping they do another tour soon and you get a chance to see them. I was able to quietly and unobtrusively take a few photos of the show...I'll post them later. Now, I have work and a Robert Plant concert to get ready for. Here is the setlist from last night: First Set Monkey And The Engineer Going Down the Road Feeling Bad Dry Bones ([traditional] cover) Wayside/Back in Time (Gillian Welch cover) As I Went Out One Morning (Bob Dylan cover) Keep It Clean (Charley Jordan cover) Bells of Harlem It's Too Easy Second Set Ruby Will the Circle Be Unbroken ([traditional] cover) He Will Set Your Fields on Fire (Bill Monroe cover) Sweet Tooth I Hear Them All / This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie cover) Stewball ([traditional] cover) Method Acting / Cortez the Killer Queen Jane Approximately (Bob Dylan cover) Encore: Going to California (Led Zeppelin cover) Look at Miss Ohio (Gillian Welch cover) The Weight (The Band cover) Encore 2: Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby Edited October 7, 2014 by Strider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azad Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Very nice write up of the show Strider. I would love to see them. I am surprised there wasn't a few more in attendance. Looking forward to your photos. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 ^^Agree, nice write up Strider! Have fun seeing Robert tonight! Dave Rawlings Machine "Dry Bones" The Cathedral Sanctuary, Los Angeles. 10-6-14 I hope more videos are put up:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvlz2 Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Very nice write up of the show Strider. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Great write up, Strider, and thanks for the video, Deb. Reading the one and then seeing the other made me think of how perceptions/senses/impressions affect what we take in or are open to. I know of Americana music largely through Jonesy's and Robert's involvement in it. I'm not an aficionado, but really enjoy discovering new music through, among other means, what artists I follow are into or have been influenced by. That's how I discovered Zep eleventy-one years ago. So in that particular clip Deb provided, while I appreciate the musicianship, I also sense I'm on the outside of the kind of experience that Strider had with it. That's not all there is to Americana music, of course, but songs of that ilk are maybe less accessible to the uninitiated, if I can put it that way. Still, a 25-song set in an intimate space with top-notch musicians I'm sure would have won me over. The sentiment of having been touched by a concert in such a profound and lasting way is something I think we can all relate to. Thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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