by Jon Turner
David Rawlings and Gillian Welch performed a multi-set show last night (March 12th) at the sold-out Masonic in San Francisco.
Weaving together like the intertwined threads of life and music, Welch and Rawlings pulled from their deep catalog of collaborations, which stretches back nearly 30 years. Throughout this lifetime of music-making together, the duo has made an unadorned stage with simple microphones iconic. With no amps, stage monitors, or effects, they rely entirely on each other, and their shared histories, expressed through stories and songs played on the same two guitars they’ve used for their entire careers.
Vocally, even for the trained ear, it can be hard at times to tell who is singing what. Welch and Rawlings’s voices are so interwoven and intertwined that the typical melody/harmony distinction seems to break down. Welch’s guitar playing forms the core of the ensemble—at times, an aggressive flat pick pushes the beat forward, and at others, a gentle strum creates a soothing atmosphere of a lullaby. Meanwhile, Rawlings draws out an almost mandolin-like tone from his guitar, improvising lyrical solos and finding complementary lines beneath and within the vocal melody.
For the majority of the set, the duo was joined by Punch Brothers’ bassist, Paul Kowert, whose driving pizzicato and fluid arco playing swelled through the auditorium, adding a rich layer to the already rich and layered sound.
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