Venue: Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
Date: 10/14/05
Highlights:
“Elvis Presley Blues”
“My First Lover”
“Revelator”
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” (David’s cover)
“No One Knows My Name”
REVIEW
Seattle Crowds aren’t the easiest for a Folksinger to win over. In this hipster Indie Rock town, it’s always impressive to see Folksingers even pull a crowd, much less inspire a standing ovation in the middle of a show. Gillian Welch, however, managed to pull it off.
The Paramount Theatre is quite possibly Seattle’s most ideal venue for the revered Singer/Songwriter. Its gold-leafed, hand-carved ceilings and ornate crystal chandeliers reckon back to a time when people took their entertainment very seriously. And according to Gillian, there’s even a Jacuzzi in the dressing room.
They Donned Their Cowboy Clothes
Right on schedule, Gillian and her long-time musical partner David Rawlings walked onstage in their finest cowboy clothes. David’s sparkly rhinestones seemed right at home as the duo entered their second number, the enthusiastically received “Elvis Presley Blues.”
For the next two and a half hours, the crowd was absolutely charmed as Welch sang more beautifully than ever, and Rawlings showcased his impressive dexterity and adept guitar solos.
Gillian
Naturally, I’ve become familiar with Gillian’s smooth, infectious sad song melodies like “No One Knows My Name” and “Look at Miss Ohio” (both beautifully played at this show, and very well-received). But this was my first time seeing her onstage.
There’s a mysticism that risks disappointment when you’ve come to know someone only for their beautiful voice and catchy tunes. But Welch proved to be a fantastic performer, committed to sharing a special experience with her audience.
Gillian has the rare gift of making her audience forget they’re listening to a melody. Her whole being is in the song, so much that you nearly forget it’s a melody you’re hearing, but instead you receive it as if it were a quiet, earnest tale of huge import.
When she sings lines like “I can’t say your name without a crow flying by,” or “God moves and people gotta run and pray,” that’s when the chills start to come.
The crowd was quiet, intent, and largely responsive to every word she sang. The only moment things got shifty was when David left the stage for one song. Suddenly the crowd started shouting requests as if the teacher had just left the classroom. Gillian handled it like a champ, though, and conceded to playing a fantastic rendition of her hit “Orphan Girl.”
David
David Rawlings has quite a magical gift himself. Often, it looks like he’s not even playing, but instead is just shaking the sound out of his guitar. His intense lead line solos flow off the strings so smooth and easy it makes you think just about anyone could do that. Having played guitar for nearly a decade myself, I know that’s just not true. Instead, I just stared at him in awe all night, marveling at the fact that it was the end of the first half before he even appeared to have broken a sweat.
Welch & Rawlings
Chemistry between performers is a tricky thing. Two of the most talented, intuitive performers in the world could create a disaster if placed onstage together if their energy isn’t aligned. And you can’t plan that sort of thing. It’s like love: it either happens or it doesn’t.
The duo’s chemistry is invigorating. Chemistry can be a difficult thing between performers, and such a magical connection is rare. But each has such a clear respect and reverence for the skills of each other, and the two work together like a well-oiled machine.
By the end of the show, the crowd managed to yank out two fantastic encores, which included a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Jackson,” as well as the Jefferson Airplane hit, “White Rabbit.”
