NCtom Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 My wife and I saw Gillian Welch and David Rawlings perform in an old converted cotton mill on the Haw River last night and we were blown away! The vocals were great, but the sound from the vintage Gibson and Epiphone guitars (miked, no pickups) was sublime. Their energy and musical abilities were on full display, with David using the full range of his prized archtop with great touch and finesse. Gillian's vocals were wonderful and she even buck danced with David playing banjo for a song or two. All in all, it was an energetic , if a bit nostalgic, event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Love those two. Lucky you, Tom. They were made to play together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 They are the real thing. Never have seen them live, but I'd sure like to. Thank God for YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 The thing that amazes me is they use SM-57 microphones (they are great microphones). No fancy condenser microphones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Would love to see them .. do they ever come to Europe ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Saw them once in St. Paul. It is amazing how much music two talented people can make. At one point in the show, Welch remarked how Rawlings was the only person who could make his Epiphone Olympic (it's a '35) sound good. To demonstrate, she played it and it sounded deader than a doornail. Rawlings took it back and he squeezed and coaxed some amazing leads out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Saw them once in St. Paul. It is amazing how much music two talented people can make. At one point in the show, Welch remarked how Rawlings was the only person who could make his Epiphone Olympic (it's a '35) sound good. To demonstrate, she played it and it sounded deader than a doornail. Rawlings took it back and he squeezed and coaxed some amazing leads out of it. then imagine what Rawlings could do wtih a responsive acoustic like 30's Gibosn L-00 for example ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 then imagine what Rawlings could do wtih a responsive acoustic like 30's Gibosn L-00 for example ? Maybe wondered that myself Her gibson sounds magnificent , they’re a good mixture What would Angus sound like with a strat !?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Maybe wondered that myself Her gibson sounds magnificent , they’re a good mixture What would Angus sound like with a strat !?? If you dig hard enough you might find out, he started out on a fender .. http://desmotivaciones.es/carteles/young/93 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livemusic Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 I am familiar with them for sure but do not have any albums. Does anyone have any youtube links that showcase a good song or a show? I can just start clicking on youtube but just wondered if anyone knows a favorite song/show with good sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 If you dig hard enough you might find out, he started out on a fender .. http://desmotivaciones.es/carteles/young/93 Well yeah. I knew that But that’s not really the jist of the question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scriv58 Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Note how Dave effortlessly places and removes capo for his solo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 I am familiar with them for sure but do not have any albums. Does anyone have any youtube links that showcase a good song or a show? I can just start clicking on youtube but just wondered if anyone knows a favorite song/show with good sound. This is the quintessential Gillian / Dave song for me, the outro solo is sublime, as is the whole song. Having said that, some of their material can be incredibly annoying when they go down that really honky tonk country route, but this song is abit more broader in palatte for them and I think at their best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Check that one our Aussie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Acoustic archtops work great with Rawlings’ playing style. I own one of Epi’s recently reissued acoustic Olympic archtops (from its Masterbuilt series) and it is one fine guitar for single note melodic and arpeggios playing. Where it lacks is in the fullness of a flat top when strumming, but when strumming is sparse only as occasional fills for notecplaying it’s awesome. And, quite loud (due to its unique arch top EQ) for a small bodied guitar. Just my experience. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scriv58 Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Haven’t heard the “incredibly annoying” songs they do yet...so at least I have that to look forward to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Haven’t heard the “incredibly annoying” songs they do yet...so at least I have that to look forward to Ah sure everyone’s annoying at some point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Check that one our Aussie Yep, thats the sweet spot for them When they slow it down and keep it relatively simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCtom Posted October 6, 2018 Author Share Posted October 6, 2018 I was amazed by David's capo use; he capoed all over the fingerboard, placed and removed the capo midsong, and just generally used everythiing that Epiphone had to offer. His fluidity was outstanding. At times I thought that there were a couple of more players behind the curtain during the concert Wednesday. He has always been good, but I've been listening to a couple of old CD's over the past two days and he just seems to get better and better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Ah sure everyone's annoying at some point I represent that ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustystrings Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I was blessed enough to get to see Gillian Welch and David Rawlings play the Handlebar in Greenville, SC in the mid-late 90s. There had been a serious thunderstorm and the power was out. They came out and played the first half of their show purely acoustic, with the audience still and silent. You really could have heard a pin drop. Welch and Rawlings were unbelievably focused, the playing and singing was maybe the most present and directed I have ever heard, and it remains one of my most treasured musical memories. When the power came back on they called an intermission, then played the rest of their show conventionally using a P.A. It was still a wonderful performance that was no doubt easier for them, but less intense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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