The most exciting music to concert-goers’ ears is “An Evening With...” This was the case with Gillian Welch’s appearance at The Civic. We were treated to two amazing sets that pretended to be nothing more than what they were. Welsh was joined by David Rawlings and put on a fun, two-set performance. Their onstage chemistry is amazing, and they have a somewhat dark musical style. It combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, country, and Americana. It is innovative and has a great way of reeling in the past.
Welsh and Rawlings took turns playing different instruments throughout the evening. Welsh would, on occasion, back away to clog and take the music in. At times, there was a bit of an NPR/Storytellers vibe going, which helped them manage the huge Civic stage and to make it their own, bringing the audience into a small corner of their universe.
The set was composed of two main acts and two encores to follow. Crowd reactions throughout the evening were very respectful and were at their greatest when Welsh and Rawlings were on their instrumental game, going that extra mile above the tempo that the songs had dictated.
