Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
The Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Ore. (June 24, 2002)
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Gillian Welch
The Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Ore.
June 24, 2002 |
After much cogitation, we decided to see one evening of Doug Martsch, and then spend Monday night with Gillian Welch. Doug Martsch was great, but Gillian and her partner, David Rawlings, were a beautiful gift. How good was it? So good that I stood nearly motionless for three hours (Gillian commented after their first song, "We don't play dance music.") and didn't notice the terrible stiffness in my knees until I sat down in the car after the show. So good that I didn't remember I was holding a half-full beer in my hand until the set break. So good that upon seeing a fellow concertgoer do a jubilant, post-show monkey-dance I was tempted to do the same. Yes, we gambled, and we won.
When you join these two for a performance, you can't lose the feeling that to them, this is nothing more than hanging out with some friends, and playing music on a porch just because it makes them happy. You could easily transport their music from the concert hall to a campfire and it would have the same heart-warming effect. Gillian gazes into the audience with love in her eyes, while Rawlings picks with his head down, seemingly amazed by his own talent. I've never seen any performer, especially one with skill like Rawlings', literally blush when he is applauded.
This friendly humility is surprising considering the strength of their songwriting. Gillian's songs range from soft songs of faith to bloody "killin' songs," and display lyrical sleight usually reserved for people who think a little more highly of themselves. Not that Bob Dylan isn't captivating, but I doubt he has ever considered an unknown face in his audience to be his friend. But Gillian meant it when she said, in response to someone loudly voicing his love for her, "I really like y'all too."
The whole show was amazing, but a few moments truly stood out. "Elvis Presley Blues," for instance, was funny and sweet, and I didn't understand the song until I saw Gillian sing it. The first set closer, "Caleb Meyer," from Hell Among The Yearlings, was full of energy and beautifully dark. The second set seemed like it was over far too quickly, but contained some of the night's best music. The title track from the newest album, Time (The Revelator), was gorgeous and may have been my favorite song of the night. It's so hard to choose, but this song tells everything about Gillian and David and their art.
Then, after two amazing sets, the Portland crowd was treated to two, count 'em, TWO encores. And we were rewarded handsomely for our tenacious applause that roared above the house music. The duo broke out Neil Young's "Pocahontas" for the final song of the evening, and it was one of those moments. Before then, I wouldn't have believed it possible for anyone to do that song justice, but this version would have made Neil proud.
Even with all the great acts spending the weekend in Portland, I'm confident that Gillian and David put on a show that topped them all. If I were a rich man, I would know that for a fact, but instead I just have to believe that Gillian, in her crystal-trimmed dress, was the most beautiful thing in town.
JAKE MORRILL |