Sing Me Back Home | Dave Rawlings Machine Live Review | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra, FL | April 6, 2016

by • April 7, 2016

By the time Dave Rawlings Machine finally saw fit to scurry off the stage last night, it was nearly three hours past the time they started (save for a convenient intermission). Thing is, it certainly didn’t feel like it’d been that long. We’d kept our phones off as instructed. We didn’t bother with taking photos either (also requested). Instead, we stayed glued to the songs they offered as the five of them dodged and weaved their way through them without any apparent set list as a guide.

It made for a magic evening. I ended up smiling to the point of wiping away some stray happy tears. I easily sang loudly along to their cover of The Band’s “The Weight” and “This Land is Your Land” once it popped up as part of “I Hear Them All.” The thing is, so did just about everyone else. The feeling of joy they helped usher in at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall took hold strongly on Wednesday. It was all I could do to stop from hugging the kind stranger I was sitting next to. I’m no carefree hugger, not by a long shot, but David Rawlings and his crew helped overpower some societal norms.

It made me wonder: is this a natural reaction to seeing this band perform? Do others in other cities walk away feeling the same? I’ve seen Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings perform as a duo and, yes, they were incredible. This felt markedly different. Two became five—three guitars, a fiddle, a standup bass—which led to barely bridled glee on both sides of the stage. Rawlings is an ecstatic smiling man who wields and plays his guitar (and occasional banjo) solos like he’s learned to play a stringed machine gun. It’s a sight to see, sure, but is something this genuine and professionally amazing able to get repeated every night of the tour? And, if so, wouldn’t that be exhausting?

Once upon a time, I thought Gillian Welch was the Simon to this Garfunkel show, but after tonight, I’m thinking they’re more akin to being equal musical partners. They ought never to exist without the other. What’s more, Rawlings has a rare talent for performing live; it’s unlike most anything I’ve ever seen. He’s able to sustain that energy through the duration of a long show with all peaks and no valleys.

Not one to hog the spotlight, he let Gillian sing a few songs, along with former Old Crow Medicine Show staple Willie Watson. By the time Gillian gave us a gift tucked inside an encore with her lovely “Look At Miss Ohio,” we didn’t much care everyone behind us attempting to sing along happened to be out of tune. We were stumbling through it as best we could as well. And if the Dave Rawlings Machine had suddenly decided to not leave the stage, I’d imagine none of us would have left our seats either. We’d have stuck around until the rooster crowed. Alas, good things do come to an end, and this one did as well.

A guy in front of me wasted no time saying it was the best show he’d ever seen. Me, I’ll say it’s a show I saw at exactly the right time. I am in some serious awe. I’ll continue to be for a long time. I want to see them do this all over again. I need it. It’s why I’m headed to Capitol Theatre in Clearwater tomorrow for their second and final Florida show. May these five musicians repeat magic all over again.

As for the rest of you, scoop up the band’s couple albums—Nashville Obsolete and A Friend of a Friend—and play on them on repeat until you can’t stand it anymore and have to see them perform live. It’s what happened to me. It’s what will happen to you.

Dave Rawlings Machine Live Review by Dainon.

▼ SHOWS TO GO TO ▼

LIVE-NATION---BOTTOM-GIF-NEW-033024

 

Thanks to our Sponsors, Kingfish Records in Clearwater, FL!

Kingfish Records Ad

Check out our South Florida SIGT Website! 

Shows I Go To South Florida Giveaway, Reviews, Photos, and more

Please support our friends who support us! Tell them Shows I Go To sends love! 🙂

Recommended Posts