David Rawlings Machine: Newport Folk 2009

Folk Alley

Published August 2, 2009 at 3:59 PM EDT

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings put out Soul Journey, their last record under Welch's name, in 2003, and since then have toured under the moniker David Rawlings Machine. For most listeners, Welch may be the name in lights, but the best trick she and Rawlings play is to keep the focus shifting between their marvelously paired voices.

Rawlings has a way with an acoustic guitar-- his emphatic, unconventional playing has led to collaborations with Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst, The Decemberists and Robyn Hitchcock. Live, David Rawlings Machine plays an assortment of Welch and Rawlings' own tunes, as well as covers ranging from Bill Monroe to Bob Dylan's "Queen Jane Approximately" to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

Set List

"Diamond Joe"

"Intro/I Hear Them All"

"It's Too Easy"

"The Bells of Harlem"

"Sweet Tooth"

"Ruby"

"On My Way Back to the Old Home"

"To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)"

"Method Acting/Cortez the Killer "

"Big Rock Candy Mountain"

"Queen Jane Approximately"

"Jackson"