Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, press photograph by Mark Seliger

Wow. Take all your expectations of Gillian Welch’s mournful voice and David Rawlings’s flawless guitar riffs from your favorite albums, whether it be the most recent The Harrow and the Harvest or the now 14 year-old Revival, and sum them all into one balmy evening. If you add a bit more guitar and bit more emotion, as well as interjections from Gillian and David, you just might have what we had the pleasure of experiencing August 3 at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Fans from all walks of life were pleased– old fans who had been with Gil since the beginning, or new hip 20-somethings who heard them on NPR. There were children with mothers, falling asleep to the lullaby sounds of slower numbers, and curly-topped youngsters bouncing to the banjo lines, and of course, the Rawlings tune “Sweet Tooth“. The brief rain couldn’t put a damper on anyone, not even Gillian and David. They were pleased with the temperature drop and claimed it wasn’t raining, just “really humid”. The rain brought more people to the front, some to dance, others to take cover in the overhang, and more still just to get closer to their folk idols. As a huge Gillian Welch fan, this was probably one of the best shows I’ve been to so far this year. Local artists came out, surely paying homage to one of their influences– I think I saw some members from Kickin’ Grass Band, Mandolin Orange, and Midtown Dickens.

Gillian and David get the award for mixing the new and the old impeccably. The crowd was especially pleased with “Red Clay Halo”, “Caleb Meyer”, and of course, “Orphan Girl” was requested at least a dozen times (though, notably, not performed). As an Ohio native, one of my favorites was “Look at Miss Ohio,” closely followed by one of the encores “Six White Horses”. Their minimalist sound and traditional instrumentation was perfect for this North Carolinian show, providing a sense of belonging when playing “Tear my Stillhouse Down”.

I will admit that I probably cried at least twice during the show, enjoying Welch’s melancholy melodies and bittersweet harmonies of Rawlings. I wanted to quit looking like such a wuss  so I started focusing on the precision of David’s guitar. Then I got caught in a predicament– whether to focus on the guitar or the vocals. I was soon comforted by a fellow DJ’s insight; Gillian’s voice and David’s guitar complete each other. Awww.

This was the third of four shows I plan on attending at the North Carolina Museum of Art this summer; the line up has been so amazing. Check out blogs about Bela Fleck, Lucinda Williams, and soon to come, The Carolina Chocolate Drops.  As always, if you’re looking for the best in Americana, tune in to Americana, Blues, and Company every Saturday from 10-noon.

Lucinda Williams at the Fillmore in NYC, photo protected under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

It was a hot Wednesday evening at the outdoor amphitheater at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Muggy, humid, and as Lucinda Williams described, “sultry”.  I thought to myself, of course we’re enjoying the sultry weather,  as I usually describe her voice as such. For those unfamiliar with Lu’s sound,  I like to say that if Janis Joplin and Dolly Parton had a baby, it would be Lucinda Williams.

It was a late start for the show.  Someone spoke of Lucinda’s potential stage fright, but I think it was more that she was waiting for the hot sun to go completely down before starting to rock. Blake Mills, an unannounced opener, played mellow guitar before Lu came out. Blake Mills is the former  guitarist for indie rock band Band of Horses, and has been playing backup guitar for various artists. We were to discover one of the artists he has been playing guitar with was none other than Lucinda herself. Some members of the audience were pleased with his work, while some other die-hard Lu fans thought he wasn’t doing the songs justice. What do you think?

Speaking of die-hard Lu fans, there definitely is a type. They are strong, middle aged women with husbands (or partners) who usually wear button-up Hawaiian shirts to concerts.  They enjoy picnics from Whole Foods and probably drive Subaru Outbacks. I love these fans. They get up and dance during their favorite songs, shamelessly and happily.  Lucinda provided their favorite songs – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Greenville, Blue, and many others. What’s your favorite Lucinda tune?

Her lifelong fans, the aforementioned dancing middle aged women, enjoyed the show. Me, a less-than-middle aged woman, found that I prefer the recorded versions. They sound fuller, deeper, and of course, can be heard out of the 100 degree heat.  Despite the heat and the sounds hanging in the muggy air, it was a good show. Most current popular female country/rock  stars lack the depth Lucinda carries. It was a musical treat most young women my age will not get to experience.

If you’ve never been to a show at NCMA, its a great venue. You just feel sophisticated sitting there. Bring a chair or a blanket and some snacks, and you’ll thoroughly enjoy yourself. Their line up this summer has been amazing and is consistently great from year to year. Next week, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will take the stage. Definitely a show you do not want to miss. If you like the music of Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, check out WKNC’s Americana, Blues, and Company every Saturday from 10-noon.

This week you can win SO much from WKNC, you’re robbing yourself if you don’t listen for a chance to win.

7/27 – Josh Ritter @ Cat’s Cradle
7/27 – Lucinda Williams @ North Carolina Museum of Art
7/28 – Paleface and Peter Holsapple @ The Pinhook
7/30 - Jolie Holland @ Local 506
7/29 – Revolution Raleigh @ Lincoln Theatre
8/3 – Rockstar Mayhem Festival ft. Kingdom of Sorrow, All Shall Perish, Godsmack, Megadeth and Disturbed @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
8/3 – Gillian Welch and David Rawlings @ NCMA

Need more than music to satiate your artistic pallet? Well, WKNC has more than music giveaways! Running from 8/5 to 8/7 – Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s “The Serpent’s Egg” (plus limited edition poster!) @ Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill. Plus there’s merch from Dim Mak and the Captain America movie.

If you thought last week had a lot of giveaways, just wait until you see this week!

 MOVIE SWAG:

Captain America Prize Pack (Frisbee and movie pins)

7/27:  Advance Screening of The Smurfs 3D @ Regal Movies at North Hills 14

DAYTIME:

7/22: Dex Romweber Duo, Birds of Avalon, Eric Sommer @ Cat’s Cradle

7/22: Moonface @ Kings Barcade

7/23: Simple, Monoslang, Spiralfire @ The Pinhook

7/25: The Submarines, Matt Douglas @ Cat’s Cradle

AFTERHOURS:

Dim Mak T-shirts

CHAINSAW:

7/23: F*ck the Facts @ Kings Barcade

SPECIALTY SHOWS:

7/24: The Devil Makes Three with Mandolin Orange @ Cat’s Cradle

7/27: Lucinda Williams @ North Carolina Museum of Art

Enjoy – and remember to keep your radio locked on WKNC to win these awesome prizes!

Hey readers,

It’s your lucky day!

Aimée Argote, the powerful voice behind Des Ark is sharing the songs that have been inspiring her this week.

BRIAN WILSON -Our Prayer – Gee
CHROMATICS-Hannah’s Song
FILTHYBIRD -The Gospel Of Truth (As Judas Told It To Me)
LIZA KATE -Anclote
LUCINDA WILLIAMS -Fruits of My Labor
MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH -Idle Minds Speak In Binary
NINA SIMONE -Suzanne
NEIL YOUNG -Only Love Can Break Your Heart
PYGMY LUSH -Butch’s Dream
VAN MORRISON -Crazy Love

Aimée with be playing at TRKfest on June 13th.