“Inspirational Deadly Reckoning”

*Gillian Welch & David Rawlings celebrating The Grateful Dead’s all acoustic 1981 live album “Reckoning” at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY April 11th 2026. This album, along with “Working Man’s Dead” released February 1970 and “American Beauty” amazingly released November 1970 showcase the band’s songs in the studio as opposed to their famous or infamous jazz inspired marathon live concerts. They are widely considered their masterpieces.

My gosh I wasn’t prepared for how cathartic and stunningly beautiful this show would be. It was a celebration of not only the songs, but the love, kindness, and spiritual community of The Grateful Dead. Stripped down and bare, with a master of the acoustic lead guitar David Rawlings leading and navigating the way, headed by the angelic feminine voice of Gillian Welch and her transcendent beauty all the while propelling us forward with her rhythm guitar work and oh so subtle but oh so effective brush work on a single snare drum, and also brushed, anchored, bowed, plucked, steadied, stewarded, and pulsed by Paul Kowert on upright bass, last night we were inspired to write run on sentences in a stream of life affirming rock and roll choir singalongs amidst free form dancing. I sure hope they are recording these shows professionally, way too beautiful not to be shared. Of course in this day and age without even looking I’d have to gander it’s on YouTube from the taper community.

“Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Let it be known, there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men”-lyrics from “Ripple” by Robert Hunter and The Grateful Dead

Set 1:

1. Bertha
2. Jack Straw
3. Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie
4. Dire Wolf
5. Dark Hollow
6. It Must Have Been The Roses
7. Loser
8. Friend of the Devil
9. Cassidy (I swear this jam entered Dark Star territory)

Set 2:

10. Cumberland Blues
11. Brown-Eyed Women
12. I’ve Been All Around This World
13. Deep Elem Blues
14. Brokedown Palace
15. He’s Gone
16. Cold Rain and Snow
17. Bird Song
18. Ripple

Encore:

19. Althea
20. To Lay Me Down
21. St. Stephen
22. Not Fade Away
23. Morning Dew

💀 🥀 🌈 🚿 🌹 😊 🎶 🎵 🎼