On April 10, musical twosome Gillian Welch and David Rawlings took the stage at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. The concert served as the midsection of a three-night venue-specific stand for the ensemble, who are currently honoring the Grateful Dead’s songbook with particular emphasis on their early ’80s acoustic chapter via the double live LP, Reckoning. On the road, the pair has welcomed support from standup bassist Paul Kowert (Punch Brothers), who helped them during their Friday night debut, a first-ever cover of the Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie.” 

Welch, Rawlings and Kowert’s Friday night concert got underway with a nod to the Dead’s catalog via “Brown-Eyed Women.” While the aforementioned track did not appear on Reckoning, it did highlight a beloved piece of the original band’s material. The opener cleared the way for a siege of associated favorites: “The Monkey and the Engineer” and “Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie.” “Dire Wolf” resumed Dead originals before another linked cover, “Dark Hollow.”

The trio sank their teeth into stunning renditions of “It Must Have Been the Roses” before the de facto concert debut. For the first time, the musicians performed the Workingman’s Dead cut, “New Speedway Boogie.” Before launching into the night’s debut, Rawlings and Welch noted that the cover marked a first, one they had yet to test out during soundcheck. Watch a fan-shot video below. 

As a follow-up to the first-time delivery, the ensemble played through traditional “Jack-a-Roe,” Bobby Weir’s “Cassidy,” which ran into “Uncle John’s Band. A pair of Garcia originals opened the second half of the concert: “Loser” and “Sugaree.” Next, the threesome proceeded with a contemplative “Brokedown Palace,” Dallas marker “Deep Elem Blues,” and earth-shaking “Bertha.” 

A reflective “China Doll” emerged ahead of the set ender, “Ripple.” For Saturday’s encore, the band delivered a seasonal “Cold Rain and Snow” before unleashing waves of “Bird Song” > “Stella Blue” > “Bird Song,” and the final piece of the performance: “And We Bid You Goodnight.” 

Photographer Dino Perrucci attended Saturday night’s concert at The Capitol Theatre and shared shots from the occasion, see below.