Last night, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and Paul Kowert arrived at the Saenger Performing Arts Theatre in New Orleans for the second-to-last staging of their Acoustic Reckoning Tour, which pays homage to the Grateful Dead’s 1981 double live LP. The trio’s latest appearance included a debut of the Dead’s city-slickin’ “Truckin’,” which worked in two ways: evoking the original group’s Bourbon Street lore and serving as a fitting representation of their own road-fledged journey in support of the Dead’s songbook this spring. 

Thursday’s arrival at the Saenger Performing Arts Theater coincided with the opening of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Welch, Rawlings, and Kowert divided their delivery into two neatly parted halves, the first of which began with “Bertha” before moving into Reckoning content on “They Monkey and the Engineer,” “Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie” and that album’s opening track, “Dire Wolf.” 

“Dark Hollow” came next, ahead of a pretty series that included “It Must Have Been the Roses,” “Loser,” “Sugaree,” and “Cassidy.” On top of the first set, the latter portion of their live delivery began with “Brown-Eyed Women,” followed by traditional and Dead covered “I’ve Been All Around This World,” [“Lulu, my lulu…”]. “Deep Elem Blues” kept up the callbacks to Reckoning, before breaking into a section that included “Brokedown Palace,” “Jack Straw,” and “Cold Rain and Snow.” The second set included renditions of “Uncle John’s Band,” “Bird Song,” and “Ripple,” ahead of the concert’s encore. 

During the finale, the group produced a heartfelt rendition of “To Lay Me Down.” They followed with “He’s Gone,” which preluded the band’s debut of “Truckin’.” The American Beauty anthem was a well-received addition to the night’s mix, as a name-dropping Crescent City feature. For their final move, the trio amalgamated their might via “And We Bid You Good Night.” 

After turning in last night’s New Orleans appearance, the group will retire their Reckoning Tour till its final staging on July 25 during the Newport Folk Festival. 

Scroll down to view Thursday night’s setlist.

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings 

Saenger Performing Arts Theater – New Orleans 

April 23, 2026 

Set I: Bertha, The Monkey and the Engineer, Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie, Dire Wolf, Dark Hollow, It Must Have Been the Roses, Loser, Sugaree, Cassidy

Set II: Brown-Eyed Women, I’ve Been All Around This World, Deep Elem Blues, Brokedown Palace, Jack Straw, Cold Rain and Snow, Bird Song, Uncle John’s Band, Bird Song, Ripple

Enc.: To Lay Me Down, He’s Gone, Truckin’+, And We Bid You Goodnight

Key:

+ Debut