Gillian Welch and David Rawlings to Play Grateful Dead’s ‘Reckoning’ on Headlining Acoustic Tour, Including Three Nights at The Capitol Theatre
Today, Gillian Welch and her long-time musical accomplice, David Rawlings, have shared their intentions of celebrating the Grateful Dead’s beloved 1981 double live album, Reckoning, on the road this spring. The pair outlined a series of stops where they will bestow listeners with a plethora of folk rock classics performed acoustically. The tour begins on April 9, the first in a three-night series at Port Chester, N.Y.’s Capitol Theatre.
Welch comments, “The Grateful Dead flirted with acoustic music throughout their career, until they released the Reckoning album, 45 years ago. We have flirted with Grateful Dead music throughout our career, until this anniversary was suggested as a good reason to book these shows. We know the Dead’s music is a mountain, and we’re hoping to start up from base camp this Spring in celebration of their legacy.”
The duo’s six-date headlining tour will begin on the East Coast, with three consecutive concerts slated to take place at the historic Capitol Theatre, April 9-11, 2026. Without snubbing the other shoreline, Welch and Rawlings will continue their run out West, where they will take the stage at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, Calif., on April 17-18.
After performing for a Bay Area audience, they will head to The Big Easy for their Jazz Fest-adjacent appearance at the Saenger Theatre on April 23. Outside of the pair’s springtime roster, they have signed on to take their tribute to the Dead at the Newport Folk Festival, where they will return to the oceanside event space on July 25 for another tribute to Reckoning.
Reckoning is the Grateful Dead’s sixth live album, featuring material originally performed and recorded in September and October 1980, and released as a double live LP the following year. The set features an array of band originals: “Dire Wolf,” “It Must Have Been the Roses,” “China Doll,” “Cassidy,” “To Lay Me Down,” “Bird Song,” and “Ripple” amid a heap of cherished covers, “Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie,” “Dark Hollow,” “Monkey and the Engineer,” “Rosa Lee McFall” and traditionals.
The latest update for Welch and Rawlings comes on the heels of their 10th studio album, Woodland, out now on all formats.
Tickets for the pair’s new headlining dates will go on sale Friday, February 13, at 10 am local.
Visit www.gillianwelch-davidrawlings.com/tour for more information.
