Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Bring Grateful Dead Acoustic Reckoning To KEXP

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings recently brought their Grateful Dead tribute to KEXP studios. Along with Punch Brothers bassist Paul Kowert, the trio delivered a quartet of Dead classics for the Seattle-based independent radio station.

In April 2026, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings unveiled their tribute to the Grateful Dead’s Reckoning live acoustic album at the Brooklyn Bowl Nashville. Celebrating the 45th anniversary of Reckoning, the pair have brought the project across the U.S. for spring, summer and fall runs this year.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings dropped by KEXP studios ahead of an August Grateful Dead Acoustic Reckoning Tour stop in Seattle. The trio rolled through four early Grateful Dead songs for the Live on KEXP session, beginning with “Bertha.”

The set continued with “Dire Wolf” and “Brown-Eyed Women.” Welch, Rawlings and Kowert closed out the session with “Bird Song.”

Watch Gillian Welch and David Rawlings play Dead Live on KEXP below: