Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Honor Phil Lesh With ‘Brokedown Palace’ Cover

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings started their show on Friday night with an emotional tribute to Phil Lesh. Welch and Rawlings debuted a cover of the Grateful Dead classic “Brokedown Palace” at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, North Carolina on the same day Phil Lesh died.

“We opened last night’s show with Brokedown Palace, for Phil Lesh. His passing has hit us all very hard,” Welch explained the next day on Instagram. “Sending loving thoughts to all his dear friends and family. I can’t quite find the words so I will let the music speak. Fare you well, Phil.”

Longtime Grateful Dead fan Gillian Welch had an opportunity to perform with Bob Weir as part of Bobby’s Weirbacks set at the 2006 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco. Welch and Rawlings joined The Waybacks featuring special guest Bob Weir for “Like A Rolling Stone” earlier that year at MerleFest.

An envelope Welch designed to obtain tickets for a Grateful Dead New Year’s Eve concert is featured in the Grateful Dead Archive:

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings came out and started “Brokedown Palace” in Saxapahaw on Friday without introducing the song. The pair were joined by Paul Kowert on upright bass. Welch sang lead with Rawlings providing harmonies and acoustic guitar riffage.

“Brokedown Palace” was penned by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter for inclusion on the 1970 Grateful Dead album American Beauty. The words were written on the same retsina-fueled afternoon in London in 1970 Hunter penned the lyrics to “Ripple” and “To Lay Me Down.”

Watch Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’ “Brokedown Palace” below:

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings resume their extensive tour in support of their recently released album, Woodland, on November 20 in Louisville.The pair will be on the road through December 8.