David Rawlings plays Variety Playhouse Jan. 25
The Nashville-based country and Americana star returns playing songs from his latest album, ‘Poor David’s Almanack’
Americana wunderkind David Rawlings returns supporting a stirring 2017 album, Poor David’s Almanack. A stalwart of the roots-revival scene, Rawlings lends his high, nasal twang and deft picking style to the 10 tracks on Almanack, an album that is at once steeped in tradition yet decidedly modern. Obvious debts to Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan aside, Rawlings’ takes on Americana classics are brimming with bluesy flourishes and swelling strings reminiscent of the best Glen Campbell tear-jerkers. Staples like “Cumberland Gap” may come off hokey in the hands of less seasoned performers, but Rawlings, along with longtime partner/collaborator Gillian Welch, infuses such tunes with a refreshing air of darkness and immediacy.
$32-$40. 7 p.m. (doors). Thurs., Jan. 25. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.