Ryan Adams @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC 6/24/06
By the time Ryan took the stage for last night's "Cold Roses Incorporated," everyone in the room had been through some drama. Ryan had just finished performing a set uptown at the Arthur Lee Benefit that Scott attended, while the rest of us had our own little ordeal. We started with a half-hour delay on the 12:30 am doors, resulting in a block-long line in the pouring rain. Which was awesome. After we were let in, we were made to wait in Bowery's basement bar for another half hour, nestled together thisclose, so that my neighbor's wetness had become mine. So very squishy.
When Ryan hit the stage it was probably somewhere around 1:45 am, but the room was frighteningly alive. Adams excites the kids. That's just how it is. Last time I saw him he played like four notes as Jesse Malin's encore guest, and the room was momentarily electrified. He's got the "thing." A couple of girls traced invisible hearts around his head all night. Turns out he's dreamy.
The set was blazing, with some Rock N Roll thrown in to the expected dose of Demolition, Hearbreaker, and Cold Roses. Highlights included the Dead worship of "Magnolia Mountain" and "Cold Roses," with Catherine Popper's inner Lesh arpeggiating around the Cardinals' mixolydian moments. But nothing really tops Ryan's blearing harmonica and wistful voice on "Come Pick Me Up." It's tunes like that make him the 43rd best living songwriter, after all. Eat your heart out Jim Derogatis.
(The Batman tee is Ryan's way of telling us he won't be seeing former flame Parker Posey in Superman Returns next week.)
INACCURATE SETLIST
REAL SETLIST
"Love Is Hell"
"This Is It"
"Please Do Not Let Me Go"
"Cherry Lane"
"Note To Self: Don't Die"
"Peaceful Valley"
"Wish You Were Here"
"Magnolia Mountain"
"Easy Plateau"
"Hard Way To Fall"
"Let It Ride"
"To Be Young"
"Dear Chicago"
"Cold Roses"
"Beautiful Sorta"
------
"Call Me On Your Way Back Home"
"Come Pick Me Up"
"Mockingbird"
UPDATE: Thanks astute readers: "Shakedown On 9th Street" indeed belongs somewhere in that setlist.
Posted at 4:08 PM in Concert
Tags: Ryan Adams
-->
-->
You are missing a song on the 'real set list." He played Shakedown on 9th Street as well.
Score = 0
more on the music slut!
Score = 0
I must say, and I'm a die hard Ryan fan, this show was overwhelmingly dissapointing. He came on stage as if it were 6pm and he was playing an early show for the under 18 crowd. The stage presence was little to nothing and he ran through his most half-hearted material.
I love Ryan, I love every album, I've seem him 5 times, this show was not even bad... just a bit of a mail in performance.
We stood in the rain, spent 25 bucks, and stayed up till 4am to show some love, and alas... he seemed a bit on cruise control, played with little to know immediacy and avoided the songs that make him such an invaluable presence in modern music.
As my friend put it, you just kept watching him, knowing he had so many amazing cards in his pocket, yet he refused to have the bravery and love to pull them out.
I grade it a D.
Score = 0
"with Catherine Popper's inner Lesh..."
excellent reference, amrit.
Score = 0
Gotta agree with Keegan on this one -- not a bad show by any means, but nowhere close to as good as Ryan can be.
Speaking of Ryan playing as if it were 6pm, what exactly was his deal when he said that the crowd had shown up "before they were ready"? A 2am start-time isn't enough time to get in tune? The 12:30am doors actually meant we were supposed to show up at 2:30am? Color me confused.
Anyway, like I said, not a bad show, and it certainly had its moments -- e.g., Cherry Lane -- but overall a kinda weird so-so show.
Score = 0
I couldn't disagree more with the opinion that Ryan mailed it in. He opened with a rousing "Love is Hell," surprised everyone by playing three songs from Rock'n'Roll, showed off the Cardinals' collective talents on the songs from Cold Roses, thrilled fans by playing "Cherry Lane," which most people had not heard live before, sang "Dear Chicago" and "Call Me On Your Way Back Home" to a totally hushed and awed crowd, and rocked out with "To Be Young," "Shakedown," and "Come Pick Me Up." What more could you want?
Last night at the Bowery was the eighth time I've seen him and I wasn't a bit disappointed. I felt lucky to be there.
Score = 0
ooooo i just can't wait for july 20th. last time i saw him at starland it was jampacked.
and he definately has the "thing."
Score = 0
Ryan Adams live is god.
Score = 0
i've been a Ryan fan for a while, but it was my first time seeing him live. i thought it was brilliant.
and yes, he did play Shakedown on 9th Street.
Score = 0
I've only seen Ryan once (in Chicago with the Cardinals pre-Cold Roses) and it was definitely not one of his good nights. I would trade that night for this show any day. Stop complaining people! I'm just hoping his Lollapalooza set will be something to remember fondly.
Score = 0
I've only seen Ryan once (in Chicago with the Cardinals pre-Cold Roses) and it was definitely not one of his good nights. I would trade that night for this show any day. Stop complaining people! I'm just hoping his Lollapalooza set will be something to remember fondly. And that he doesn't get an ear infection or something before that...
Score = 0
Wow I really like that batman shirt.
Score = 0
Where in the set did he play Shakdown on 9th?
Score = 0
Where in the set did he play Shakedown on 9th?
Score = 0