The Neil Young for my generation. That's really all I can come up with when trying to describe Ryan Adams after seeing him perform for the first time in person Friday night. Adams is a walking, singing, guitar playing dichotomy. On one hand you sense he is intensely serious about his craft, his sound - everything that goes on around him on stage. Yet you also get the feeling he could just say "Screw It" in the next breath and sit down in the middle of the stage & pour himself a bowl of Cheerios. The set he and The Cardinals played for us at the Taft Theater was extremely intricate, well-rounded, & robust...yet altogether thrown together, if you follow. Let me put it to you this way: the guy's a frickin' genius & he knows it. We've all known guys like this, and there are some issues that go along with it they never completely figure out.
It was my pleasure to have the company of my sister, who had previously driven up from Knoxville, TN. I think I've told you before; she's the biggest Ryan Adams fan I've ever met and in the past 3 years has gotten me hooked on the guy too. So it was my first chance to see The Cardinals live. I've become pretty much obsessed with only listening to live recordings of The Cardinals lately - there's just a vibe you get from hearing these guys live that you can't pick up off of an album cut. Knowing going in that this could be an interesting experience, I jumped at the chance to see them in person, and I was not disappointed.
Now, I'm not going to bore you with the details of every song they played & all that crap. The show itself was just observing Adams on stage. Ryan appears on stage resplendent in his Dio T-shirt & black, thick-rimmed glasses, & tussled hair. Like Garth Algar finally got a gig, I thought. The guy seriously must have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). He constantly is adjusting things - his mic stand, his guitar, the set list, his glasses, jacket on/jacket off. He has a constant banter & nervousness between songs that literally drives some folk crazy. The set does not flow from one song to the next; you may wait 3-5 minutes between songs before Adams talks himself into kicking off the next. I think he's a little schizophrenic; he picks up everything that is shouted at the stage. Probably not the best complex for a musician to have on stage, but he can be a riot with his witty responses. You can tell the guy has a brain that's moving a hundred times faster than normal. Don't take this a criticism though. This is the charm in seeing Ryan Adams live. It's not your everyday, run of the mill concert. It's an experience.
The Cardinals - Adams' backing band - are very fine musicians in their own right. Brad Pemberton (drums) and Chris Feinstein (bass) provide a solid rhythm section. Jon Graboff plays a searing pedal steel that curls your toes - a tremendous musician. And Neal Casal. Damn, that dude can sing. Casal plays the rhythm guitar & provides a high-pitch backing vocal that just accentuates everything Adams does. This is a classy group, without a doubt. Nothing flashy - that's Adams' job. Just solid as a rock. Pro's pros. Dare I say very much like Neil Young's Crazy Horse...?
The Cardinals are displaying a new, more electric guitar-oriented sound which will be featured on their upcoming release Cardinolgy, which will be available Oct. 28th. It has been described as "the study of guitar astrology and jam technology. And with songs even." Quite fitting, I suppose. Not once was an acoustic guitar introduced during this performance just straight-ahead jamming with the volume up & the knob ripped off. The new material is for the most part very up-tempo & catchy. Adams delved into his vast catalog quite a bit during the show as well, playing "Come Pick Me Up," "Wonderwall," "When The Stars Go Blue," "Everybody Knows," "Cold Roses," etc. The new material was of course on spotlight, & I cannot wait to hear it all. The Cardinals will be performing on Letterman Oct. 29 if you want to check it out for yourselves. You will not be disappointed. Rock on Cardinals!! Thanks for the great show!
Cardinology - Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, NYC.1. Born Into A Light 2. Go Easy 3. Fix It 4. Magick 5. Cobwebs 6. Let Us Down Easy 7. Crossed Out Name 8. Natural Ghost 9. Sink Ships 10. Evergreen 11. Like Yesterday 12. Stop
Video not yet up for the Taft Theater show - Links provided are from Albany, NY 9.25.08, Syracuse, NY 9.26.08 & Columbus, OH 9.29.08.
Ever since the DJ compilation arrived in the mail I've considered myself a fan of Ryan Adams. May have to check out Cardinology on the 28th as well. btw, keep trying to look back up at your post to remember something else I wanted to say, but each time I scroll up I lose all concentration when I see the smoking hot picture of Sara Evans. Sorry dude.
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