“This is my first concert! Play ‘Wonderwheel!’” Ryan Adams coo/whined in a moment of audience-mocking last night at New York City’s Town Hall, during the third of three one-off performances by the alt country prodigy. Adams’ reputation has been built on a wealth of critical praise, but he owes his success to the large populations of obnoxious frat boys who mistake his witty, sometimes pastiche southern rock jams for tailgating music. This is why Adams’ shows often feel like some sort of tolerance match between the hipster rocker and his whooping fans, who like to request “Freebird” and “Summer of ‘69″ just cuz they know it pisses him off. Luckily for the rest of us, this exchange is usually amusing enough that it distracts from the fact that musically his shows are usually just okay — five “eh” songs for every one moment of zen.
Not this time. This time we got both the snarky artist vs audience sparring match (”these are like the same people you’d meet if you were selling cars” the rocker quipped) and a set list that, for Ryan, was essentially a greatest hits montage. From opener “Come Pick Me Up” (the first notes of which sent flocks of late-arriving fans sprinting up the venue’s posh red-velvet staircases) to “Oh My Sweet Carolina” to “Wish You Were Here” — Adams put out. And not just in terms of song choice. Adams — who performed with his ever-rotating collection of Cardinals — claims he’s been sober for seven months, and whether that’s true or not, something is clearly different. He sounds aware and present in a way those who’ve born witness to some of his erratic one-long-slow-jam style shows would never think possible. He still looks like a lunatic, however.
He wore a schoolboy-in-drag ensemble during the first part of the show, but then took his pig-tails out and traded in his blazer and cream patent leather platforms for a full on Gene Simmons look — black full-calf creepers, leather jacket, Kiss t-shirt. The boots were so absurd they made it hard for him to reach the piano pedals properly.
Adams’ new material swelled with a sort of confident richness that makes us think 2007 may hold more than a few (really clever and fun) DJ Reggie half-raps for this perpetual Next Big Thing. Also, Adams’ older material has been spruced up with new arrangements, as if he’s actually been self-editing a bit or something. Whatever it is that Adams hasn’t been smoking, let’s hope he keeps with it, because his performance hints at what more could come from this formidable — if batshit insane — musical talent.
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- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.
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