Thursday, December 07, 2006

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals @ Town Hall, NYC [12/6/06]

OK, so when I posted about Robert Pollard's recent show at Bowery Ballroom, I was kinda vague about what I thought about the show. I guess I learned at an early age that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. (NOTE: Very few of my colleagues in the legal profession ever learned this lesson.)

What I would have said, had I been so inclined, was that Bob seemed tired on stage. And kind of sad. And resigned. The energy of Guided by Voices' shows wasn't there. Hell, even the energy of Bob's show at Irving Plaza earlier this year wasn't there. Instead, we were treated to a by-the-numbers, professional presentation of Bob's songs. The show wasn't bad, mind you, but it wasn't what I go to a Bob Pollard show for. Rather than exuding rock and roll excitement, Bob seemed content to do his job and get off the stage. Not surprisingly, just a few days after the Bowery show, Bob cancelled the rest of the tour, and has since announced that he is retiring from touring.

Given these events, it saddens me to think that another of my favorite artists may be reaching his own "breaking point". But there it is. Ryan Adams' show tonight was the least essential performance I've ever seen him give. While Ryan and his band were technically excellent, there wasn't an ounce of excitement coming from the stage. Just the opposite, Ryan made it clear pretty early that he was annoyed with the crowd, and his famous between-song banter was reduced to a lot of mumbling and repeating himself. When the first set ended after only about 30 minutes, something seemed off. Somehow, the band came out even less enthused for the second set. At one point during the second set we heard Ryan angrily yell at someone "just hit the fucking button". Then, again about 30 or so minutes into the second set, Ryan abruptly said goodnight and walked off stage. After a couple of seconds, the band followed, and about a minute later the house lights came on.

Maybe Ryan just had a bad night. I hope that's the case. But, to me, Ryan's demeanor was strikingly similar to that of Bob Pollard last month. He lacked the passion that I've come to expect from seeing him live for nearly 10 years. Rather than the typical Ryan Adams "fighting spirit", he seemed resigned tonight. Resigned to cutting off a show early. Resigned to disappointing his crowd. Resigned to giving up.

As a longtime fan, I obviously hope he doesn't give up. More than just about any other musician I've ever seen, Ryan has the ability to make a certain type of magic on stage. I just hope I get to see that magic again.


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