Ryan Adams @ Hiro Ballroom, NYC [6/26/07]

The good about tonight's Ryan Adams show? Ryan's voice was excellent. Probably the best vocal performance from him I've seen in a while. The rest of the band was solid too. My favorite performances tonight, far and away, were "Let It Ride," "My Winding Wheel," "I See Monsters" (surprisingly good) and the spectacular encore of Alice In Chains' "Down In A Hole." (Seriously.)

The bad? Boooooooooring. To call tonight's set-list "mid-tempo" would be a disservice to R.E.O. Speedwagon. I don't have a full setlist, but what I recall are "Night Birds" and "Starlite Diner" from 29, "Dear John" from Jacksonville City Nights (thankfully no Norah Jones), "Blue Hotel" (from last year's Willie Nelson disc), "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.," "Rip Off," "I Taught Myself How To Grow Old," "Two" (thankfully no Sheryl Crow), "Halloweenhead" and "Goodnight Rose" (from the new Easy Tiger). Even "Halloweenhead," which is a damn fine rock song on the album, was slowed down. Had I been sitting, there's no question in my mind that I would have fallen asleep. The show actually reminded me of what I think was Ryan's final show at Fez back in 2001 or so, when he played from 12:45am to 3am -- slow, slow, slow, and I fell asleep.

Whatever. This is still the guy who almost singlehandedly (well, Elton John helped) woke me out of my post-9/11 stupor with an incredible show at Irving Plaza five years ago. I know he's got more shows like that in him, and I'll keep going until I see it.

Oh, and we learned tonight that Ryan doesn't have to be drunk/stoned/speed-balled to speak complete nonsense between songs. All it takes is 15 Diet Cokes, apparently.

Pics tonight stink. Lighting was very low. Ryan was going for the "torch singer" vibe.





You can hear Ryan's set from Philadelphia the other day here.