It might have been a Ryan Adams Halloween show at the Apollo, but other than the handful of spirited fans adorned in costumes, you would have been fooled. The only semi-frightening element this evening was the volume level -- one that was exceedingly high for an artist traditionally obsessed with the aural clarity of his performances. Other than this, it appeared as if Adams has finally accepted the credo from the closing song off of last year's Easy Tiger -- "I Taught Myself How To Grow Old". The once unpredictably raucous singer-songwriter has visibly matured, and his voice, stage presence, and overall performance are clear indicators of this change. Typically shaken up by crowd banter and song shoutouts, it's evident that Adams now lets all distractions roll off his back and simply lets the music do the talking. This was the case Friday night at a show that leaned heavily on the band's newer material from their most recent albums Easy Tiger and Cardinology (which came out last Tuesday).The Cardinals opened up with one of the more aggressive numbers from the new record -- the rock-leaning "Cobwebs" -- before easing the crowd into a pair of soft alt-country gems, "Everybody Knows" and "Born Into A Light". Next up was the R&B-tinged single "Fix It," which showcased the band's penchant for beautiful three and four-part harmonies. Guitarist and fellow songwriter Neal Casal's backing pipes soared on this one, and would complement Adams' lead vocals throughout the course of the evening. The band didn't explore Ryan's older catalog until the eighth or ninth song, when the audience was finally treated to newly arranged version of one of Adams' better-known older tunes, "The Rescue Blues". From then on, we got the old strategically interspersed with the new. The jam-bandy "Peaceful Valley" proved that these guys are more than wannabe Grateful Dead one-trick ponies, as this tune segued perfectly into Heartbreaker's "Bartering Lines". Ryan then proceeded to deliver a stirring version of the Oasis super-smash "Wonderwall" before knocking out what was perhaps the evening's harmonious highlight, "Dear John".
After a brief intermission, the band came back strong with a second set, beginning with the song that started it all for the Cardinals -- 2005's rollicking "Let It Ride". Adams surprised the crowd with a plugged-in rendition of the usually soft "Desire" before playing a few more cuts off Easy Tiger and Cardinology. The quietest moment of the evening came when Adams stuck in an intimate number off of 2003's highly underrated Love Is Hell -- the confessional ballad, "Please Do Not Let Me Go". The singer then proceeded to show off his guitar chops with the riff-heavy "Cold Roses" and sped up version of "Shakedown on 9th Street" before letting Casal take helm with his own "Freeway To The Canyon". Strangely enough, it was after this song that Ryan made his first comments of the night -- a string of self-deprecating jabs about the melancholy nature of his own songs. From then on in, it was new material 'til the end. The band capped off an astounding 27-sound set with the final track from Cardinology -- the piano-laden "Stop".
It's only appropriate that Adams would skew his setlist to the fresher material he's written with the Cardinals. He's taken on a selfless level level of maturity -- one that that's clearly more focused on reaching new heights musically than preserving a persona. The singer, who would often grab headlines more frequently for his off-stage antics, has changed for the better. No worse off for the wear, he's letting bygones be just that and proving that we've only gotten a taste of what will surely be astounding prolific career.
The complete setlist:
1. Cobwebs
2. Everybody Knows
3. Born Into A Light
4. Fix It
5. Natural Ghost
6. Goodnight Rose
7. Sun Also Sets
8. Rescue Blues
9. Peaceful Valley >
10. Bartering Lines
11. Wonderwall
12. Dear John
13. Go Easy
14. Let It Ride
15. Desire
16. Grand Island
17. Sink Ships
18. Evergreen
19. Please Do Not Let Me Go
20. Two
21. Magick
22. Cold Roses
23. Shakedown on 9th Street
24. Freeway to The Canyon
25. Crossed Out Name
26. Like Yesterday
27. Stop
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