The breeze was howling through the foothills of the Front Range last night, swooping down from the Rockies and twisting through the Red Rocks Amphitheatre as if to make everyone aware this was a very special night indeed. Somewhere off the mountain came the gusts of the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse... their voices inspiring this BRILLIANT show by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals.
You might think of the album Heartbreaker when you hear the name Ryan Adams, or an entitled singer-songwriter, or a complete asshole who throws people out of shows (I attended the infamous show at the Ryman). Let me tell you, go see the Cardinals and all your conceptions of him being purely a singer-songwriter will go out the window.
As I mentioned earlier, channeling the jam inspired rock & roll of the past but paving an absolutely original spot of their own, the Cardinals ripped through an hour and forty-five minutes of pure jamming bliss. It's not often you find an artist who some say is the best songwriter of our generation, but also an artist and band who can turn songs into journeys and extend them into different beings with a band that is musical genius.
The first set was full of ridiculous mind-blowing musicianship, every song segued and ascended and descended, electric guitars dueling, complex counter melodies woven in the fabric of the songs, improv exploration, and the lushness of the pedal steel holding the songs together - rising and falling like the wind. The set started out with Magnolia Mountain and instantly everyone knew this was not a singer-songwriter set, this was Ryan Adams and THE CARDINALS. After that, Peaceful Valley, Easy Plateau, Goodnight Rose, and Mockingbirdsing were all fierce and exploratory. Now I've seen other bands play Red Rocks, and this was one of the best shows I've ever seen. As far as other jam bands, I attended the Widespread Panic show last August and The Cards put these guys to shame. They could play circles around a band like Panic. The Cards are one of the tightest bands I've ever seen, and the jams were impeccable and at times reminded me of some of the instrumentals in the Grateful Dead's Blues for Allah album.
The highlight seemed to be the unstoppable Cold Roses > What Sin > Cold Roses. I like What Sin on the record, but not as much as the other stuff. However this live version with Cold Roses MELTED MY FACE OFF. They were soaring, they were intricately playing the hell out of the melodies, dueling with guitars in octaves and fifths and sevenths, jamming the shit out of this stuff! What Sin went into a completely blissful meltdown and Cold Roses emerged from it in one of these mind-blowing HOW DID THEY DO THAT moments. Absolutely Incredible, this was the moment of the night.
I could go on and on about this show, but let me just tell you that there was a magical wind blowing at Red Rocks last night. I would tell you that you must go see this band now, but with Ryan Adams you never know if you'll get a show like this one, or something totally different. So what I will say is that this moment will never happen again as it did last night. The Cards were mind-blowing and the magic descended on Colorado. Hopefully that magic will blow through again, and judging from the grateful demeanor of The Cards, it just might happen.
Set List:
Magnolia Mountain
Peaceful Valley
Easy Plateau
Goodnight Rose
Mockingbirdsong
Let it Ride
Cold Roses>
What Sin>
Cold Roses
Beautiful Sorta
When The Stars Go Blue
I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
A Kiss Before I Go
Encore
Dear John
Two
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Dear Chicago
Wildflowers
ICY Monsters
The Fox Theatre Show:
The night before Red Rocks, Ryan & The Cards played a set that was the polar opposite of the show at the Rocks. Instead of the wailing electrics, it was filled with subtle nuanced music with a stripped down band and Ryan perched on a stool, only half the songs played with an acoustic guitar. The rest of the Cardinals were acoustic, with the exception of the pedal steel. It was kind of like the acoustic side of CSN&Y's 4 Way Street... something like that. Amazing harmonies and tasteful solos.
You can listen to the Fox Theatre set here:
http://www.archive.org/details/radams2007-08-02.dpa4027.flac16
The above and below photos are from the Fox show... you can find more here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/sittinghereinlimbo.blog/RyanAdamsFoxTheatre8207
7 comments:
I cheated and read your review before I wrote my own. Of course, mine will most likely focus more on the emotions I experienced after grabbing his arm and he spoke to me.
But yes, the show was unbelievable. When people ask, I still just shake my head and swear.
I shared the link to your photos in the comment section of Heather's blog. Hope you don't mind. :)
They're fabulous, by the way. Love the one of him smiling!
Ruster, that sounds retarded awesome; I'm more than a little jealous that you saw them at Red Rocks- dang.
I guess the rest of us will just have to trust you- or go to England-
Flying into Aspen so I'm afraid we'll have to forgo our roadtrip- but I'm looking forward to hanging out at Nickel Creek/ Ben Harper. We'll either stay in town at my old place or down in Woody Creek: equal chance of bear sightings at either venue.
I like him the most. Even when he is an asshole--his songs can beat up my songs. I always think back to that conversation we had at the Sands (you were crashing for the night): we discussed his ability to whip a melody out of left field in the middle of his songs--be it for his chorus or bridge. Thing is, he takes the song in a unforeseen direction, and the listener mildly resists for 1 or 2 seconds, after which the listener would have the song no other way. You know what I mean?
Honestly, the storming off stage and the ridiculously short set of songs ruined the show for myself and all those around me. I myself enjoy the singer/songwriter that Ryan Adams is and I prefer to pay to hear him perform and sing... which I don't think he did on this occassion. I have been to two other shows and have been completely blown away. He didn't even play an acoustic version of any songs and he did not play anything on the piano. For those that Red Rocks was their first and only Ryan Adams show, I am sorry to say that they missed out on what is usually incredible. The only thing about this show that blew me away was the wind.
p.s. I don't think Ryan Adams wrote a song about the abominable snowman. The song is "I See Monsters".
Hmm, interesting. Were we at the same show? First, there was no storming off stage. I was 5 rows up, I would have felt that. He was jovial the show, did you not here the banter? Go download the show on archive.org and listen again. Second, you are projecting the definition of RYan Adams as a singer/songwriter with no band, but that is what he was 5 years ago. So, it's unfair to project an old association on what he is doing now. You need to let go of your associations.
Also, as someone who has seen him in the prime of his singersongwriter shows (aka Ryman Auditorium show - kicking someone out - "Summer of '69"), this show was musically a million times tighter and more precise. His old shows are a joke musically to these recent ones. Yeah, they are more singer songwriterish, but it seems that is what you have limited him too, so every show will be a let down for you because you have closed your mind to new creative forms and possibilities.
this show was epic, maybe you need to get beyond your definitions and just try to enjoy music for what it is.
now the recent minneapolis show, that is an example of him being a primadonna and if that was my first show after the ryman, i would have made a vow never to see him again.
PS: the setlist is pasted from a printed copy. I did not record the setlist. i realize the typo. thanks. i kind of wish he would write a song about an abominable snowman though... or a sasquatch.
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