Ryan Adams and The Shining with Fort Frances- Harley Davidson Roadhouse, Summerfest 7/10/16

photo by Joe Eason

"I can tell that 311 just went on because I can hear 'Down'," Ryan Adams quipped as a thunderous rumble of bass and noise came from the stage just north of the Harley Davidson Roadhouse.  After a snicker from the performer and a giggle from his audience, he settled back with his guitar and continued to rock a packed Harley Davidson Roadhouse stage on the final night of Summerfest.   This brief moment in a robust 18 song jammy show somewhat epitomized the change for the better that has come as Adams has matured as a live performer.

photo by Steven Bloom

About a decade ago, when I first saw Ryan Adams perform, this sort of pesky annoyance would have potentially derailed the performance all together.  Adams has a reputation in the past of being an unpredictable performer who would have "off" and "on" nights- and would get easily agitated by the crowd.  However, with his current band, "The Shining" in tow, Adams has evolved into a steady rock 'n roll act.  In fact, of the three Ryan Adam's shows I've seen, the Summerfest performance was by far the best I've seen him and his band play.  Adams was loose, relaxed, and in full-on rock 'n roll mode.  

His set was well thought through for the festival crowd, and kept a strong rocking vibe throughout. One of the most prolific songwriters in modern rock music, Adams's set covered his solo career with emphasis on some of his latest work and his debut solo release Heartbreaker, which he re-released as a deluxe edition earlier this year.  Despite having about as deep of a catalogue as any touring musician today, Adams show was remarkably cohesive, taking the audience on a trip through songs anchored in deeply personal memories and connections. 

photo by Steven Bloom

The show opened with swaggering guitar on "Trouble" and "Gimme Something Good," two standout tracks from Adams's most recent 2014 self-titled release.  Adams played perhaps his biggest hit, "New York, New York," and flowed it nicely into "When the Stars Go Blue," off of his 2001 classic album Gold.  Jammier tunes like "Magnolia Mountain" and "Cold Roses," showcased Adam's affection for roots rock of bands like the Grateful Dead.   A show highlight came mid set when Adams performed the simple and poignant "Everybody Knows," a jangly emotionally retrospective track, which is one of my personal favorites. The set closed with an unexpected rousing rendition of "Halloweenhead" also off of 2007's Easy Tiger album.  

For an encore Adams busted out "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)," his breakthrough opening tack from 2000's Heartbreaker which energized the crowd.  His last two selections sealed this remarkable performance as Adams performed a soulful rendition of "Peaceful Valley," off of 2005's Jacksonville City Lights record, followed by "Come Pick Me Up," perhaps my show highlight, which was beautifully cathartic.

Ryan Adams's live show, stage presence and sense of fun was palpable for both the songwriter, his band and the audience alike, and was a fitting way to close out Summerfest 2016.

Setlist:
Trouble
Gimme Something Good
New York, New York

When the Stars Go Blue
Shakedown on 9th Street
Magnolia Mountain
Let It Ride
Everybody Knows
This House Is Not For Sale
Stay With Me
Dear Chicago
Cold Roses
Kim
Halloweenhead

Encore:
I Got the Blues From Playing the Blues
To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High0
Peaceful Valley
Come Pick Me Up


Fort Frances:

photo by Will Piper

Opening for Ryan Adams and the Shining was Fort Frances, an indie rock quartet from Chicago. Fort Frances has been developing a devoted Milwaukee following, playing solid gigs around town for the past few years (Bastille Days, Whitefish Bay Sounds of Summer, Cedarburg Cultural Center, Club Garibaldi, and even Turner Hall).  Seeing the band on a gorgeous summer's evening, backed with a combination of Ryan Adams's lighting arrangements and performing in front of a large engaged crowd at a prominent time slot at Summerfest gave the performance an extra dose of rock 'n roll "umph" and swagger.

photo by Steven Bloom

In fact, Fort Frances has never been tighter as an ensemble.  New material from their latest full-length record Ailo translated well live.  In a new step for the band, lead vocalist David McMillin had several numbers where he stepped in front of the crowd wielding only a mic.  Highlights of the set consisted of many of of the Ailo tracks including, "Everything Is Starting To Make Sense," a heavily nuanced and layered tune that is one of Fort Frances's more ambitious efforts to date.  "Anonymous," the first single off of Ailo was also well-received with its catchy pop hooks,  as were the hypnotic grooves and harmonies of "Sigh of Relief" along with the rock anthem stylings of "Building A Wall."

McMillin explained that the title of Fort Frances's new record Ailo means "hello" in Lithuanian, and he talked about how the band came to play a big music festival in Lituania last year due to the viral YouTube success of their cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's "Summertime."  The band proceeded to do a soulful rendition of that cover to the delight of the crowd.  Another surprise cover of "All My Friends" by LCD Soundsystem riled up the audience for Ryan Adams and had the growing audience singing along.  While McMillan states in "Anonymous," "no one needs to know our name," it is only a matter of time before Fort Frances becomes a household name in town after the rich rock 'n roll performance their audience was treated to on Sunday night.

photo by Steven Bloom

Setlist:
Light Years
Best of Luck
Sigh of Relief
Days Get Heavy
Everything Is Starting to Make Sense
Habits
Anonymous
Take the Wheel
I Had Love
Wrong Man
Building a Wall
Summertime (DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince cover)
Year of Gold
Plastic Hearts
All My Friends (LCD Soundstystem cover)