Ryan Adams- Riverside Theater, 7/30/17

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

It is easy to forget what a prolific songwriter Ryan Adams is.  Over the past twenty or so years since the break up of Whiskeytown, the alternative country outfit that first got Ryan Adams's songwriting on the map, Ryan Adams has released a whopping sixteen full-length original albums.  Add to that collaborations, singles and even a cover record of Taylor Swift's 1989, and you have yourself a man who is not afraid of the studio to say the least.

In 2017, Adams has emerged as an artist at the top of his game both as a songwriter and performer. In the four times I've seen Ryan Adams live (including shows at the Riverside Theater in 2007, 2014, and Summerfest 2016), last Sunday's show at the Riverside Theater was his finest performance to date.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Touring in support of 2017's critically acclaimed, stellar record, Prisoner, Adams delivered a robust twenty-three song set that spanned over two hours, showcasing the dexterity of Adams's solo career. With a heavy cloud of incense rolling over the stage, Adams opened the evening masterfully juxtaposing newer compositions with older hits.  Adams opened  his concert with "Do You Still Love Me," the first track off of Prisoner, and promptly following it up with  "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)," the first number of his 2000 debut solo release Heartbreaker.  Music from every era of Adams's career was showcased.  Adams played well-known cuts like, "When The Stars Go Blue" and "New York" from the more pop-infused and accessible Gold record from 2002, alongside the jam-band inspired compositions of "Magnolia Mountain" and "Cold Roses" from 2005's Cold Roses release with the his band Cardinals.  In fact this portion of the concert was reminiscent of a Jerry Garcia "Bird Song" jam and eclipsed the twenty minute mark with exceptional guitar and keyboard interplay.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Some of the more magical moments of the set came in the form of deeper cuts from Adams's back-catalogue including "Everybody Knows" and "Two," two of the most personal and moving tracks off of 2007's Easy Tiger.   "Invisible Riverside," a sweeping melodic guitar driven number was perfectly placed in the set and perhaps played homage to the beautiful Riverside Theater that Adams was playing in.   All in all, it is great to see how Ryan Adams has grown from being a stalwart songwriter to becoming an energetic and confident live performer.  He was as dialed in as I've ever seen him, and is breathing fresh life into his vast catalogue of great lyrics and songs.

Setlist:
Do You Still Love Me?
To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)
Gimme Something Good
Stay With Me
Dirty Rain
Outbound Train
Everybody Knows
Prisoner
Doomsday
When the Stars Go Blue
I Just Might
Two
Magnolia Mountain ->
Cold Roses
Invisible Riverside
Let It Ride
Juli
Do I Wait
Halloweenhead
To Be Without You
New York, New York
Come Pick Me Up
Shakedown on 9th Street