Not sure about the rest of Ry's tour, but last night's cozy show at Hiro Ballroom saw Adams taking his new, blue Easy Tiger mantra to heart: seats for Cardinals and the crowd alike; acoustics, pedal steel and brush sticks; low lights and Risky Business shades. "We're gonna play some music up in this piece," DJ Reggie offered as he took his stool, but aside from his banter and band intros ("playin' the percussion like it was nothin' right now, in NYC, right now ... on the bass from outer space," oh my god, whatever, etc.) it was a night of chilled out rustic rootsy fare on a blazing hot, sticky NYC summer night.
A night to celebrate his Tiger tunes ("Two," "The Sun Also Sets," "Rip Off"), sure, but really it played like a showcase for Ry's vox -- which has never sounded better; this was goosebumpy stuff, from a stunning "I See Monsters" right through to his heartfelt folk-ballad makeover/encore of Alice In Chains' "Down In A Hole." And though "Halloweenhead" wasn't accompanied by the requisite Scandinavian disco dancers, Adams did try out some of his patented wtf wit: "We have to write some political songs sometimes about the oppression ... of mathematics. We have to stop math. In like, five seconds." No? Try this one: "That last song was about giving up dairy. Not that I'm cheesy or anything..." Rimshot?
Take him as he comes, we all know the game by now. But for sure, a sober Ry is a better Ry: you're not gonna lose the oddball quips; apparently he'll be just as prolific (four-disc boxed set later this year?); plus, like Town Hall, these days we get to hear him brag about how many diet cokes he's "on" (15 by last night's count). Easy Tiger isn't exactly what we were hoping for, but it's got its keepers and it's the right record for now. And more importantly, it's the right mantra.
RY'S SETLIST (via Miss Modern Age)
01 "The Sun Also Sets"
02 "Please Do Not Let Me Go"
03 "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc."
04 "Let It Ride"
05 "Dear John"
06 "Nightbirds"
07 "Two"
08 "Rip Off"
09 "Carolina Rain"
10 "Elizabeth"
11 "I See Monsters"
12 "Blue Hotel"
13 "Halloweenhead"
14 "Starlite Diner"
15 "How Do You Keep Love Alive"
16 "Winding Wheel"
17 "Blue Sky Blues"
18 "Goodnight Hollywood Boulevard"
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19 "Down In A Hole" (Alice in Chains cover)
