Ryan Adams is God!!!

Ok. So not God or a god in fact as he reminded me upon leaving his glowing presence, 'he is the band and I am the audience'.... I thought about this on the drive home. Wow. He really burst my bubble. I thought I was the band. Damn. And then I thought about the show.

It was great music. "The Band" sounded great and really showed that Ryan is continuing to pushing his music to new heights. Some of the old tunes we spot on and rearranged into something new. I kept thinking I would like own this new version. The new songs were full walls of sound and Ryan's voice raging and then stopping to a whisper and then raging was outstanding. So I enjoyed the music but did I enjoy the show?

The answer is no. I am still trying to pick up the pieces of my fandom so I can't really pin it on one thing. I left the show as part of the audience but i came the show as a Ryan Adams fan.

I saw his "solo cd" release party at the Local 506 in NC (some time ago). It was just him the guitar and the voice. It was an amazing show. He even choked on the song "pick me up" relenting after the nth time a fan from the crowd (not audience) pleaded for it. That night I became a fan of the man, the music and the thoughts he was portraying in his songs. Yes he was drinking and maybe he does not remember that night. But for me, magic.

Earlier that same week I saw another band at the 506 called The Drive By Truckers. They were raw and fun and I enjoyed them when ever they came to town. It is relevant the this discussion because two nights before my recent audience with the blessed Mr. Adams I was in Rams Head Live reveling in another Truckers show (now called simply DBT). It was fun, really fun. People were dancing and singing and moving to the grovin... ok. Also the band was having fun. They were all seated for most of the show I was standing for all of show. They smiled and laughed and passed Jack around and smiled and laughed some more. They took requests (from people up front). Told us how much they loved us... played some more. It was one of the those nights where you don't want to go home. You just want to stay with your friends and sing some songs. The music was great and songs were reworked a bit. I left that show with new CD a tee shirt and a big smile feeling good.

So I am now driving home from DC with the DBT cd playing and deciding that I am not a fan of Ryan Adams anymore. I still love the music and will play the songs but I don't really want to see him again. Will I purchase his music? Maybe. But that is not really the point is it? There is something missing in Ryan's world view of music and fans. Maybe he does not want fans. Maybe he wants a new kind of fan one that sits in an audience claps when he is finished lets him decide what songs he plays, when he plays. A fan that never yells for a song, does not dance in the isle, doesn't drink. Doesn't ever get delusional that he is singing for them or about them or with them. He wants a classical music fan.

He wants the music to stand the test of time not the experience. Well good luck with that. I want the experience too. I like classical music but it ain't rock and roll.