A Victorious Return of the Elusive Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams –The Academy of Music

Since being exposed to Ryan Adams, I have revered him as a musical genius.  It’s very apparent that Adams has a tendency to drop out of the limelight for years at a time, and is somewhat private.  My silly assumption was that he was absolutely and completely out of his mind.  In my heart I believed that no talent of that level can exist on a plain with us normal people. 

Lo and behold, he’s not insane (but I’m also not a doctor).  He’s actually rather personable and incredibly entertaining. 

Normally, I attend shows at smaller venues that are packed with much younger crowds, meaning that there are cameras flashing the entire set, people checking smartphones, maybe even an altercation, etc.  I have never experienced the silence that settled over Academy of Music when Ryan Adams entered the auditorium and settled into his guitar.  Noticing the quiet, from my balcony seat, not one camera screen light was visible unless Adams was between songs.  The unspoken community respect shown for Adams was uncanny.  It was as if he was a mythical creature that nobody wanted to spook. 

Witnessing Ryan Adams perform felt like he had invited you into his living room to share an evening.  He had multiple guitars propped on their stands, a piano, a stool and a microphone.  Once he began playing, the sold-out venue with a capacity for 2,897, became an intimate gathering.  The height of the triple balcony venue would normally be a feat for a solo artist to conquer.  Adams not only surpassed expectations, but succeeded in reaching every listener as well as asking them to “be careful,” as he explained his fear of heights.

Between songs, Adams shared stories of his arrival in Philadelphia, watching two large, intoxicated men yell at each other on the street and the absolute humor he found in the scene.  As one of @theRyanAdams Twitter followers, I find particular joy in his constant obsession with the Ed Hardy-wearing host of Ghost Adventures.  Much to my elation, he shared at least one anecdote about the not-so-down-to-earth character, and I was officially sold that Ryan Adams is not only talented, but he really should be my new best friend.  (I’m only kidding, because that would be crazy, right?  Right???) 

Ryan shared approximately 20 songs with the audience, and each one successfully induced a sense that you were experiencing something magical.  New York, New York particularly resonated with me as he played on the piano, you could hear every intake of breath, and it may have even been better than the studio version.  

Ryan closed his set with Come Pick Me Up, which I, personally, have found to embody all that I love about him: the pain, the honesty and a little bit of humor.  After monstrous applause, he opted for an unorthodox encore of Round And Round by Ratt and apologized as he would not be able to play much longer or he would be forced to buy the union members employed at the venue “the equivalent of a yacht.”  Classic RA (That’s what I call him, as we are now best friends.)

The Menzingers have released their new album!

The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past

Guitars, Drums and Desperate Poetry

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls- The Theater of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Frank Tuner never fails to live up to his title as the “King of Punk Poetry.” He opened his set with Eulogy, which is the short opener to his latest album, England Keep My Bones. At the apex of the ditty, Frank belts out, "and on the day I die, I'll say 'At least I f***ing tried!" which shifted the crowd into high gear almost instantaneously. Frank Turner's energy forced me and the only other female in our party from the balcony to the floor, and ultimately, directly in front of the stage left speakers.

The first time I witnessed the greatness that is Frank Turner, he was opening for Social Distortion. I came early to see Lucero… Well, let’s be honest, I wanted to get a good parking spot where I wouldn’t have to worry about walking seven blocks to find that my car had been stolen/broken into.

As luck would have it, Frank sincerely knocked my socks off. He played with the energy that begged the assumption that it was last stop on the tour. During his rendition of I Still Believe, he coached the crowd to echo him and the song more or less blew my mind.

Blew. My. Mind…. to the point where if, in that instant, you had asked me who Mike Ness was, I probably would have stared at you blankly for a solid ten seconds. Let me enforce that I was thoroughly convinced in high school that Mike Ness and I were destined to be together (regardless of the fact that he’s my father’s age).

The instant his set was over, I ran to purchase any of his CD’s I could get my hands on, convinced that my purchase would ensure his return to the U.S…. "To single-handedly revitalize rock music!" I had indulged in a few drinks at this point.

Needless to say, hungover and driving to work the next morning, I listened to my new CD’s, and was far from disappointed at my semi-inebriated purchases.

Back to the present:

I couldn’t tell you the set list, as I was in no position to confer with my notepad that close to the stage, but I can tell you that at some point during Peggy Sang the Blues & I Am Disappeared, my voice gave out. And then, the unthinkable: Dave Hause makes a surprise appearance to sing along to Glory Halleluiah. Sensory aneurysm ensued, and when I came to, Mr. Turner was covering Queen. That was it, I couldn't take it any more. This man is clearly too talented for his own good, of course, as is only my opinion, and I am someone who possesses no musical gifts whatsoever.

Frank Turner has a voice that was clearly strengthened through years of singing in hardcore bands, and he utilizes it at every turn. The endurance he exhibits while playing every show like it’s his last resonates in my heart and forces me to fall head over heels for every sound snippet that makes its way to my grasp.

If you’re looking for an experience rather than a “show,” Frank Turner is your man… Just keep in mind, when he is finally recognized as the second coming of Rock/Punk, it may be hard to get tickets.