On Thursday morning, I dreamt of Ryan Adams and woke up thinking that I had spoken to him with lipstick on my eyelids (instead of eyeshadow) and that he had told me about a house he just purchased in Denver. (Thank you, cold medication.)
Later that day, I also dreamt that I went to a tiny theater in an art district in Denver, somehow got a seat in the front row, center stage, just eight feet from him, and he played a two-hour solo show that included beautiful, moving, acoustic renditions of all of my favorite songs, making me feel as though I was sitting in his living room, and therefore, the luckiest girl in the world.
On Monday, Shauna discovered he was playing a last-minute show, tickets went on sale the next morning, and I was lucky enough to score two out of only 250 or so being sold. Never have I been so stressed about getting into a show. But it was worth it. So very worth it.
So last night, there was Ryan Adams performing on a stage by himself with only an acoustic guitar and piano. You might imagine this to be a raw set, but it was quite the opposite. It felt full, warm, and inviting. Most of the night, he sat on a chair, guitar in hand, cracking jokes, laughing, sipping his tea. At one point, he requested that the lights be changed to match the color of the lava flowing out of the skull on his t-shirt (typical) and that a member of the audience grab him an apple soda from the lobby.
"This is all they had," the dude casually said, as he sat the bottle on the stage.
"What is it?" Ryan asked.
"Pineapple."
"Badass."
This kind of interaction with the crowd was consistent throughout the night, making us feel as though we were all old friends, whom he had invited over for a cup of tea and a few songs.
I'd love to write pages upon pages about each tune he played, but I'll just mention a few that really stood out as highlights for me:
"New York, New York" was performed on the piano--a somber, and eerily beautiful tribute to New York City--quite the contrast to the rockin' recorded version. By pure coincidence, the song was released as a single on September 11th, 2001, and has since then been perceived as a 9/11 anthem, but last night, it felt more like a heart-wrenching eulogy.
"English Girls Approximately" was #2 on my wish list for the night, so I was thrilled that he chose to play it. I could not stop smiling. "Sylvia Plath" was #1, but it didn't make the set list, which is quite alright because . . .
"English Girls Approximately" was #2 on my wish list for the night, so I was thrilled that he chose to play it. I could not stop smiling. "Sylvia Plath" was #1, but it didn't make the set list, which is quite alright because . . .
. . ."Carolina Rain" did make it. I've always liked this song, but tonight, I truly fell in love with it. Ryan sang the words with such conviction and strength--as if he and the narrator of the story were one in the same. When he proclaimed, "I should have told you that you were the one for me, but I lied, but I lied," I believed him.
After a brief intermission, he came back out onto the stage, then
After a brief intermission, he came back out onto the stage, then
patiently waited for everyone to come back from the bathroom, as he drank his hot tea. he played another short set . . . well, not before stating, "This is the part of the show when we sing songs to our pets." He then performed a little jingle about Mr. Bananas. Yeah, no idea. Before Shauna could completely control her laughter, he began "Jacksonville Skyline," which invoked gasps and stunned looks from audience members, as it's actually a Whiskeytown (Ryan's old band) song. Even more dramatic gasps and spontaneous clapping (yes, that was me) were heard when he followed it up with "16 Days," yet another Whiskeytown classic. You see, this was a rare treat--and we all knew it.
He ended the night with "Come Pick Me Up." Classic.
He ended the night with "Come Pick Me Up." Classic.
After the show, my boss, who also attended the show, was handed a page of the lyrics to "New York, New York," which Ryan had used while at the piano. Just when I thought my night couldn't get any better, he gave the lyrics to me as a souvenir. Best boss ever? Yes, definitely. Later, while walking to my car, I ran into a guy who had been given the first page of the lyrics. We were so excited that we decided to take a photo. Yes, nerdy super fans, indeed.
I'm still trying to pinpoint exactly what made the show so magical, but my initial theory is that each of us had a firm grasp on just how incredibly lucky we were to be witnessing someone, whom I believe to be one of the greatest songwriters of our time, play in such a small, intimate setting--and that Ryan sensed our gratitude and excitement and was truly happy to be among us, sharing his songs.
