Ryan Adams Brings His Halloweeenhead
Last night I went to Ryan Adams’ show at Hammerstein Ballroom for Halloween. (I was dressed as… the ubiquitous Amy Winehouse, which I planned a few weeks ago. Although I gotta say, this guy’s project to photograph tons of people wearing an Amy Winehouse cardboard head cut-out is pretty hysterical.)
The show started at 8pm on the DOT and lasted until a few minutes after 11pm, curfew be damned. They played two sets with an intermission. The band and Ry didn’t dress up, but Ryan made three outfit/(costume?) changes–sweater and jeans, t-shirt and jeans, and er… another sweater and jeans. A jack-o’-lantern rested on the piano. When Ryan sat down at the piano, if you had the angle *just right*, he became a true “Halloweenhead”, with the pumpkin replacing his face on his body.
He sang mainly songs from Easy Tiger, but threw in the occasional oldie like “Dear John” and “Stars Go Blue.”
Ryan was sober–swigging Pellegrino through the course of the set. Did his steadfast sobriety influence the staging of the bar areas at the back of the house, which were blocked from sight in the ballroom area after being shrouded with black curtains? Who knows.
Girlfriend Jessica Joffe was there supporting her man, lookin’ like she stepped out of a J.Crew catalog with skinny jeans tucked into classic zip-up riding boots, and a cropped blazer, her red hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail.
Overall the night was pretty tame. No crazy outburst from Ryan or the crowd. “Halloweenhead” was performed in a slowed down piano version, with the crowd members singing along as best as they could. Some fans were disappointed with the mellow set, others felt differently. I appreciated the lack of jerks yelling and crazy people dancing in the aisle, especially b/c I was having a hunger attack since I didn’t get a chance to eat before the early show start.
Did you like?
Full set list from Alt-Country.org:
Peaceful Valley
Blue Hotel
Mockingbird
B. Sorta
Rescue Blues
Sun Also Sets
Stars Go Blue
G-night Rose
Cold Roses
Freeway to the Canyon
Jon Joke/Spacewolf HB bit
Off Broadway/Jam
Please Do not let me Go
Break
Bartering Lines
Kiss Before I go
The End
Dear John
Nightbirds
Wildflowers
Shakedown
Everything Changes
Why Do They Leave
Two
Halloween H
Hollywood Blvd.
I See Monsters
Encore
Let it Ride
Down in a Hole
What Sin/Jam
Peaceful End
1. rachel | 2:00 pm on November 1st, 2007
best fucking ryan adams show ever. best show of the year for me, for sure. WILDFLOWERS!?!?!?! GOODNIGHT HOLLYWOOD BLVD?!?!!? LIGHTS ON HIM (THANK YOU DVD!!) NO OUTBURSTS?? NO TANTRUMS?? AMAZING VOICE??? i’m sorry, i don’t know this person. where is the real ryan adams and what have you done with him????????
2. kelly | 2:22 pm on November 1st, 2007
simply amazing!
3. University Update - Amy Winehouse - Ryan Adams Brings His Halloweeenhead | 2:54 pm on November 1st, 2007
[...] Efron Ryan Adams Brings His Halloweeenhead » This Summary is from an article posted at The Modern Age on Thursday, November 01, 2007 Last [...]
4. Karyn | 3:32 pm on November 1st, 2007
I loved “I See Monsters.” It was amazing. I thought that, vocally, he performed the best I’ve ever seen him perform, but I thought the set was a little slow.
5. laura | 3:36 pm on November 1st, 2007
OMG, LOLCATZ ON YER TUMBLR. ORLY?
6. Jessica | 4:38 pm on November 1st, 2007
I loved it; I’m not a fan of concert “jams” but it sounded beautiful and Ryan’s voice amazed me. I’ll admit to being a bit disappointed by the slowed-down version of “Halloweenhead.” I wanted to dance around more (but he did give me that in “Shakedown on 9th”).
7. Anonymous | 9:29 pm on November 1st, 2007
it was the best music festival I went to this year. Ryanpolluza 4 Eva
8. musicisart | 1:12 pm on November 2nd, 2007
wow, made me wish i was there!
9. vaughn | 10:41 pm on November 2nd, 2007
I agree whole heartedly with Rachel. AMAZING show!
In response to a text message Rachel sent during the show asking, “Best show ever?” I simple responded, “Duh.”
Enough said.
10. vaughn | 10:43 pm on November 2nd, 2007
typo^ *simply
11. Judfieldyaw.Com » Ryan Adams Brings His Halloweeenhead | 8:05 pm on November 3rd, 2007
[...] Adams wrote an interesting post today on Ryan Adams Brings His HalloweeenheadHere’s a quick [...]
12. The Modern Age » Blog Archive » David Ryan Adams as HORION74: Movie Making Genius? | 12:41 am on January 16th, 2008
[...] Adams once again. There has been a significant lull in Ryan news since the last time I saw him on Halloween 2007 at Hammerstein Ballroom, but it appears as though Ry Ry has been hard at work fine-tuning his directorial skills, as [...]