Third Time Around

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I saw Ryan Adams and The Cardinals for the third time Tuesday night.

My thoughts are so jumbled and over excited on the whole matter, that I’m not even going to try and form any kind of comprehensible review. I’m just going to spew…. so please excuse me.

First of all, The Cardinals are undoubtedly one of the most talented groups of musicians in the world today. (My opinion, but I hold to it) They are absolute masters, as well as geniuses at the instruments in which they specialize. When I listen to them… I feel. Ambiguous, but I mean just what I said.

To give you a little history, the first time I saw The Cardinals it was just so so. The music was great as I expected it to be, but front man Ryan Adams was a bit stand-offish, and didn’t seem like he wanted to be there at all. The second time I saw The Cardinals….phenomenal. Ryan was extremely talkative to the audience (he was quite hilarious,) and the music blew me right out of my seat. But for this third time I saw them, I have to put it in second place. Here is why. The music was again, incredible but Ryan just wasn’t really saying much to the crowd. But in his defense, he was very sick. After the first three songs played, of not addressing the audience in any way, he kindly told us that he was feeling very ill, and approximately five minutes before the show had started, he broke out with a terrible allergic reaction of some kind that had to be mended with a medical shot from some kind of on-the-spot doctor at the theater. He also said that the shot he was given had totally F’ed him up, so for that I cannot be mad at him. All that being said, you could not have known he was feeling bad by the way he was presenting his sweet, sweet tunage. Luckily, he spoke to the us a little here and there which was nice. In fact, he had a very funny moment when some one in the crowd yelled “Free Bird!” He gently whispered into the microphone, “Aw, smart guy…. your so smart….your so smart, smart guy….I’ll bet you have the E.E. Cummings Anthology nicely placed beside your bed…..your so smart…” To which just about everyone in the crowd responded with great laughter.

Also, Jon Graboff can freaking wale on the guitar. During Rescue blues he picked up Peanut (Ryan’s ‘67 Gibson ES 335) while Ryan was on the Wurlitzer, and shredded that thing’s sweet neck.

All in all, I was extremely pleased with the performance. I just can’t wait until they come back.

Here was the set list.
Goodnight Rose
Bartering Lines
Fix It
Everybody Knows
Come Pick Me Up
Sink Ships
Wonderwall- I was really excited to hear him play this one.
A Natural Ghost
Cold Roses
Rescue Blues
Sun Also Sets
Off Broadway-not my favorite song, but they played like this sick sonic youth version of it that had me pulling my hair out.
Why Do They Leave
Crossed out Name
———————————————
Mocking Bird Sing
Dear Chicago
*I See Monsters- Probably my favorite of the night….crazy, crazy jamz at the end.
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Shakedown- the most punk rock thing I have ever experienced first hand.
Two
Easy Plateau
Freeway To The Canyon- Neal Casal has an extremely cool voice.
Peacful Valley
Evergreen

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