Ear candy conundrum

As posted on the site of my favorite local (as in homestate) nightspot:

INDIE ROCK ALIVE AND WELL IN BURLINGTON!

Over the next month, we are proud to welcome Rilo Kiley, Nada Surf and Brunettes (May 21), The Decemberists (May 24), Make/Believe with Ghosts of Pasha (May 16) and Sleater-Kinney (June 21).

Thanks for the announcement, but I'm already well aware. My wallet has already started to tell me so. But I suppose I should be thankful - now that this scene is waking up, it saves me gas money and allows me to be more selective with why I venture to Boston.

Let's give it up for good music coming to me, instead of the other way around! Huzzah, huzzah.

Speaking of, I found myself in a paradoxical situation last night. Also HG. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, with Rachael Yamagata opening (thank you, concert lineup gods). Let me get out of the way the fact that I found Rachael to be great. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoy her raw, throaty voice - I reminded myself to dust off "Happenstance" and give it another listen. Particular highlights: "These Girls," "Reason Why." Both struck a chord in my over-analytical soul.

But Ryan comes on after a long set change and I realize I'm torn. He has the loveliest voice, one of the most enjoyable male singing voices I have ever heard live. I'm talking ear candy here, people - a smooth, gorgeous tone easily contorted into growl, falsetto, twang or all-out rock wail. But most of the time? Just smooth and delightful. None of the albums in my Ryan Adams collection quite captured his vocal abilities.

You'd think he wouldn't need to try to do anything other than let the music stand on its own. But the downside of this obvious strength is his perceived desire to demonstrate a self-depricating, cynical nature. Perhaps it's not persona - maybe it's just the way he is. But it came across as if he was trying too hard to be that ironic, angsty hipster guy. And I didn't really buy it - and I'm a cynic-loving fool.

Fatigue and the promise of early morning professionalism prompted me to leave early - turns out there was only about another 20 minutes of performance after I departed. Depending on who you choose to believe, Ryan decided after I left (and during the performance of "Wonderwall" - dammit) to either politely ask the audience to quiet down so others could enjoy the song or angrily told the audience that it had been rude and sucked all night. As I said, I wasn't there to hear it and offer my own take. I have a feeling, however, it was a combination of the two.

He had been babbling throughout the performance and had turned on several occasions to members of his band, waving his hands and exlaiming something about the audience of which only snippets were faintly caught with his microphone. And he had been taking swigs from his bottle of wine onstage.

The thing that remains interesting about Ryan, however, is the fact that he has transformed himself on several occasions throughout a relatively short "mainstream" (I use the term as loosely as possible) career. He's done the alt-country, the rock, the obscure singer-songwriter and now the rockabilly. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's re-invented himself, but he keeps things interesting and I walked into the performance unsure of what I was going to hear. Turns out I enjoyed the music enough - that said, I'm more of a "Love is Hell" or "Rock N Roll" girl - but wished he could have just put the "I'm Ryan Adams, I disappoint people every night" jokes to bed early.

That said, the ultimate question - would I go to see him perform again? Yes. Mainly for the potential for either brillance or utter disarray.

In other news. I received the most amusing (in a good way) compliment today.

"You always look so urban when I see you."

Granted, this is coming from the same person who paid me a huge compliment the other day - one that involved music, writing and location. A compliment that, upon hearing of it, competely made my day.