Last year I caught Adam's show and I thought he seemed like he was 
going through the motions. I've kind of lost interest in him. 
However, I heard he was playing at First Avenue and thought this 
might equate with a better show. I slightly considered going...

Glad I didn't. 
Steve 

Concert review: Ryan Adams has a meltdown at First Avenue
Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune 
  
Published December 16, 2003 RYAN16 
  
   
  
Lambasting everything from the sound system to music journalists to 
local rock legend Paul Westerberg, young Americana rocker Ryan Adams 
gave an unwieldy, erratic performance that turned into a personal 
meltdown Sunday night at First Avenue.

The 29-year-old former Whiskeytown singer's reputation as a bratty, 
gabby rock star had added to the charm of past concerts, but he was 
anything but likeable Sunday.

His two-hour show started as a clumsy deluge of uncharacteristically 
fast and furious rock noise, and it turned into a disheveled acoustic 
set when the electricity didn't work in Adams' favor. As the music 
got worse, so did the singer's diva-like behavior.

Before his second of two stormy huffs off stage, he stood by himself, 
holding a cocktail and whining, "I just want to go home for 
Christmas."

Make no mistake, Adams is one of rock's most gifted modern 
songwriters. His prolific proficiency -- he releases at least one 
album a year -- impresses as much as his knack for turning old 
formulas like heartache and hard living into fresh inspiration.

However, that musical genius was buried Sunday beneath three or four 
blaring guitars and overeager rhythms. Even the best songs off his 
loud new album "lloR 'n kcoR" fell flat, including "This Is It" 
and "Wish You Were Here" -- each of which he played twice, not 
satisfied the first time.

The first clue to his off mood was the fact that Adams barely spoke 
for the first hour. After a snide, uninspired version of "To Be Young 
(Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)," the floodgates opened, and fans 
probably would've paid a second cover charge to shut him up.

Apparently, three things set Adams off: problems with the amplifiers, 
which likely stemmed from his inexperience with so many guitars; a 
bad review for opening band the Stills in the local weekly City 
Pages, and a York, Pa., newspaper article in which former 
Replacements singer Westerberg said Adams "needs to get his teeth 
kicked in."

Admitting that the Replacements "dominated my record collection," 
Adams went on and on about how Westerberg had dealt him a cheap shot.

"You don't trash the people you inspired," he said, calling the local 
singer "a bitter old bitch."

Westerberg and the Stills review kept coming up even after the sound 
problems were averted by temporarily ditching electric guitars. The 
ensuing acoustic set was an improvised disaster, with Adams making up 
lyrics about the Replacements and his own public image, 
including, "Yeah, so I dated an actress . . you would, too." (His 
current girlfriend is film star Parker Posey, plus he dated Winona 
Ryder.)

"This is one of my worst shows ever, but I like it," he said 
defiantly near the end.

By then, half of the sellout crowd had left. Of the ones who stayed, 
some were no doubt hoping Westerberg would show up and meet Adams' 
needs.