Traveling on the no-longer-lonely road of experimentally varied music, Ryan Adams (not to be confused with Brian Adams) makes a concert appearance March 1 at 8 p.m. at 4th & B.
As an emerging alternative-country crossover, Adams is poised to break into the mainstream of music. Apparently he has found success. Nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for “”New York, New York”” and Best Male Country Vocal Performance for “”Lovesick Blues,”” Adams has found an indefinable niche in the industry.
With the completion of Adams’ former career as the frontman for Whiskeytown seven years ago, he began his solo career in a prodigal period in which he completed several albums.
Since then, much of the music industry has attempted to peg him as the next Gram Parsons, a former songwriter for the Byrds, or Paul Westerberg, the 1980s punk pioneer.
Still others say he is alternative-country’s answer to Kurt Cobain. The comparisons, however, fail to truly identify the genre of Adams’ music.
After the debut of his ragged solo album, “”Heartbreaker”” in 2000, it is quite evident that Adams draws upon such influences as The Smiths, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons and even Dolly Parton.
His music reveals an essence of Nashville-rockabilly-meets-Los Angeles-alternative rock, but more than anything, he shows that he is continuing to explore new sounds and new angles to fuel his best songs.
With the release of his second solo album, “”Gold,”” which is up for a Grammy as Best Rock Album, he proves to be a master of mood and an inventive songwriter. He bounces from bluesy, garage band ‘Stones tunes to a resurrected Memphis spirit of Otis Redding. Still, none of his songs really comes close to defining his overall style.
Like a new-country Jim Morrison, Adams’ craft reaches out to audiences on a deep, emotional level. As we may see in his concert, he is able to reach his fans with a talented performance. Don’t miss the opportunity to attend his concert.
Look to the hiatus calendar for more details.
