Cardinal Magick: Ryan Adams Transforms and Transcends in Nashville

Words by Andrew William Smith, Editor

Photographs by Landin E. King, Contributing Editor

March 16, 2009

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals owned Nashville, Tennessee for a two-night stand over the last weekend of winter. When folks ask why we need to see both nights of a double-header, the diverse and dynamic setlists provide the answer. Both nights were brilliant.

The War Memorial Auditorium is a classic cathedral-like venue with great acoustics and history for vibes, architecturally impressive and adjacent to the offices where politicians do the people’s business most of the week. I saw Ryan with the cardinals here in October 07 and Sound Tribe in November 08. It was raining and misty those nights, too, just like last Saturday night.

I must say that the first show challenged and rewarded me because I had a single balcony seat; I like to dance-done better on Sunday on the mainfloor. This sold-out crowd was totally respectful and entranced for the most part, if not as openly and overwhelmingly overjoyed as me. Seriously though, from the balcony, center section 33, things sounded solid, and the seat provided a proper place for taking notes and studying the set and setlist. Still, I am really excited about absorbing tonight’s show standing or dancing on the mainfloor. I love how the sculptured logo, the lovely “peace cardinal” emerges from the back of Brad’s drumkit like a psychedelic percussion totem. The glowing blue roses are actually stationed on the stage but seem suspended in mid-air as if to say “open all night” only add to the religiously surreal ambiance.

How great to hear so much live Cardinology-pure powerful pulsations of perfect rock. “Fix It,” “Born Into A Light,” and “Cobwebs” near the front of the set with “Crossed Out Name” and “Magick” holding the back-all five tracks framing the main set like blistering bookends of blazing genius. Ryan’s wail at the end of “Cobwebs” sent shivers throughout me as he peeled the paint, rafters, and roof off the place. God gave this man wholly incomparable and highly compatible doses of creative vision and a holy voice, and it’s frankly impossible to imagine the Cardinals retiring during these peak moments of sonic achievement.

After “Freeway to the Canyon,” one of a handful of songs featuring Neal Casal on lead vocals, the boyish joshing and joking banter began and would continue between songs for the rest of the gig. This first foray into sheer silliness centered around comments about Foreigner and the Eagles and grocery shopping and library books and “the spirit of rock and roll” being problem solving, ending with Ryan’s remark: “Let’s get back to some songs about mental illness.” This was the first of many moments when I feared my smile would break my face before the jams melted it. Then, “I See Monsters.”

After “Let It Ride,” we got the Jon Graboff “joke of the night” followed by a cover of the Alice In Chains’ 1992 song “Down In The Hole” followed by a comment that many in the crowd were too young to have experienced it back in the day. In my section, though, we exchanged laughs and knowing glances, because we were all old enough to not fit the demographic of that jab!

I think it was between gorgeous and haunting versions of “Everybody Knows” and “When The Stars Go Blue” that Ryan introduced The Cardinals, first as “fine pieces of meat at the dining table” and then by name and of course interspersed with random poetry about juicing, chess, and general badassery. During a short silence, the man next to me made a quip about hearing “Stairway to Freebird,” and I mused to myself that these Cardinals warrant that kind of worship.

Some wonked-out noodling transmogrified into a wickedly transcendent “Peaceful Valley,” a portentous choir just killing the slow and sacred “trying to find a peaceful song” section. These were some of those moments, some fleeting five minutes a person just wishes would last forever and ever. I knew I wanted to hear this song and bad, but I chose not to fixate on what would or would not be in the setlist and just let it wash over me. I am so blessed to have bathed in these Cardinal waters!

Sadly, Casal’s singing on “Lost Satellite” sent many people in the balcony to the bathroom and the bar. I think Neal’s songs were solid, but it’s hard to share lead singer duties with a performer as revered as Ryan, who ditched the guitar and gave it all to the mic with “The Rescue Blues” and “Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.” while Graboff left the pedal steel for lead guitar.

Having arrived at showtime, I barely made it to the bathroom and back to my seat without a beer before the end of “Beautiful Sorta.” I finally took a pee and party break just before “Sun Also Sets” and made it back to my perch just before the end of “Oh My Sweet Carolina.” With a Fat Tire in each fist and soon in my belly, I rode out the show in sheer fits of sensory bliss. When the first set reached the two hour mark, I knew the end was near, but I also knew that too many bands were already at the bar at this point.

Before the momentous “Magick,” we got more random yet poetic chit chat from the newlywed (no longer a wunderkind but still wonderfully youthful). He discussed strange things like sheep dogs and sheer electricity and “extreme quilting.” Ryan’s self-deprecating note that he just “wasted a whole bunch of time saying a whole bunch of shit” only made his shit smell better.

After a rocket ride of the radio-friendly testimony to Ryan’s “secret powers” and a very short break, the band returned for a one-song encore. Expecting “Easy Plateau,” I planned for pleasure, but nothing can contain or explain my rapture when we got “Magnolia Mountain” instead. This song (and much of the thrilling Cold Roses) has been in heavy rotation on my Zen player, sanctifying my headphones and healing my soul while I walk from campus to my apartment in Cookeville, Tennesssee. Getting it live only gifted a great conclusion to an already stellar Saturday night in our beloved Nashville.

Sunday’s set was so different-less talking, more rocking. Seeing as so many kids traveled so many miles to meet-up at these gigs, it shows The Cardinals colors of respect that they gave the hardcore fans two completely distinct and different shows. Thanks to Ryan’s recent marriage to Mandy Moore and his “shoot from the balls” remarks about retirement, much speculation has been invested in this as the “farewell tour.” Equal parts speculation suggest that Adams will take a break but will be back. As the faithful fans, we would welcome reunion tours into infinity.