Similar artists: Josh Ritter, Wilco, Bob Dylan, The Jayhawks, Johnny Cash

“When you’re young, you get sad,” Ryan Adams croons in a song from his critically-acclaimed album, Heartbreaker. Yeah, that checks out. In this week’s Friday Download we have alternative country, singer-songwriter Ryan Adams. Not to be confused with Bryan Adams. Seriously, not to be confused with Bryan Adams. Despite his past as self-destructive and unpredictable, his music is genuine and relatable; songs that are honest, intimate, beautiful. He’s been praised for his strong vocals and thoughtful lyrics. It’s music that you’ll return to all your life. We have audio from three incredible shows, preserved by the Internet Archive below. Free download.

Want to sample his music? Listen to him perform “Lucky Now”.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0N9E3daw0A&w=570&h=370]

Friday Download:
Ryan Adams

Das Haus / Ludwigshafen, Germany / 2006

01 Intro
02 Magnolia Mountain
03 Hallelujah
04 Blue Hotel
05 To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)
06 New York, New York
07 She Wants to Play Hearts
08 Chin Up, Cheer Up
09 Freeway to the Canyon
10 Harder Now That It’s Over
11 Damn Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains)
12 Easy Plateau
13 Peaceful Valley
14 Trouble On Wheels
15 Firecracker
16 Why Do They Leave?
17 A Kiss Before I Go
18 Dear John
19 Cold Roses
20 Bird Song [Jerry Garcia]
21 Wild Flowers
22 Let It Ride

North Charleston Performing Arts Center / North Charleston, SC / 2005

01 “Circus Intro”
02 A Kiss Before I Go
03 Easy Plateau
04 Mockingbird
05 Blossom
06 What Sin
07 Beautiful Sorta
08 Magnolia Mountain
09 Please Do Not Let Me Go
10 To Be Young (is to be sad, is to be high)
11 “Calling Out Songs/Let It Ride Intro”
12 Let It Ride
13 “Circus Intro”
14 Call Me On Your Way Back Home
15 “Sweet Lil’ Gal (False Start)”
16 Sweet Lil’ Gal (23rd/1st)
16 Days
17 “Elizabeth Intro”
18 Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play The Part
19 Shakedown On 9th Street
20 I See Monsters
21 “Song Lotto”
22 When The Stars Go Blue
23 Cold Roses

Metropolitan Theater / Morgantown, WV / 2007

01 Rip Off
02 I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
03 Everybody Knows
04 Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
05 Two
06 Blue Sky Blues
07 Wild Flowers
08 Halloween Head
09 Starlite Diner
10 Dear John
11 How Do You Keep Love Alive?
12 The Sun Also Sets
13 Goodnight Rose
14 Blossom
15 Nightbirds
16 Tears Of Gold
17 Carolina Rain
18 Down In A Hole