The intimacy of an apartment, the chaos of a rock star: reportage and ladder of the Milan concert by Ryan Adams – Rockon.it

Article by Simona Care | Photo of Andrea Ripamonti

The last time I saw Ryan Adams It was 2017, sitting under the stars of the Vittoriale amphitheater I witnessed a concert that I still remember today, with a wire of nostalgia, like an unforgettable night. After 8 years I see Ryan Adams Go up on the stage of the Teatro Dal Verme di Milano, and all suddenly I feel, among the velvet and red drape armchairs, that the magic could spread suddenly in the air. The opportunity is an important anniversary, the 25 years of Heartbreakerthe album that marked its musical debut in 2005.The scenography, essential in its beauty, could seem that of a living room of an apartment in Brooklyn, some carpet on the floor, soft lights, and in the center, a series of ready and well -granted guitars. From the start, the feeling was not to be only to a concert, but an intimate meeting, as if we had been invited to his home for an evening with friends. Those in which music often merges with the most true stories, where the songs are not only melodies, but confessions.

There was nothing superfluous, only an atmosphere collected, and each of us was ready, to listen. He with a smile that translated the security of those who know that music is enough to enchant, dominated the scene alone. A man now in the fifties, as he has kept to clarify several times, in a fullest full elegance and the guitar in his hands. Each agreement was like a whisper, which expanded into the air without ever screaming, but with a power that enveloped you, with the same intensity that I had printed in my memory.

The concert was not just a celebration of Heartbreakerbut an overview of the career, impressive as that voice remained the same, as if the weather had stopped only for him. Each song sung was a small blow to the heart, every guitar note an invitation to follow him on a journey that, while remaining an exploration of the soul, was also unsettling in his energy. A voice, still rich in that truth that transmits emotions without filters, has given strength to each song, as if every single note was a declaration of life, each pause a breath between past and future. The atmosphere, between reflections on life and poignant ballads, was that of a man who knows exactly where he wants to go, despite his little follies. Each song even if known and familiar is resounded fresh and alive, as if it had just been born. That touch of innovation and the ability to rearrange one's music that Ryan has never stopped carrying with him, made every unique execution, creating a continuous journey, never equal to himself.

But, like any great artist, he has also been able to surprise with his genuine and irreverent approach. The relationship with the public was with my great surprise part of the show. His ironic jokes about selfies at the concert and on the abuse of the smartphones have torn smiles, but also made to reflect, because this is his way of jokes, between a game of words and a reflection on modernity.

We also witnessed a surreal moment, but incredibly authentic, when he invited a young fan to go on stage to play a song that he didn't want to play. It was not only a nice gesture, but an act that mixed art and life, as if nothing was never too important or too far. The boy, a little embarrassed and surprised, saw himself projected into an experience that, probably, will never forget and when another fan found himself taking a selfie with him, seemed to attend an evening with friends, without the barriers that often separate us from the great artists.

Every provocation, every arrow on the “disorder” of the concert, was an invitation to let go, to live that moment fully. His intense and enveloping performance was an act of pure connection with the public, which filled every corner of the theater from the worm.

In the end, the lights lowered themselves, but the applause, transformed into a standing ovation was not only a greeting: it was the recognition of an artist who, with his unique presence, manages to touch the heart of the listener. Ryan Adams It remains one of the most intense, true and unpredictable songwriters that you can find around, a narrator of the deeper emotions, a somewhat chaotic friend who shares life stories. It doesn't matter if the concert lasted three hours: it was like making a long chat with a friend who has many stories to tell. And we, of course, felt lucky to listen to them all.

Click here to see Ryan Adams' photos in concert in Milan or browse the gallery below

Ryan Adams – The Scaletta of the Milan concert

To be Young (is to be sad, is to be high)
My Winding Wheel
Amy
Oh My Sweet Carolina
Bartering Lines
Call me on your way back home
To be the one
Why do they leave?
Shakedown on 9th Street
Don't Ask for the Water
Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains)
In My Time of Needsweet Lil 'Gal (23rd/1st)

Set 2:
Ashes & Fire
Two
Dear Chicago
Lovesick Blues (Elsie Clark Cover)
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys Cover)
Everybody Knows
Gimme Something Good
Lucky Now
To be with with you you
Idiot Wind (Bob Dylan Cover)
New York, New York
When the stars go blue
Like pick me up