Ryan Adams and Butch Walker Wrap Up Tour Leg With Two Nights In New York City

We’ve been waiting a long time to see Ryan Adams live in support of his latest studio record -- and then all of a sudden, within eight days, he played four times in New York City. Fortunately, we were on-hand for his final two gigs of his tour's latest leg, at the gorgeous Hammerstein Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan.

The first night (Nov. 22) found Adams sticking to a very similar setlist to what he's been recently playing -- opening with 'Gimme Something Good,' going into 'Let It Ride' and on and on (full setlists below). Fortunately for New York concertgoers, though, Adams packed in a few surprises, including an epic (read: heavy) rendition of 'I See Monsters' and 'Do I Wait' from 2011's 'Ashes & Fire.'

As he's been known to do on the road, Adams also provided fans with a killer one-of-a-kind improvisation, this time in the form of 'Major LaTête' -- a song based on two random words Adams interpreted from the yells emanating from the crowd.

Music aside, Adams the frontman was on-point throughout the show, cracking wise in-between songs and keeping the crowd captivated with every word that left his lips -- from talking about seeing Slayer and Bob Dylan at the Hammerstein to sharing his thoughts on the heavy metal outfit Iced Earth. Even so, as the night wrapped up, Adams declared Nov. 22 the day his sense of humor died. "RIP my jokes," he succinctly said onstage.

The night ended with Butch Walker -- Adams' support -- coming out to help with the all-time fan-favorite, 'Come Pick Me Up.'

And speaking of Walker, his opening set was absolute perfection. With just him and his instruments (piano, guitar, bass drum) onstage, Walker and his unique approach to his craft were incredibly welcomed by the crowd. The set culminated in the powerful and moving performance of 'Father's Day,' a song written for Walker's dad, Big Butch. Joining him for the song (and a couple that preceded it) were Adams and his band (Adams sat behind the drum kit).

Night two found Walker performing a very similar set, but with even more emotion this time around. Nov. 23 marked the final night of Walker's tour with Adams; Jenny Lewis picks up the support role in December. It's obvious that Walker and Adams are close, so there's no question that this last performance was very special -- but, understandably, very disappointing.

As for Adams' set the second night, he and the Shining sounded even better and they mixed in even more surprises than we expected -- like 'Magick,' 'Crossed Out Name' and the brand-new, upcoming (but yet-to-be-announced) Pax Am single, 'Blue Light.'

And before wrapping the night up with the Walker-assisted 'Come Pick Me Up' once again, Adams performed 'I Love You But I Don't Know What To Say,' which seemed to take the entire venue by surprise.

We don't need to opine on why we think Adams is one of the most significant singer-songwriters for this generation (besides, we've already done that), but if you have yet to see him live on this current tour, do everything you can to get tickets. His band, his humor, his music -- they're all on full-display, and they're all better than ever.

Ryan Adams and Butch Walker -- New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom

Ryan Adams -- Setlist, Nov. 22, 2014
‘Gimme Something Good’
‘Let It Ride’
‘Stay With Me’
‘Dirty Rain’
‘This House Is Not for Sale’
‘Magnolia Mountain’
‘NeW York, New York’
‘Major LaTête’
‘A Kiss Before I Go’
‘Dear Chicago’
‘My Wrecking Ball’
‘Shadows’
‘When the Stars Go Blue’
‘Rats In the Wall’
‘When the Summer Ends’
‘The Door’
‘Cold Roses’
‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’
‘Trouble’
‘La Cienega Just Smiled’
‘Do I Wait’
‘Lucky Now’
‘My Winding Wheel’
‘Kim’
‘I See Monsters’
‘Come Pick Me Up’

Ryan Adams -- Setlist, Nov. 23, 2014
‘Gimme Something Good’
‘Let It Ride’
‘Stay With Me’
‘Dirty Rain’
‘Blue Light’
‘Lucky Now’
‘Magnolia Mountain’
‘New York, New York’
‘Magick’
‘A Kiss Before I Go’
‘Dear Chicago’
‘Am I Safe’
‘My Wrecking Ball’
‘When the Stars Go Blue’
‘Everybody Knows’
‘My Winding Wheel’
‘This House Is Not for Sale’
‘I Just Might’
‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’
‘La Cienega Just Smiled’
‘Crossed Out Name’
‘I Love You But I Don’t Know What to Say’
‘Come Pick Me Up’