Ryan Adams @ Bataclan, Paris - October 3rd, 2024

Even before he was outed as a sex pest about five years ago, Ryan Adams was already polarizing. A once-revered figure in Americana and alt-country circles, his public persona has always been a bit much—whether it’s the brooding, misanthropic artist shtick or his knack for self-aggrandizing lyrics. His fans may be devoted, but detractors find plenty to dislike in his sometimes too-conscious self-mythologizing. Yet, musically, there’s no denying he knows how to craft great records. Albums like Heartbreaker and Gold still hold up, and his early work with Whiskeytown remains some of the most impactful Americana ever put to tape.

Adams’ solo concert at the Paris Bataclan was no different—two-plus hours of acoustic navel-gazing, with him alternately hunched over a guitar or seated at a piano, as if perpetually on the verge of a spiritual breakdown. The setlist was an odd mix of his back catalog alongside a number of covers from his predictable obsessions, namely The Doors and The Velvet Underground. His reverence for these legends is clear, but sometimes you wish he’d dial it back and focus on his own material. His insistance on playing in the near dark also didn't help matters...

The night was saved, somewhat, by his stage banter. Adams’ humor—acerbic, self-deprecating, and occasionally genuinely funny—added much-needed levity to what could have been an insufferable night of introspection. There’s an irony in watching someone whose music radiates self-seriousness mock himself so openly between songs. It kept the performance from sliding completely into pretentiousness.

Ultimately, it’s clear Adams still has the talent and the songs to captivate an audience. It’s just a shame his personal baggage casts such a long shadow. For those who can look past it, the concert was a reminder of why Ryan Adams once mattered. But for everyone else, the door closed a long time ago.