My friend Damon had an extra ticket to see Ryan Adams at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, MD, and invited me to come along. He jokingly emphasized that the ticket was to see Ryan Adams, not Bryan Adams (knowing I grew up on the border of Canada that was a fair clarification). The only two songs of Ryan’s I was sort of familiar with were ‘New York, New York’ and ‘Come Pick Me Up’. I accepted Damon’s offer because I love seeing artists I’m unfamiliar with and going to venues that I’ve never been to before. He made a mix CD of Ryan’s song for me to listen to as a crash course during our ride to the show (very thoughtful). The inside of the Lyric Opera House reminded me of a venue from my hometown called Shea’s Performing Arts Center, but not as grand. The stage was set with a piano on the left, a chair and two guitar stands in the center, and a mic and music stand on the right. The concert was an all acoustic set, which I considered a BONUS because I love hearing music in it’s purest form. Ryan’s voice had amazing range and power. His lyrics proved he’s a masterful storyteller. During his set he rotated playing on the piano, guitars and harmonica. He played a mean harmonica! I enjoyed the concert more than I expected and I now have a more extensive list of favorite Ryan Adams songs.