Watch Ryan Adams’ Riveting ‘Austin City Limits’ Acoustic Set
After taking part in Austin City Limits‘ milestone 40th season, Ryan Adams was back on the long-running music program Saturday as the prolific singer-songwriter delivered a rare all-acoustic set as part of ACL‘s Season 41. Both ACL performances stemmed from Adams’ October 22, 2014 visit to Austin’s Moody Theatre; whereas the Season 40 episode (shared with Jenny Lewis) focused on the latter half of that concert where Adams was surrounded by a full band, Saturday’s episode spotlighted Adams’ solo set that night.
For the latest episode, Adams offered up riveting, intimate versions of Demolition‘s “Desire,” Ryan Adams‘ “My Wrecking Ball” and Heartbreaker‘s “Oh My Sweet Carolina. “If you thought that was depressing, you haven’t heard anything yet,” Adams quipped as “Oh My Sweet Carolina” segued into “Gimme Something Good.” “Get ready for this summer anthem.” Adams also shared stories with the audience about the first time he performed on ACL when he was 22 as well as a dedication to his longtime manager.
In addition to the televised set, which Adams split with Shakey Graves, ACL offered up Adams’ acoustic take on Cold Roses‘ “If I Am a Stranger” as a web exclusive: