I’ve been to a lot of concerts over the past few weeks, most recently Ryan Adams with the Cardinals last night at the Palace. Considering the last time Ryan Adams played Louisville, he wore a shower cap under his hoodie and never acknowledged the audience, last night could be considered an improvement, but damn that Ryan Adams is one aloof motherfucker. There was no opening band, but the Cardinals played two sets with a little interval in the middle. I’m pretty sure they played the entirety of Cardinology, but aside from Come Pick Me Up, the night was utterly devoid of Ryan Adams songs. It was also slow as hell. I’m a firm believer in standing and dancing at rock concerts, and I stubbornly held my ground when the rest of the old, fat audience plopped down during the quieter songs. I’ll sway and groove as much as I want, thankyouverymuch. And if I just want to stand here, completely immobile while the other-guy-who’s-not-Ryan-Adams sings a song, I’m going to. There was apparently an uptight elderly couple sitting behind me who got so pissed off at my rock-concert “antics” that the old woman smacked my mom in the back of the head with her purse before she and her husband left in the middle of the show. How sad for them. I’m not saying it would have been more productive simply to have asked me to sit down (because I probably wouldn’t have. it’s a fucking ROCK CONCERT), but it might have been worth a shot. Getting all steamed-up and huffing out of the theatre before the end of the show certainly isn’t going to make me sit down or detract at all from my enjoyment of it. I apologize to anyone whose concert etiquette sensibilities I offended, but for the love of Pete, you’ve got your whole life to sit on your ass. Get up and dance, you lazy bums.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I hate the Palace. I know it’s supposed to be all decorative and intimate and the ceiling looks like sky, blah blah blah but I hate that place. It tends to draw artists that breed the stand up/sit down issue and the bar in the back means constant shuffling and spilled beer. I don’t mind the shuffling and spilled beer in a general admission place like Headliners, but the Palace just isn’t set up for it. Plus it’s ugly and I hate getting stuck under the balcony.

Another show we saw recently was Joshua Radin at Headliners. I like some of his songs, but as a person, I can’t tell if I like him or if he annoys the flipping hell out of me. A little of both perhaps. On the plus side: he sings some good songs, smiled a lot during the concert, was very considerate and grateful-seeming all around. On the neg side, he strums his guitar weird, he’s got that breathy songwriter quality that appeals to my tastes right up until I fucking hate it, Zach Braff, and “Vegetable Car.” Jury’s still out.