Well, Captain Trip was uninspired by Ryan's attempt to ingratiate himself into the community. To be fair, though, one can hardly call Ryan Adams booze-drenched, downtrodden 'August West' music, 'pop.'

1st Set: "tune-Up" constitutes the tail end of a hypothetical 'space.' Ahhh...this is a "Spacey Jam." Immediate elevation, me likey. They stumble into a "Cold Rain." It's nicely brought to the surface if it lacks muscular girth. I'm not a fan of Ryan's vocal inflection choices. However, Phil's thumping and the intensity of the performance makes it likable. "FOTD" glides along nicely...but Ryan's weak whine is not ideal. I haven't listened to Chris Robinson with the boys yet...but why are they always unable to find a decent lead vocalist? Phil's version is certainly Not as slow as the Loggins/Messina versions post-hiatus, but it isn't the velocity of the bluegrass inflected original. The pedal steel is used to evocative effect during "Easy Plateau." It does fit into the GD type of mellow country-rock ouerve. Feedback twists out of the song...decent levels of droning insanity. finally ends into a perky, pick-me-up "Bertha." Why can't Ryan effectively spout out the words? He fares better with bright-eyed delight in the second verse. He minor-league goofs by thrusting us into the third verse without the final, 'I had to move' off the bridge...but whatever. Did I miss some stage banter? Anyways, the "Candyman's" in town. It's nothing better than standard. Phil says something...? Apparently, Ryan's guitar broke..claims to have never done anything wrong before...Phil, 'Oh, you and your cousin.' Ryan replies, "What did he say?...oh, he did? what a tool." "And oif you think about it, this is the same way the GD used to do it..screwing around after tunes." Ryan - "I think the right term is exploring...and everytime you were exploring I was thinking of naughty stuff..." and so on. "Scarlet is capably performed..wish Phil's singing voice could be as friendly as hs speaking tone. "Fire" is (Borat) 'nice' due to Jimmy's playing and a lighter rhythm section.

2nd Set: The opening "Jam" is akin to a replication of a sputtering nutcracker suite. The first verse of "Dark Star" arrives before its opening riff. Things get reasonably hairy before heading into "Sugar Mag" land. Why can't they drum it easy and breezy, it's harder to dance this way. This is where the post GD bands get their revisionist history all wrong...complicating songs with too many notes and signature changes when simplicity is all that's needed. Thankfully, "SD" fares a little better. No idea about this "Magnolia Mountain." It's passionately rendered, but as a melody, will you be humming the riff when walking home? Eventually notes form cohension and a "UJB" is born. It flows smoothly from the cup. Afterwards, they enter a sinister 'Spanish' "jam" flavorings. Then it begins to rollick, release the build-up of notes, and a sigh of relief ending with silence. Another unfamiliar tune, "Life is Beautiful." Sure, it's sympathetically offered in Ryan's compassionate minor voice. However, it hits the same chord as the other tunes, and is therefore a bathroom break. How about an old-fashioned next, Ryan? "Terrapin" is the next destination. Capably handled, the outro jam heads back into slight ethereal territory as the border is crossed back into a down-home countrified "Dark star." It reaches its rightful end, and then the awe-inspiring riff and potential beheamoth, "TOO." Rock on, hope you enjoy thunder. After eight minutes of indebted insanity, they clunk their way into the solemnity of "Stella." Ryan's heart is in the right place though some of the pedal removes the subtler aspects of isolated misery. Anyways, it's well-played and compact. Goofball time with our "China." Ryan's odd recitations continue but keen pacings maintain my glee. High speed chase during "Rider." Ryan and Phil do the 'headlight' but the crowd has to push them over the top. A short "UJB" vocal reprise, an implorment of devotion and comraderie, ends the set.

Phil does his organ donor rap and introduces the band...full rock star. Ryan starts blabbing about 'still making the apple pies up there.'
Oh...a repeat of last night, "Wharf." lame-o. better than last night...but what vanity.

3 1/3 stars

I was shocked to have driven from Oklahoma to see this show. It was pathetic...Come ON PEOPLE..if you were there you would not give this show 2 stars. The hopes were high, only to be let down by this guy Ryan who couldnt nail a SINGLE song, but his own, which were not anything to yell about. Phil didn't sing one damn song, what a let down...Ryan fucked up Bertha even, how can you do that..He forgot the "Test Me, Test Me" part, which WAS the build up to the song..JEEZ...Phil do us a favor and not bring that Ryan guy back, he didnt nail a song, guitar/vocal wise.....

Phil, You should have picked any person in the audience to come up and play ryan's part. It would have been much better and much more interesting, then to hear ryan flub EVERY SONG and to fuck up on the guitar work..Anyone in the audience could have nailed all the lyrics and so forth, get someone who LISTENS and PLAYS dead tunes, Not some guy who sings in a pop band......