Whiskeytown pours out mix of alternative country

Sometimes seeing a show at a smaller venue can be a gamble. Most of the time, bands consist of undiscovered or up-and-coming talent, both of which could make a show hit or miss.

On Tuesday night, the small crowd that did turn out to see rising star Whiskeytown at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., definitely experienced something special.

"I really liked it," said Matt Bugaj, an employee at Arboria Records, 119 E. Beaver Ave. "Even more than I thought that I would."

Showcasing the music and lyrics of 22-year-old prodigy Ryan Adams, the concert ranged from crackling rock to soothing, rootsy country. With a remarkable voice and rousing guitar playing, Adams mesmerized the crowd with songs from the band's newest album, Strangers Almanac.

"I think they're good songs," Adams said before the show. "It was a really bad time for the band when we were recording the album. There was a lot of inner turmoil. We went ahead and made it anyway. We weren't about to quit. I never quit."

Of the musicians on Strangers Almanac, only Adams and violinist Caitlin Cary were present on stage Tuesday. The rest of the band was replaced after recording the album.

Recently, Cary and Adams were doing acoustic duets together and then decided to return to a full band. To help out, Adams called in veteran guitarist Ed Crawford, who played with the band fIREHOSE.

Adams said, "I called Ed up on the third acoustic gig we did and said, 'Hey, do you want to fly to Austin in a week and quit your job and play some music?' "

In concert, Adams deftly led the band through versions of songs such as "Losering" and "Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight." In between songs, Adams and Cary held discussions with the audience, telling jokes.

"We're like the Grateful Dead without the drug connection and the great, big beards," Adams said.

Although it had some technical problems, the band made it through a rousing electric set. For the encore, Adams and Cary returned for a stripped down acoustic set, featuring beautiful renditions of songs such as "Theme for a Trucker," a selection from The End of Violence soundtrack.

"I thought the first section of the show, the straight rock 'n' roll, was fine," Bugaj said. "The stripped down little duo thing at the end was great, too."

Another acoustic selection was "Inn Town." With his lilting vocals, Adams took the audience to new dimensions of music in this alt-country tune.

"I think the kid's amazing," said Ted Swanson, general manager of radio station WGMR-FM (101.1). "He's really talented. He's a kid, though and he has a lot to learn."

Adams ceased playing during some songs to sip beer. At one point, he chastised a critic from Rolling Stone who gave the band a negative review. At times, Adams was the spoilt, young rock star, who may have left a bitter taste in the mouths of some people in attendance.

"He's got a lot of feeling but he has to learn how to deal with the business side," said Swanson, whose radio station helped sponsor the show. "He has to learn to deal with people. He has to deflate his head a little bit."

Opening band, Citizens' Utilities, warmed up the crowd with its Buddy Holly-esque rock. Hailing from Seattle, the band has just begun opening for Whiskeytown.

"It's been really good so far," said Joshua Medaris, vocalist for Citizens' Utilities. "We've played four shows with them and they've been really super-cool."