Sassy Bryan Adams Solo Set Satisfies Shubert Crowd

By John Voket

There was just no way anyone could sit through Bryan Adams’s satisfying solo performance Monday at New Haven’s famed Shubert Theater and come out at the end of the show referring to him as an “aging rocker.” Everything about his two-hour solo set (with on-again, off-again accompaniment by pianist Gary Breit) was energetic, upbeat and fresh.

Even the most shop-worn hits like “Cuts Like a Knife” and “Summer of ‘69” took on new life, and it seemed Adams was hell bent on proving he could cover all the bases with one guitar and the dangerous freedom that comes when you aren’t tied down by a full backing band.

Having seen the Canadian hit maker as both an opening act and a headliner in the past, I have to say I would never go back. He was just too darn good out there on his own to want to return to the same arrangements I could hear anytime I want on his Greatest Hits album.

This is not to suggest Adams pulled the kind of nonsense many others have committed on first time solo tours, seeming to assume fans who attend “unplugged” shows want to hear deep catalog material instead of Top 40 staples. In fact, the many high points showcasing Adams’s hits just served to elevate the unique selections and first-ever played live surprises he pulled out upon request.

Those surprises included a Dylan-esque take on “Rebel,” from 1987’s Into The Fire, which he rolled into after the rousing show opener “Run To You.” Not going far enough out on a limb, Adams obliged another shout out later in the set, delivering a flawless, never before performed solo “Hearts on Fire” from the same album.

By the second verse Adams knew he had nailed it. Standing at the microphone like he was fighting a strong headwind, he looked victorious handling the high notes with ease.

After relating a hard to believe story about being confused with Willie Nelson, Adams paid tribute to the red-headed stranger with a plaintive rendition of Nelson’s “Seven Spanish Angels.” The solo set also served as a fine venue for Adams to showcase a substantial number of songs he has written for films.

There was the monster “(Everything I Do) I Do for You,” from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves; “Never Let Go,” from The Guardian; “When You Love Someone,” from Hope Floats; “The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You,” from Excess Baggage; “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?”, from Don Juan DeMarco; “All for Love,” from The Three Musketeers; and “Here I Am,” from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

While each of these songs was performed admirably, the best among them came early in the set as Adams delivered “Here I Am,” with clear, soaring vocals and a wonderful melody putting this effort from the animated feature up there with the best of them.

Adams took few opportunities to hang back and supply accompaniment, but he did let Breit cut loose with an extended, pumping solo mid-set during “Let’s Make A Night To Remember.” Material from his latest project, 11, was in conspicuous short supply during the Shubert set, but Adams did do a nice job on “I Thought I’d Seen Everything,” and a couple of songs later his acoustic guitar finally gave up a string as he flailed away during “Heat of the Night.”

Although his syrupy love songs brought the audience to its feet on several occasions, “Not Romeo Not Juliet” was the most powerful and understated love song of the night, paying tribute to the ones who stay together, accepting one another despite their differences.

Adams also proved he doesn’t take himself too seriously, breaking out the second verse of “Please Forgive Me,” in a hokey twang after suggesting it might have done better as a country song. He also admitted to making a mistake in deciding to leave “The Right Place,” a song he originally penned for his idol Ray Charles on the scrap heap, only to have it dusted off with great success by American Idol Taylor Hicks.

“Taylor did a good job with it ... kind of pissed me off,” Adams relented with a wink. My regards to the artist as well, for his handling an over-energetic clique 40-something fans who gathered in the front row screaming out his name and shouting out strange and confusing requests.

While early in the show it was kind of tolerable, with Adams saying he wanted to get some of what they were taking, it finally got to the point where Adams stopped the show, looked down towards the group and said: “I love you, too. But I’d love you a lot more if you would just shut the ***** up!”

I believe this brought the loudest ovation of the night from the rest of the near sold out crowd, whose members were apparently equally sick and tired of the distracting interruptions.