Getting to the Riverside Theater / Ryan Adams (now with Madison update)

[Patrick425]

Ok, I guess they don't exactly validate your parking any more....they give you discounted rates. Here is the information:

 

http://www.grandavenueshops.com/parking.php

[brettac1]

OK, so I get this 100% correct, since like I said earlier I'm not going to leave until about 4:00, so I don't have a lot of time to get lost...

 

94 in

exit left on Van Buren off of 94

left on Wisconsin

left on Plankinton

parking structure at Grand Avenue Mall on right

walk out of structure, go around and the Riverside is across the street

 

Then, what are my turns, etc. to get back on 94 W heading back home? Menotti said to take Wisconsin to either 6th or 17th.

[Patrick425]

You can not get on the freeway off of 6th right now. You are best to take Wisconsin east to Jackson. Turn right on Jackson..it will feed right into the free way (however, don't be in the far right lane on Jackson after you turn). This is basically the way I take home from work every day.

[gypcasino]

I'm going to this show too. My buddy backed out on me though. Brett, do you anybody else that wants to go? Anybody here want to go with me?

[brettac1]

Mine backed out on me, too. My mom is a semi-Adams fan, though, so in a pinch that's the best I could do.

 

You're like 8th row or something, aren't you? Too bad I'm not going solo, because then I could take it!

 

Patrick - so I just take a right onto Wisconsin coming out of that parking structure and take it to Jackson? How far is Jackson from the mall? And then just move over a lane once I get onto Jackson and I'm good?

[1992casey]

Brett, I'm not sure how many blocks it is, but Jackson Street is about five tenths of a mile east of the Riverside.

 

Keep in mind that it's no sweat heading west on Wisconsin Avenue. Going south (left) on 35th or 27th street will get you onto the freeway, too. If you miss those, there's always US 41 (Stadium Freeway), Hawley Road, 68th Street, 84th Street, and Hwy 100. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif There are signs all over the place, so you shouldn't have any trouble.

 

Either way, traffic shouldn't be an issue when you leave.

[Patrick425]

Patrick - so I just take a right onto Wisconsin coming out of that parking structure and take it to Jackson? How far is Jackson from the mall? And then just move over a lane once I get onto Jackson and I'm good?

The parking lot does not exit onto WI. I believe it exits back out on Plankinton. So take plankinton back to Wisconsin (left turn out of the lot - about a half a block). Jackson is about 4 blocks from Plankinton. Once you turn right on Wisconsin you will go over the river and the streets you will cross before you reach Jackson are Water, Broadway, Milwaukee, and Jefferson in that order. Jackson is a one way street and will feed right on to 794. The reason you have to get over a lane when you turn onto Jackson is because it is a right turn only lane at Clybourn. However, people ignore that all the time and still go straight on to the freeway. It annoys me, but it happens.

[brettac1]

Is there even going to be a lot of traffic there at 10:30-ish to worry about (regarding the right turn only and lane deviation issue)? Anyhow, that seems easy enough to figure out.

[1992casey]

No there won't. I mentioned that in reply #30. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif You should be able to do what you want, including crossing a bunch of lanes if you have to. Patrick425 probably won't be around, so you don't have to worry about annoying him.

[Patrick425]

Patrick425 probably won't be around, so you don't have to worry about annoying him.

Ha! No I won't be around. However, I generally try to avoid traffic tickets by not going straight when the lane is clearly marked "right turn only". I don't know. Just a silly quirk of mine.

[brettac1]

No there won't. I mentioned that in reply #30. You should be able to do what you want, including crossing a bunch of lanes if you have to. Patrick425 probably won't be around, so you don't have to worry about annoying him.

 

Yeah, I missed your reply. I'm not set to ignore you or anything.

 

I really don't care what happens when I leave anyhow, I just want to get there and I think that I should have some pretty sound directions now thanks to the Milwaukee experts around here.

[Menotti80]

I still think you should head west on wisconsin ave after the show and get on 94 West on 17th or 28th st.

If you confused at all about where you are I wouldn't recomment directing you further into downtown, especially with all of the construction with the MU interchange....

[Patrick425]

Brettac, just trying to help. I don't really care which way you take, but trust me, the way I outlined on the way home is not complicated at all and the Interchange contruction will not even be a factor. As I said, I do it every day. Going west on Wisconsin would work too, but it is not the quickest way to the freeway and the last time I went west on WI ave there was a lot of constuction. Although that was about 2 months ago and it may be cleared up now.

 

Have a great time at the show and don't fret about the traffic. Either way you go, you'll be fine.

[brettac1]

Well, now you guys got me confused again!

[1992casey]

Wisconsin Avenue runs parallel to I-94, a couple blocks to the north. So as long as you're on it, you won't be lost. Just take a deep breath and don't worry. You'll be fine.

 

Also remember that all downtown streets will run either north-south or east-west. You won't lose your sense of direction.

 

Additionally, as you mentioned, what happens after the show isn't a major concern. And as a couple of us have mentioned, traffic shouldn't be an issue. Although it could tie up around Miller Park, downtown should be easy.

[1992casey]

Hopefully, Brett's an hour out of town right now... unless the concert was extraordinarily long.

[brettac1]

Just got home.

 

Mad props to all of you guys.. everything was a breeze. The parking structure exited onto Michigan, but we just went left and followed the 94 W signs and there was nothing for traffic. We basically got into Milwaukee after the significant game traffic was done (hit the "City of Milwaukee" sign on 41/45 at precisely 6:35), and then got back headed on 94 after the show when the post-game traffic was minimal. Pretty much a perfect trip and spot-on directions.

 

I'll do RyDogg's song-by-song breakdown for him tomorrow, but it was about a 1:50 show, with Ryan on at about 8:40 and off about 10:30-ish - and it was really excellent. Hopefully see you in Madtown on Friday, RyDogg.

[Menotti80]

glad to hear everything went well dude

 

200!!!

[brettac1]

Setlist and random thoughts (I was in row KK, which is the back of the floor, on stage left)...

 

1. "Wild Flowers" - It was okay, don't love it opening a show. From the get-go it was apparent they were in jammy Dead-mode, because they played a long intro.

2. "Games" - I got my first goosebumps of the night here. Excellent.

3. "Cold Roses" - As soon as the first notes of it hit, I knew I was in for a good night.

4. "Beautiful Sorta" - Solid.

5. "Peaceful Valley" - Great, with a few extended jams.

6. "Rescue Blues" - Ryan moves to piano and Graboff takes lead guitar. It just smokes live, definitely one of the highlights. I like the reworkings of the "Gold" songs with the Cards a lot.

7. "Dear John" - The harmonies are terrific (and they really are for every song).

8. "I Taught Myself How to Grow Old" - Honestly, this song bores the hell out of me, and that didn't change much in a live setting. I doesn't derail the show, but it gets sort of close (as far as I'm concerned).

9. "When the Stars Go Blue" - Another solid reworking of a "Gold" song with some good jams.

10. "Nightbirds" - Most any song with Ryan on keys is good, no exception. I'm not really a fan of the "29" album, but I have started to like the songs much more hearing them live.

11. "The Sun Also Sets" - This is my favorite song on "Easy Tiger" and probably the high point of the show for me. His voice is so ridiculous during it (and the acoustics at Riverside are tremendous). The harmonies during the "there it is" part at the end of the song are like butter.

12. "Off Broadway" - One song where, as far as I can see, there isn't a place for a long jam. Yet there was one and to me it fell sort of flat. I like the "Suicide Handbook" version of it better than the "Easy Tiger" one to begin with, so it's not a favorite.

13. "Goodnight Rose" - Awesome. It's kind of a cornerstone of the set when they are in Dead-mode.

 

Encore:

14. "Brown Sugar" - Ryan solo on the piano, doing it ballad-style. This was a totally out of leftfield song to hear, especially in that way. According to AnsweringBell.com, first time he's played it since 6/11/2005 (and it hasn't been a regular part of the set since '02), and it ruled.

15. "Please Do Not Let Me Go" - The band came back on after Ryan had either a mini-fit after someone in the crowd yelled out a big "owwww!", or it was a planned bit for the Cards to come back on after "Brown Sugar", either way Ryan played about two notes of "Sylvia Plath", the fan yelled, Ryan got up, and the band came back. This song is pretty much a standard and it's always good.

16. "A Kiss Before I Go" - They just steamrolled through it, super good live.

17. "Freeway to the Canyon" - Neal Casal takes lead vocals on it and his voice was in fine form as usual. Good song.

18. "I See Monsters" - Great way to finish the night. It's so hard to believe that this was just a 3 minute acoustic ditty on "Love is Hell", and the full-band version just rocks hard.

 

All in all it was a terrific show. Completely a rock show, not an acoustic guitar in sight. Ryan was a little bit pissy, but for the most part the crowd was respectful. It stayed seated all night, even though there were several times it would have been nice to get some dancing in the aisles going on, considering the jams. I felt like jumping out of my seat a few times. There was one idiot who kept yelling out "Bird Song", but Ryan didn't acknowledge him.

 

The one he did acknowledge was the moron who yelled out "Winding Wheel". I then reflexively yelled for him to "shut the (expletive deleted) up", then I think he left. Ryan proceeded to lay down on the stage and Neal said "you know, we have a list of songs we're going to play". The main part of the problem is that Ryan acknowledges any of them, and the fans know it, so they egg him on. At any Ryan Adams show, someone will always be "that guy". Surprisingly, I only heard one "Come Pick Me Up" yelled out (he's not going to play it people, shut up and sit there). Otherwise, a few bad apples don't spoil what was a solid crowd. I am personally hoping for a more relaxed setting on Friday at the Barrymore, but you kind of just have to go with it, I guess. He handled it well - but he should, the guy is a professional entertainer. I wish he'd ignore them altogether and they would probably stop.

[uecker9]

Do people yell for Summer Of '69 anymore?

[brettac1]

No, not really. Since he played it that one time, I think he kind of diffused it. It's usually "Come Pick Me Up" or "Winding Wheel" nowadays, or Grateful Dead songs.

[homer]

Man, he is a really talented prima donna.

[RyDogg66]

Sounds awesome. I am hoping to get to the Madison show, as you know Brett, my wife is ill (pregnant) and we were planning on getting dinner downtown before the show, the showing up about 8:15ish. It's GA so we will probably be in the balcony. I hope she is still up for it. I really hope to hear Carolina Rain. And Everybody Knows.

 

Great set too, Im glad he was able to handle himself. Like I said the only other time I have seen him live he was a trainwreck and the show really sucked. Hope to be there Friday.

[brettac1]

Man, he is a really talented prima donna.

 

Part of it now is that since this is the YouTube generation, these "fans" who yell stuff are just trying to get him to blow up so they can capture it and be proud of themselves for making him lose it. It doesn't bother me that they yell requests, any performer should be able to deal with that. What bugs me is that they know there's a chance that Ryan will pull the plug on the show if they do, so it's disrespectful to the other fans more than the artist. Everyone else in the venue paid their money for the ticket, and when everyone is basically in silence (during songs especially), it's just trying to be the center of attention to yell a request or tell him to take his shirt off (there was some of that, too, but I'm not sure what he said exactly). Stupid.

 

I'm not making excuses for him, it's lame when he pulls the stuff that he at times does. He doesn't have near the issues with that stuff that he used to, though, now that he's sober.

[brettac1]

Sounds awesome. I am hoping to get to the Madison show, as you know Brett, my wife is ill (pregnant) and we were planning on getting dinner downtown before the show, the showing up about 8:15ish. It's GA so we will probably be in the balcony. I hope she is still up for it. I really hope to hear Carolina Rain. And Everybody Knows.

 

Great set too, Im glad he was able to handle himself. Like I said the only other time I have seen him live he was a trainwreck and the show really sucked. Hope to be there Friday.

 

I REALLY hope you can be there, man. Even if it is a short show, which is possible, I can promise it will not be a trainwreck (though the other time he played the Barrymore was, granted it was a three hour trainwreck). The band is really tight right now.

 

I'm going to get there really early on Friday, I think. I'm going to get up front. I'm hoping for a "Magnolia Mountain", definitely "Everybody Knows" and "Carolina Rain", too. For my friend that is going with me, I'm hoping for "Let it Ride" since it's the song that hooked him on RA. In general I think I would love to get a full-blown acoustic set after a full electric set last night. That would be fantastic. Maybe he will treat it like a two night stand, since I'm sure several of the others that were there last night will be in attendance Friday, too (in fact, I know a lot of them will be). Not counting on it, though.

 

Cool thing is that he's been dusting off a rarely played song (at least one) basically every night, and usually doing it solo. Two nights ago it was "Hallelujah", and last night was "Brown Sugar", I'm hoping hard for "Chin Up, Cheer Up" on Friday.