Ryan Adams Slams Country Music Mecca

That's o.k. honey, we don't like you either, just stay where ever you are and we will be happy campers.

I don't live in the south, have never been there or the USA, I am a music fanatic and love the genre known as alt country, it is not a well known or popular music category, because god forbid that you have to think about music (lyrics, cord changes, bridges, texture and all the other stuff)The stuff coming out of Nashville is generically speaking, mostly shit, commercial namby pamby, shit (well sung, and played shit but shit none the less)

Musicians like Ryan Adams are a wake up call for Country Music and music in general and the reason people don't know him is a severe and frightening fact. Music is dominated by the big record companies, the big acts and the public have to go searching for anything basically alternative or non mainstream.

If you Southerners have the technology to get on line, then do it constructively, U Tube, google Ryan Adams, then actually watch the performances.

The guy is a genius and no amount of red neck, small minded parochialism will change the mind of this music fan. Incidentally pin heads, I'm from New Zealand, a small couintry in the South Pacific Ocean, 4, 000, 000 people most of whom are more open-minded, and sophisticated than the hicks on this comments site.

Have a good day

how ridiculous. how can you hate country but have it in your music? it's not the same as a director using water as a backdrop for a shark.. a shark fucking lives in water, that is done for authenticity.

if you hate country so much ryan, stop playing it.

honestly i've never heard any of his music besides a cover he did of gram parsons "grievous angel" and it breaks my heart that he could do that song, with emmylou harris no less, and then say he hates country music. eff him.

I HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS DUDE....really does not look country or any other music genre. but you can not slam southerners if you have never been there/done it or do not have a bbq/johndeer/etc t-shirt

Bryan,opps sorry Ryan. I am from a small southern city (London England). I live in Nashville now and I'm sorry sone jerk ruined your set. This is no reason to trash Nashville. I hate to tell you dude but you are country. The only person who does not know this is you.

ryan is ingenious when it comes to music, as well as live performance. perhaps his actions suggests he is a bit of a freak. I do not condone, however, making fun of an incredibly talented singer, writer and entertainer. It is part of his irrational behavior that keeps his fans(however few you claim there are) loyal. I am not suggesting his comments about nashville are in the right... I am simply asking you to listen(i mean really listen) to his music before you pass judgement. As for the "genuine country" comment... I must agree. If we listen to what country is today, as opposed to its authenticity of yesterday, one could probably classify ryan adams as country. perhaps that is what he meant, is it not? he does not want to be classified as an artist in "today's" country music scene. Just one scenario. One never knows what he might mean. I just know that i have an ipod full of many wonderful sounds that have been written by the man you comment on here, and i am grateful he shares his art.

ok. i just did some reading up on this guy. according to what i've been able to find about him, the consensus is that he is a very talented guy. but his extremely erratic behavior--walking off stage, being unpredictable, disappearing before interviews, and substance abuse, and the fact that he put out 3 albums in one year (in 2005) suggests that he has bipolar disorder. that probably explains his comments. i listened to samples of his music, and for him to claim he "hates" country music is absurd. He's as country as country can be. He's more genuine "country" than any of the current so-called "country" musicians out there today. but these days it's called "alt-country?" interesting.

Bahbee--you are right. I didn't know who this guy was when I clicked on the story, and he's from my hometown of Jacksonville, NC! (I looked it up in wikipedia since I had no idea about who this is and what he's done) Sounds like he's got his head up his ass. Why make it a point to express such vitriol toward an entire music genre? Alyssa's got a good point, too-- who does he think he is, disparaging Southerners when he's from NC himself?!

As someone who lives in Nashville and has been downtown many a time and has attended MANY concerts around town and at the Ryman, I can completely identify with what he's saying. Considering the huge drunken frat crowd that turns up at EVERYTHING, they are extremely disrespectful not only to artists but also to the audience trying to watch the show. They shout, they scream, they run on stage...do anything they can to get their 5 minutes of attention. The Ryman is no exception to the behavior. Any show I've attended at the Ryman has had this happen...and everyone who works there is so old that they could hardly give a sh*t about taking care of the problem. The Ryman is an awful place to hold a concert, and I can't stand attending shows there...so I don't. The War Memorial or Belcourt is a much better choice...and there aren't as many obnoxious 18 year olds puking on your shoes or not keeping their mouth shut.

He did, after all, write a song named "Tennessee Sucks".