Reviews > Shows

Ryan Montbleau, Joe’s Pub, New York, NY, 3/27/09

Joeʼs Pub in Manhattan provided an uber-intamate setting Friday for the second of of six solo acoustic shows by singer/songwriter Ryan Montbleau, whose tracks will be selected for the live release, Stages: Vol II. As the respectful audience nibbled on their late dinners and sipped cocktails, Montbleau—sporting a five oʼclock scruff, eyes shadowed by a newsboy cap—made his way through a 90-minute set of new and old songs.

While he applied a capo to his six-string, Montbleau jokingly stated the obvious, “This is a song that I wrote, and I hope you enjoy it,” before strumming the first notes to a ballad, “The Boat Song,” which was followed by “Variety.” The setʼs first half was mostly made up of songs from 2006ʼs One Fine Color save for a new tune about the seemingly infinite and always expanding aisles of drugstores—specifically CVS and Wallgreens. After a dignified cover of Paul Simonʼs “Duncan,” the crowd quietly sang along during “Stretch.” Before starting “Itʼs All Been Done Before,” Montbleau asked for a time check and promised, “Iʼll give you all I got with the time I got.”

The last chunk of the set consisted of a few songs from Montbleauʼs most recent effort, Patience on Friday including “This” and “Love and Love Lost,” the latter of which he played on a banjo (admittng that his debut performance with the instrument was a mere 24 hours prior). Obviously a bit nervous before he started, he announced a disclaimer: “Iʼm not trying to insult the art [of playing banjo], Iʼm just trying to play a tune. Itʼs a lot easier from my bedroom.” Montbleau then summoned backup singer Amber Rubarth to the stage for “75 And Sunny,” one of Fridayʼs songs she appears on. (Other guests on the record include Buddy Cage on pedal steel, Laurence Scudder on viola and backup vocals, Mark Erickson on trumpet and many more.)

One funky upbeat encore song followed as Montbleau strummed with more vigor than he had all night on “I Canʼt Wait,” another new track to end the evening.