Ryan Adams finally covers Bryan Adams after memorable outburst

WASHINGTON — In 2002, Ryan Adams memorably refused to play Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69” during an outburst at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

On Tuesday, at the very same arena, Adams finally made amends, according to Deadspin.

See him cover the song below:

The performance suggests Adams has gotten over the incident 13 years ago, when he became frustrated that the two music artists — Ryan and Bryan — were confused by a fan in the crowd.

Here’s how Billboard reported the original incident:

At a Ryan Adams concert at the Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday, someone in the audience yelled out a request for “Summer of ‘69,” a Bryan Adams hit. Ryan Adams, former leader of the band Whiskeytown, reacted with a stream of expletives and ordered the house lights turned on, The Tennessean newspaper reported. The alternative country musician found the fan who made the joke request, paid him $30 cash as a refund for the show, ordered him to leave, and said he wouldn’t play another note until that happened. 

Looks like Ryan Adams has finally put the incident behind him.

We’re still awaiting word on whether he played the song with his first real six-string, but we’re fairly certain he played it until his fingers bled.

Jason Fraley

Hailed by The Washington Post for “his savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at WTOP as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.

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