Cardinals featuring Ryan Adams, Neal Casal, Chris Feinstein, Jon Graboff, and Brad Pemberton

Mixing the heartfelt angst of a singer/songwriter with the cocky brashness of a garage rocker, Ryan Adams is at once one of the few artists to emerge from the alt-country scene to achieve mainstream commercial success, and he is the one who most strongly refused to be defined by the genre, leaping from one spot to another stylistically as he follows his increasingly prolific muse. Adams As a founding member of the post-Uncle Tupelo alt-country band Whiskeytown, Adams built his reputation on loose rural rock with twang. But after the band broke up after three full-length records, Adams dove headfirst into sensitive singer-songwriter territory with “Heartbreaker.” The record’s critical success and cult following redefined Adams as a sort of folk hero, a label he summarily denied, Bob Dylan-style, with the commercially successful double-disc, “Gold,” a full-on rock record with few hints of his previous folk persona. Since then, Adams has continued to challenge fans, record reviewers and his label, Lost Highway, with numerous albums whose sounds are influenced by everyone from The Replacements, The Band, The Grateful Dead and The Pixies. In 2005, Adams released three discs and went on tour with The Cardinals. He has since released five more solo albums and three albums with his band. His most recent album, Cardinology, was released on October 28, 2008.