Ryan Adams - "Come Pick Me Up"

Not everyone realizes that Paul Shaffer is the 'musical director' of the Late Show with David Lettermen. What that entails is more than just being the goofy sidekick; he also books the acts. So Shaffer deserves all of the credit for being the most relevant musical performance outlet on American television. I'm always amazed by how well Shaffer's finger is on the pulse, how he consistently books the best up-and-coming acts. You'll notice in time that I favour performances on this show, as I intend to post a number of them.

I also enjoy watching Letterman's reactions to the acts. You can tell when he likes a group. One of Letterman's favourites has to be Ryan Adams who he's had on repeatedly. Adams is best known for his song that opened the movie Old School ("To Be Young"), his chilling cover of "Wonderwall", his "New York, New York" video which was filmed only days before 9/11 with numerous shots of Adams playing in front of the Towers, or throwing tantrums and leaving the stage when people shout "play 'Summer of '69'!". Or now, being married to Mandy Moore.

Adams is certainly one of the most prolific songwriters of the twenty-first century. He's churned out 11 albums so far, including three (3!) in 2005 alone. He's also underrated as a live act.

Here's Ryan Adams singing a classic, "Come Pick Me Up".