The Ryman, these walls have witnessed many magical moments throughout its years and on June 12, 2019, was sure to be another one of those with Andrew Bird hitting the stage. The supporting act Hiss Golden Messenger came out with their smooth southern rock with the sounds from the likes of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and The Heartbreaks. If it wasn’t for the pews everyone would’ve been up and dancing. It was hard for anyone to sit still during their set. Bird picked a great group to open this night up for him.
Bird has released 15 albums and really has outdone himself with his philosophical play on words to point out some political and environmental deviances on his new album, My Finest Work Yet. After a short intro, he went into the song Sisyphus. You could tell that everyone has been listening to this new album because you can hear the crowd whistling with him throughout the show. It seems when Bird starts to play he closes his eyes and gets lost in the melody that he brings him back to experience all the emotions once again that went into composing the song. Everyone felt the energy coming from that stage. This is what makes it feels so special to see an artist like Andrew Bird play the Ryman.
Writing and Photography by Josh Rish
