Singer/songwriter Ryan Adams headlined a Louisville showcase Saturday night and really let down the crowd.

I saw Adams last year at Sonar, not too long after he released 29. He was energetic on stage and had a talented backup band. The band was still tight at last night's show, but Adams' erratic behavior made for a boring performance. I'll explain in a minute.

Following a warm, solid performance by Suzanne Vega, Adams came out about 11:05 p.m. The lights started out low and never came up. The whole stage stayed cloaked in hues of dark blue and red. You could barely see Adams or the other band members.

Adams hid himself even further. Wearing sunglasses, a hat and a hoodie, he was totally camouflaged. He hunched over a mike and -- get this -- read lyrics from a binder in front of him. Dude can't even remember the words to his own set of new songs!

So I sat there, in the dark, listening to melancholy folk music from musicians I could barely see. I almost fell asleep.

After only 30 minutes, Adams shouted a quick "thank you," -- the first thing he'd said to the crowd the whole night -- and bolted. There was no encore. His set lasted until 11:35 p.m. It was supposed to go until midnight.

I would have rather sat at home and listened to the CD. It's good, and I suggest you buy it. But I'm not so sure about seeing him live this tour.