Judd Apatow hosted The Late Late Show last night (Jan. 23) during this brief period of guest hosts before James Corden officially takes over for Craig Ferguson. Musical guest Ryan Adams performed the lead single, "Gimme Something Good," from his new, self-titled effort with producer/musician Don Was on bass. The singer stripped down the tune, creating a dark, emotional atmosphere. The performance was powerful, especially considering the fact that he just split from his wife of nearly six years, Mandy Moore.
Adams, who appeared in Apatow's This is 40, is completely zoned in during the performance, which you can see in the video below, via Consequence of Sound. The blue lighting creates a fitting backdrop as Adams digs deeper into the song, which is completely stripped of the album's production. It would be foolish to assume that Adams revamped the song strictly because of his divorce with Moore because the singer has the ability to bend most of his work any way he pleases, but why choose "Gimme Something Good" so far past its release?
Head to the minute mark in the video. That delivery has some emotional baggage with it. "So I'm going for a walk/I got nothing left to say," he sings. "I can't see, there's a darkness on the rise/I'll be waiting here til the end of time." The whole performance is full of goosebump moments, but that stretch of the song is moving stuff.
Adams and Moore seemed to have a good thing together, at least in the public eye. The pair kept their personal life very personal, so who knows the real reason for the split. Even though it was ended amicably, there's no doubt that the rocker and actress are feeling some heartache over the decision.
"Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore have mutually decided to end their marriage of almost six years. It is a respectful, amicable parting of ways. Both Ryan and Mandy ask that the media respect their privacy at this time," a representative wrote in a statement for the couple.
Adams will hit the road with Jenny Lewis in April following appearances at Coachella and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
