(Leans back and exhales) Ah yes…I remember Jacksonville.

We were on tour, and after driving all night from Birmingham, at 6:30, just as the sun was coming out, a lunatic redneck in a pick-up truck came from out of nowhere and cut us off on this one-lane state highway.

Our singer, who was driving, immediately swerved, and for a few harrowing seconds, the van was on two wheels, and were like, “Oh man! Oh no!!!” and we were cursing too, in fear.

Miraculously, dude righted the van, got us back on four wheels, and that Florida devil sped away, cackling and rubbing his drooling mouth with his forearm.

From then on, I’ve told anyone who’d listen that Jacksonville* is a mean, bad place.

Ironically enough, it’s also that town that smelt a young Ryan Adams, aka the Heartbreak Kid, who’ll be performing a sold-out solo show here on Thursday (sorry ladies.)

What are the odds?

This article and interview provides a great primer on Mr. Adams, whose career trajectory is particularly illuminating – he, after all, co-conquered the “alt-country” scene with Whiskeytown and went through a huge Henry Miller phase. (Followed by, as per usual, the inevitable Black Flag phase. Mine included buying a t-shirt with the cool Raymond Pettibon “shears” artwork. Share yours!)

Oh and in case you’re wondering, Ryan is ever-the-gentleman. Though it would have been easy to do, during the interview he not once disses his hometown of Jackson-vile.

* It may have actually been Gainesville.