NE-YO

The Read

Before he was a star Ne-Yo was writing for other people, and the discipline shows — the melodies are compact, the hooks arrive on schedule, and the arrangements leave space for a voice that has never needed to shout. “Let Me Love You” and “Irreplaceable” were both his pen before they were anyone’s hits. Two decades in, he still sings like the demo has to sell the song. The Ryman does not book much R&B, and that is exactly why this is worth the trip. Pews, wood, and a 9 p.m. start put the emphasis on the singing rather than the production. Expect the room’s acoustics to flatter the ballads and expect a crowd that came to hear songwriting, not spectacle.

The Room

Ryman Auditorium

116 5th Ave N

Built in 1892 as a tabernacle by river captain Thomas Ryman, who was converted at a Sam Jones revival — little did he know it would become the church of American roots music.