Bryan Adams strips down to ‘bare bones’ at Smith Center

Bryan Adams' "Bare Bones" acoustic shows drew such strong reaction over the years that he put out a live album a couple of years ago.

"When it comes down to it, if you can play the song on an acoustic guitar and make it work, then you've done the right thing," the 52-year-old singer-songwriter told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2008.

"I've always constructed my music so that it was very simple to play," he added, explaining why up-tempo hits such as "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Summer of '69" can be strummed alongside the ballads Monday at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

"I don't want to try and make it too difficult to play live or rely on any gimmicks. I've always tried to keep things really minimal so that when we tour it's not like I'm going to need enormous light shows."

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at
mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.