Sox-Loving Musicians Overcome...the Sox

Ryan Montbleau Band
Paradise Rock Club
Saturday and Sunday
Doors at 8 p.m., 18+
Ticket information
With Nate Wilson Group and Tom Bianchi on Saturday;
Dwight & Nicole and Jesse Dee on Sunday
Website

At first glance, one could believe that this weekend brings a perfect confluence of two of Ryan Montbleau's long-standing passions: making music and the Red Sox.

On Saturday and Sunday, Montbleau and the rest of the Ryan Montbleau Band will return to Paradise for a two-show stand intended to A) celebrate their return to Boston from months on the road, B) serve as the official Boston CD release parties for the band's latest full-length album, "Patience on Friday," and C) heat up the main room at the 'dise as the rest of Boston chills its way through October.

But, as we all know, the Sox aren't finished with their winning ways quite yet. And Saturday and Sunday marks Games 3 and 4 of the World Series. This means that Montbleau - a longtime Sox fan - could be performing at one of his hometown's premiere live venues, toasting a new album, and watching the games that are going to be televised in the Paradise main room as the Red Sox (knock on wood) win the World Series.

Not bad, right? Not quite.

Montbleau posted a MySpace blog earlier this week that explained that Sunday night's show almost wasn't going to happen. Why? The Sox - or, rather, the fact that ticket sales for Sunday night's show were extremely low. Organizers and the band's manager were beginning to get nervous and asked Montbleau and the guys for a cancellation. According to the post:

I never cancel shows if there's anything I can do about it. One time I canceled because my van blew up in the desert. The other time I had strep throat and physically could not sing. That's it. And now I was being asked to cancel because the Red Sox were in the World Series and there wouldn't be enough ticket sales that night.

Forget it, I'm doing it, I told them. I have a responsibility to anyone who already bought a ticket for Sunday (there were about 85 or so pre-sold) and that's the end of it. They basically told me, "Yeah, but you should really cancel." No, I don't want to cancel. "Yeah, well, you should really, really cancel."

As it turns out, the shows are to go on. Montbleau told Bostonist Friday that sales are now looking better for Sunday's show and that he's pumped and ready to go. Really ready to go. "Exhausted-from-a-year-on-the-road-and-should-be-relaxing-but-can't kind of nervous energy pouring into the weekend" ready to go.

When we asked if he was going to replace his typical scally cap with his Sox cap for the special occasions, he noted that everyone was just going to have to wait and see. Our bet? You betcha - or, at least, we sure hope so.