Josh Ritter

On Saturday night, I again had the pleasure of witnessing a fantastic musical performance; this time by Josh Ritter. Ritter is an incredibly talented lyricist in the mode of Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne, but of course original in his craft. Here's an interview I found with Ritter.

Chicago native Joe Pug opened for Ritter. Joe played at Hope College while I was there, but alas, I did not go see him. Joe is also a great lyricist and won me over quickly. His closing number, Hymn #101, is a deeply moving song, full of poetry, conjuring up vivid images.

Right of the bat, Ritter and his band brought tons of energy to the stage. Josh truly enjoys performing and shows it on his face, grinning like the Cheshire cat, jumping up and down, and profusely thanking the audience for their support, adoration, applause, and participation. He feeds off the crowd, using them to energize himself, which in turn frenzies the crowd even further. It makes for a fun show.

If I tried to highlight Ritter's lyrics that mean the most to me, this post would march on for eternity. Instead, I'll choose a choice few:

"every heart is a package tangled up in knots someone else tied"

"the crickets all leapt up and met the moon in a standing ovation"

"i was singing without knowing the words"

"he plays piano with fistfuls, of broken Belvedere crystal, and he's trying to forget you, but the music's never loud enough"

Gotta restrain myself.

I didn't love, love So Runs The World Away at first listen the way I did with Ritter's other albums, or my favorite albums of the year, High Violet by The National and The WInter of Mixed Drinks by Frightened Rabbit, but it's already growing on me. Often albums I love at first listen recede in my mind over time (last year it was Muse, Dave Matthews Band, and Airborne Toxic Event), only the truly great ones get better. So Runs The World Away is already doing that.

During the encore, Ritter brought Joe Pug back on stage and let him play a song with the band. Rather than join him Ritter stood in the background and let Pug shine in the spotlight. Since the crowd mostly buzzed with their own conversation during Pug's opening set, it was a treat to hear everyone listen to him. The mutual respect between Pug and Ritter was evident; it's nice to see a star like Ritter not act above a lesser know musician. I never expected anything less.

Start with a talented musician who writes deeply meaningful songs, is a consummate showman, and loves what he does with all that he is, toss in a ridiculously talented band, a cool venue, an adoring audience, and you have a memorable experience. Go see Josh Ritter; as someone from the crowd shouted during an interim "You make me want to be a better man!", to which Ritter replied "You complete me."