Gig Review: Josh Ritter

Is seeing Josh Ritter in concert a valid career choice? Because this is what I want to do with my life. Josh Ritter always gives 110% at every show. I’ve paid exorbitant festival fees, waited in the freezing cold, the hot sun, the pouring rain, traveled, and trudged through mud to see Josh Ritter and it is worth it every time. Ritter’s gig in Denver on July 23rd was no exception. The Bluebird Theater was sold out, which surprised me. Don’t get me wrong, Josh Ritter is good enough to and deserves to sell out venues, but I have been going to his shows for awhile and I still think of him as being relatively unknown. I would say that this is no longer the case. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Ritter in show, make sure to sign up for his mailing list and check his tour schedule. This is an experience you do not want to miss.

The set began with Best Is For The Best, but I felt like the crowd really got into it on the second song, Monster Ballads. It seemed as if the entire room was singing along with the poetic lines. Josh and the band played us right in to a charged rendition of Rumors with a snippet of The Beatles’ Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da embedded a couple of verses in.

The first new song played from Ritter’s expected early 2010 release was a gorgeous, slow number that people are calling Change Of Time. What really stood out about this song to me was the incredible, heartfelt bridge. That and the catchy chorus being in my head all night. The night also provided a darling cover of the classic Moon River. The next new song to debut that evening was Locks, which is an angry spoken word piece that features intense percussion. The last of the batch was Another New World, which is another stunning slower piece that is carried by keyboards and cymbals for an eerie effect. An especially energetic To the Dogs Or Whoever created a theater full of people clapping and cheering to close out the main set. For the encore, Josh returned solo for the heartbreaking Thin Blue Flame. Harrisburg with an excerpt of Modest Mouse‘s Tiny Cities Made of Ashes was the last of the evening.

I can’t talk about Josh Ritter without mentioning his amazing band. Don’t get me wrong, seeing Josh play a solo acoustic show is still something very special, but it is my opinion that Ritter’s music reaches its full potential with full accompaniment. The talent, brilliance, and character overflows from Zack Hickman on bass, Sam Kassirer on keyboards, Austin Nevins on guitar, and Liam Hurley on drums. Thanks to them all for a fantastic night.

Monster Ballads – Josh Ritter

View the entire set here.