Josh Ritter- 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C., 12.1.09
Josh Ritter is the best lyricist in music. That statement is hardly radical, as I've read many other Josh Ritter reviews branding him in a similar fashion. I can't possibly imagine a musician working today who writes lyrics as beautiful and bursting with imagery as Josh Ritter does on an all too consistent basis. There are songs that simply floor me, and make me stand in awe at his mastery of the language. I'd like to channel his brilliance on a nearly daily basis as I stumble through countless conversations searching for the words I need to say. He is a poet in the truest sense. Tuesday's concert cemented Josh Ritter's spot in my top 5 favorite musicians. It was incredible.
If you've ever seen Josh Ritter perform live, you know that he may be the happiest person on Earth when he's playing his music. Throughout the entirety of the concert, he was beaming with a smile, simply psyched to be performing. It's nearly impossible to be in a bad mood as part of a Josh Ritter performance. At one point, my friend Teresa turned to me and said, "I want whatever medicine he's on." I should have kept a tally of how many times he thanked the crowd. The man was ecstatic to be doing what he loved.
I would go through the entire setlist, but this post would sprawl on forever, so I'll hit the highlights. "Right Moves", off Josh's latest studio release "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter" is a fantastic upbeat song about the uncertainty of a romantic relationship. You know the feeling.... the "Is it too early to call? Should I wait?" "Well maybe so and so thought I meant this when I really meant that," kind of scenario. This song also has one of my favorite lyrics. "You put a finger to my lips/Then you kissed me once/And once again/ The crickets all leapt up and met the moon with a standing ovation." It's a pretty good description of the feeling when that kiss does happen and you realize you did make the right moves.
One of my favorite portions of the show was when Josh came out and did 4 songs solo. His first solo song, "Kathleen" is a fan favorite and tells the story of a high school dance. Another great lyric (there's going to be a lot of these) "All the other girls here are stars/You are the Northern Lights." Note to self: Come up with lines like that, and you're golden.
Here's where the most magical moment of the show occurred... at least for me. The very next song he played was called "The Curse". It's a knockout. I wish I could write a story as beautiful as this song. Again, Josh just sang it on stage my himself finger picking away on his guitar, and the crowd was silent. Dead silent. And hanging on every word. It was like Picasso painting his masterpiece, it was Gretzky's 92 goal season, it was Chef Remy's Ratatouille (what up Pixar!). At least for me it was. The song tells the story of a woman who falls in love with a mummy. I realize that sounds weird... this is why Josh Ritter can write a kick ass song and I can't. I'll post a video at the bottom and you can hear the story for yourself. I don't want to ruin it. I've listened about 30 times since the concert. Favorite lyric: "She asked, 'Are you cursed?'/ He said, 'I think that I'm cured/Then he kissed her and hoped/The she'd forget that question."
Other highlights: The song "Wings" played in complete darkness. "Empty Hearts" when Josh asked the audience on the floor to serenade the members of the balcony with the chorus as in Romeo and Juliet. "To the Dogs or Whoever", it's just a song that rocks, especially live, and it's filled with allusions. Finally, the new song "Another New World". If it wasn't for my new found obsession for "The Curse" this would have been the highlight. It's another song that tells a story. This one, a love story between a man and his ship, the Annabel Lee. The song is haunting and beautiful in it's tragedy. The video for this song is at the bottom of the page as well. Just sit back and listen to the lyrics. It's amazing.
What a great show! Definitely up there on my list of favorites. I can't help but think that if it was the 1960's Josh Ritter would be Bob Dylan huge right now. But part of me is selfishly relieved. While Josh has a strong following (the show was sold out), it feels like being part of a club to like an artist this good that isn't HUGE yet. His fans appreciate the music he turns out, and he seems to absolutely love writing it. I can't wait for the upcoming album (possibly April) and the tour to support it!
Setlist:
1. Wildfires
2. Rumors
3. Right Moves
4. Southern Pacific
5. Open Doors
6. Golden Age of Radio
7. Kathleen (Solo)
8. The Curse (Solo)
9. You Don't Make It Easy Babe (Solo)
10. Wings (Solo)
11. Mind's Eye
12. Remnant
13. Lillian, Egypt
14. Me & Jiggs
15. Moon River
16. Another New World
17. Harrisburg
18. To the Dogs or Whoever
Encore:
19. Girl in the War
20. Empty Hearts
21. Come and Find Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZuswr9h5-Q --The Curse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoaQOKG-urc --- Another New World
another sick review dude.
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