Josh Ritter
I love music. Listening to it. Playing it. But for some reason I have never been good at talking extensively about it, or for that matter reviewing it, but I want to get better.
Last night I had the privilege of seeing Josh Ritter play at The Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro/Chapel Hill. I first started listening to Ritter last year when his album, The Animal Years hit, so I am pretty new to his stuff, but I’ve fallen in love pretty fast. His current tour is in support of his latest album The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter.
Ritter typically gets dumped into the generic “Pop” genre. This label is probably as good as anything seeing as I typically find most of the genre distinctions these days useless. In the past I would have labeled Ritter as more “Folk” but his latest album probably pushes that. His song writing is incredible whether you label it “Pop” or “Folk”. I think he is a bit Dylan-esque, but with a better voice (hoping not to get struck by lightening). Listening to his music makes me want to sit down with him over coffee or a beer and talk with him about life.
As for the show, it was pretty incredible. The Cat’s Cradle was packed. There was a very wide age range present, which is a bit unusual for The Cat’s Cradle, but speaks to Ritter’s wide appeal. Both opening acts were actually good (one of them was REALLY good). I find that this is usually not the case, but it was a pleasant surprise, and worth getting there on time. Ritter took it to the next level, though. From the very start he exudes an energy that infects the crowd. He never stops smiling, and genuinely seems delighted to be performing. I got the feeling that the guy LOVES what he is doing. He looks like a kid in a candy store. His band is awesome. They move from song to song in almost one continuous stream. Ritter seems intent upon giving the audience a good show. To quote him, he said, “We live for these 2 hours every night”, and I believe him. I loved it. I would go see him again in a heart beat.
So, check him out. Grab his latest album, and if you get a chance GO SEE HIM; he won’t disappoint!