Josh Ritter and the Conquest of a Crowd

Josh Ritter
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, N.C.
April 30, 2008

Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter has a fancy tour bus. A roster of critically acclaimed albums. More than a few references as "the new Dylan." But he also has a million-watt smile that lights up a venue with genuine appreciation when he walks on stage.

Really? I could have watching him smile all evening, that's how lovely it is. But he was kind enough to bring the music, too, which was just as much of a treat. Ritter's voice, raspy when it rocks, smooth when it slows, warms the room and kicks his songs a notch above the beauty of his recordings. He treats each word of the lyrics with respect, as they should be treated, so even in a club setting you can understand everything, clear as a bell.

With some artists, a live show gives you, basically, a rehash of a recording with maybe a longer guitar solo thrown in to remind you it's live. But Ritter took his familiar songs in new directions, and had a little fun while he was at it. Hopeful "Hello Starling" became a political song, dedicated, as he said, to Dick Cheney, and looking ahead to better times (please, God) come next Inauguration Day. Ritter didn't endorse a candidate or a party, but the feeling of hope and freshness with which "Starling" filled the room is something Obama's people should probably look into bottling.

Several songs, whether Ritter meant them to or not, became sing-alongs. The widening of his smile and several appreciative shakes of the head led me to believe he didn't mind a bit. For the record, the choruses of "Empty Hearts" and "Lillian Egypt" are fun to belt out in a crowd of fellow admirers, not just in your car.

Ritter's band seemed to be riding his mischevious vibe, at one point accompanying Ritter by ... juggling. Life on a bus will do that to you, I guess. But it'll also, one hopes, solidify a band's ability to feed off each member's energy and have a damn fun time.

Ritter has staked his claim near the top of the heap of today's singer-songwriters, undoubtedly. But he hasn't forgotten how he climbed up there, or who loves him, baby. I think he'd tell you himself if you asked him, but that smile alone, and a thousand earnest "thanks so much for coming!"s from the stage, lets you know that you, the fan, are appreciated. And I have to think that that warmth, that connection with people, is what makes him the incredible songwriter and performer that he is.

THIS JUST IN: It looks like Josh Ritter is blogging for HuffingtonPost during his tour. Keep up with him here, and read about some decidedly non-rock-star projectile vomiting!