I went into Tuesday night’s Josh Ritter performance expecting a very mellow evening with a solid amount of heartbreak songs off his recent album, The Beast in its Tracks, instead I gained a greater appreciation for Ritter as a performer and left feeling entirely different about the new album.
On stage, Ritter performs as if he hasn’t been touring forever- like you are actually receiving your own personal set. His enthusiasm was contagious, he seemed genuinely excited to be with the audience. He continuously stated how much fun playing is and how the evening was “awesome.” You could tell from his giant grin that he truly loves what he does. Ritter was very engaging, throughout the set he randomly jumped up and down on stage like he was on a trampoline, switched out his guitar, and played off his band members.
The band left the stage several times to let Ritter perform solo. Some of the most beautiful moments of the evening was when he pulled away from the mic and just sang out into the audience with his eyes closed, like on “Change of Time.” Another highlight was when he played “The Temptation of Adam” a song that shows how poetic Ritter is and also came across very haunting live. Ritter performed this song, with all the lights down except one shining on him, creating a very powerful experience. The solo sets were beautiful, but Ritter’s band was outstanding. They made fun of themselves, they harmonized wonderfully, and seemed to enjoy playing together.
Ritters fans know almost every one of his poetic lyrics and this crowd sang along with several of his songs, most notably on “Right Moves.” It was exciting to be in an audience that was giving as much energy as they were receiving.
My favorite songs from the evening were “A New Lover” and “Joy to You Baby”, both from the new album. These songs are a true rendition of life and what it means to lose someone and seeing these songs performed live showed me how hopeful Ritter really was and thankful for his experiences.
Before the show, I appreciated Ritter as a singer/songwriter, but after this concert I now see him as a performer with an incredible ability to convince an audience to put their dancing shoes on but, also bring them to tears.