There's really not much better birthday gift out there than getting to see Josh Ritter perform live with a full band. While I have seen him a couple of times before, it has always been a bit quieter, not accompanied by a full 4 piece band, and the difference between the experiences really is tremendous. Tonight's show was really the best of both worlds, as the band left stage a couple of times to allow Ritter time to play an acoustic song or two, and really leave the crowd aware of just how dynamic a performer he really has become. The set list covered all eras of Josh's songs, from the earlier anthemic "Kathleen" to more recent songs like "Rumors" and "Right Moves", as well as breaking out a couple of brand new tracks for the crowd.

The show began with a beautiful, low version of "Best For The Best", warming up Ritter's guitar and voice for the perfect and easy lope of "Monster Ballads". Then the rock set in. As Ritter looked to be having as much fun as the energetic and enthralled audience, the band launched into "Rumors", morphing into the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" and seamlessly morphing back. The band hit "Wolves" much more heavily than I would have ever imagined possible, pounding toms carrying the rhythm as Josh wailed away on one of his most perfect songs. Building the energy even further, the band launched into a wicked version of "Right Moves", making me realize that Ritter has slowly been turning into a bit of Glen Campbell, as the band modulated into a cool country-hoedown groove complete with twangy hillbilly guitars. Then Ritter and band played a new song called "True Love" and also a beautiful, upbeat version of "One More Mouth". No matter how good a time you're having, there is still important meaning in it all, and that was evident in the raucous version of the beautiful song "Good Man", presented here in an energetic, whooping style, building the energy to a fast and furious crescendo of song. Continuing in this vein, the band moved rapidly into a quick "Kathleen", filled with energy and at a tempo that somehow works with this early favorite.

In a ballsy move, the band chose this highly energetic point to leave the stage, leaving it bare with only Ritter and an acoustic guitar to play a haunting version of "Come And Find Me" before returning to join in for a slightly dark, swinging version of "Moon River". Then the band stepped the tempo back up with another brand new song with tremendous grooviness and stop/starts, followed by a great, rocking version of "Real Long Distance". The guitar player finally picks up a Telecaster as the band launches into a speedy and hard version of "Lillian, Egypt", complete with fantastic guitar and piano solos and a weirdly compelling slip into an almost disco syncopation at times. At this point, the lights all went out on stage and Josh performed an acoustic version of "Girl In The War"… it is amazing the effect that a completely darkened stage can have with such a beautiful song coming from its center. With the lights out the song was even more intimate, more centered, than it has ever seemed before, and the crowd responded by singing along as the song progressed. The feeling was awe inspiring; almost invoking a spirit of prayer, and this was prayer at its finest, a silent, black room enthralled by the most beautiful of songs.

The band joined back in for another new song, "Another New World", filled with a sweet melancholy and atmosphere and words about ships. This song made me look forward to a new record, expecting it to be filled with this dynamism and beauty. After the lovely quiet beauty of the new song, the band launched into an anthemic and awesome version of "Hello Starling" before slipping once more into Glen Campbell style for a very wonderful and uplifting take on "Empty Hearts". The set finished up with a speedy version of "To The Dogs Or Whatever", cool and energetic the song was so fast that the words were more rapped that sung as it wound to its noisy and violent conclusion, somewhat out of control.

For the encore, Ritter returned to stage to play a solo acoustic version of "Thin Blue Line" that was a pure testimony to the truths in the song. Love and life and beauty and everything important are contained in its long but simple poetry. I have never before heard an audience at the Bluebird theater so quiet this late in a show, and I assume I will enver hear it so again. The band joined back in for a truly stomping version of "Harrisburg" that was very dynamic in some very odd places, adding a weird feel to the song that made it even more captivating than it is on record.

Josh Ritter has learned much about performing since I first saw him years ago, including how to make a dynamic set move throughout the evening, invoking the best and worst of the human spirit, building tension and allowing it to release at just the right moment. There is no way any live show could have been any better than this; Ritter has proven without a doubt that he has become the weirdly perfect mix of Bob Dylan and Robert Earl Keen. He has the poetry and soul of one with the performance chops and energy of the other.

-David DeVoe

Josh Ritter
Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
July 23, 2009
www.joshritter.com

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