Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
Posts Tagged ‘Josh Ritter’
Josh Ritter - The Beach at Governors Island - August 8, 2010
Monday, August 9th, 2010
Spend Your Weekend at The Beach
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010If you check the weather forecast for this weekend, you’ll see nothing but sunny skies ahead, which is pretty great in itself. But why not make it even better with two nights of terrific music in the great outdoors? The L.A. five-piece Local Natives first gained attention last year at SXSW and then when the band toured Europe in support of their debut disc, Gorilla Manor, which came out in the U.K. nearly four months before its release in the U.S. While some groups have a clear leader and a set of complementary pieces, Local Natives (above, playing “Airplanes” for Seattle’s KEXP FM) are a true collaboration, from singing to songwriting to artwork. And when they come to The Beach at Governors Island on Saturday, expect to be dazzled by lush harmonies, lofty melodies and thumping tribal beats.
Josh Ritter has been at the game a little bit longer. He knew at a young age that he wanted to become a singer-songwriter, and so he did, self-releasing his first disc, Josh Ritter, back in 1999. Ever since then, the prolific musician has put out a large collection of EPs and LPs filled with intimate, folk-inspired music. As noted rock historian Mary Louise Parker says, “If you love music and have a device on which to play it, you should listen to Josh Ritter whenever you need sound.” And if you need sound on Sunday, head to The Beach at Governors Island to see Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band (below, playing “The Curse” on The Late Late Show). As an added bonus, this is part of Converse’s Gone to Governors series, which means the show is FREE.
Three Chances to Spend the Night with Josh Ritter
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Growing up in Idaho, Josh Ritter heard the Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash version of “Girl from the North Country” on his parents’ copy of Nashville Skyline and knew he wanted to become a songwriter. Some dreams do come true, because years later, Ritter was named one of the 100 Greatest Living Songwriters by Paste magazine. The folk-leaning singer-songwriter has earned favorable comparisons to Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen and Gillian Welch (or as Mary-Louise Parker says, he “is usually compared to the legends, the ones you have been listening to since you were 15, the ones you love most”), and he’s put out a considerable amount of material on EPs and full-length albums. And, backed by the Royal City Band, Ritter (above, playing “The Curse” for Studio 360) is currently touring in support of his most recent disc, So Runs the World Away, which brings him to Town Hall tomorrow and Thursday and to Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Dawes opening!) on Saturday.
Download Josh Ritter’s “Change of Time”
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter’s seventh album, So Runs the World Away, comes out in May. And later that month, he and the Royal City Band will play Town Hall on the 19th (on sale Friday at noon) and 20th. But since that’s way too long from now to wait to hear his new music, check it out for yourself by downloading “Change of Time” here.
(Josh Ritter, above, plays “To the Dogs or Whoever” on Late Show with David Letterman.)
Josh Ritter - The Wellmont Theatre - April 4, 2009
Monday, April 6th, 2009
(Photo: John Strymish)
Maybe all it takes is a smile—a big fat “I love my life!” kinda smile that permeates everyone around you and everything you do. That’s the kind that spread across Josh Ritter’s face on Saturday night at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, N.J. From the moment he hopped onstage, through the over-the-top platitudes to the audience, to the last notes of the show, Ritter did his best Cheshire Cat impression. And it did permeate all: His band smiled with him, the music had a big fat grin on it—every song—and the crowd just beamed.
Ritter’s band is the basic two guitars, bass, keys and drums, with the addition of something groovy called the Omnichord that the bass player strummed once or twice (to wonderful effect). Everything relied on the songs and Ritter’s charisma. For the most part that was just fine. Working out of the back catalog and sprinkling in a “new one,” the band swung the crowd with ease. I was shocked when Ritter would drop his vocals and the whole crowd picked up singing in perfect time.
It’s always a good sign when you can announce a new song and it’s the best of the night, which was the case with “Annabel Lee,” a tragic love ballad sung by a sailor to his doomed boat. This was slow and beautiful. It was so quiet, you could hear the guy three rows in front of you breathing. For the most part, though, it was upbeat, clap-your-hands rock, decorated with some goofy choreographed stage antics. It worked because that grin on Ritter’s face spoke to the fact that this was honest fun. Josh Ritter really does love his life and has the smile to prove it. —A. Stein
© 2010
