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Two audience members stood out at Josh Ritter's October show in Somerville: the drunk Irishman who preferred to be escorted our rather than sit down, and the man who soberly and repeatedly called out, Play your old stuff. Last week's benefit shows may have been more to the latter's liking. (Bostonist attended the second of that Tuesday evening's two performances.)
While Mr. Ritter did play a breakneck acoustic rendition of "To The Dogs Or Whoever", a whimsically apocalyptic "Temptation of Adam", and other material to please those of his fans who think it's okay for a guy to record a third or even a fourth album, the set list was largely a love letter to the faithful who packed themselves into the (organic, soy-based) sardine can that is Club Passim. (The $35 and $75 ticket prices went toward his friend Kate's breast cancer treatment.) The crowd applauded folky, pre-record-deal tunes like "Hotel Song" and the seldom-played "Angels On Her Shoulders" and sang along with the sophomore record highlight "Kathleen". Bostonist was pleased to revisit "Harrisburg", and "Lawrence, Kansas", whose alt-country lamentations ("My debts are not like prison, where there's hope of getting free") were especially moving.
"I never do Dylan covers," Josh Ritter said just before covering Dylan, because "he's everywhere," (and, we suspect, to avoid the burden of comparison). Other exceptions included a solo performance by Mr. Ritter's extravagantly mustachioed bassist, Zack Hickman ("usually if I get to sing it's because I won a bet"), who sang about his inauthenticity as a cowboy, and a snappy duet between Ritter and Hickman. They've been playing together for a decade now ("I'm still waiting for a ring"), and this concert showcased the hetero-lifemate chemistry that's always made the shows so much fun to watch.
The event's beneficiary, present and with cute shoes, took the stage to thank the audience and to thank her musical friends. Every Josh Ritter show, without fail, leaves Bostonist in a state of uncharacteristic buoyancy; this one made us want to hug everybody everywhere.
From top: Josh Ritter and nondenominational holiday ornament; Sam Kassirer, Josh Ritter, and Zack Hickman; Josh Ritter and his feelings.
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Reading this just made me grin. A lot. Love Josh Ritter's work...great write-up!