Josh Ritter @ The Sage Gateshead (17/11/07)

Tour 23 Nov Concorde 2 - Brighton, UK 24 Nov New Trinity Centre - Bristol, UK 26 Nov Everyman Palace - Cork, Ire 27 Nov Everyman Palace - Cork, Ire 29 Nov Dolans Warehouse - Limerick, Ire 30 Nov Rugby Club - Tullamore, Ire 01 Dec Black Box - Galway, Ire 02 Dec Glor - Ennis, Ire 04 Dec The Classic Grand - Glasgow, UK 05 Dec The Empire - Belfast, Ire 06 Dec Olympia Theatre - Dublin, Ire 07 Dec Watergate Theatre - Kilkenny, Ire 08 Dec Forum - Waterford, Ire 11 Dec Club Passim (7pm) - Boston, MA 11 Dec Club Passim (10pm) - Boston, MA 14 Dec Grand Ballroom - New York, NY Links Josh Ritter Live : El Rey Theatre & Artists Den Performance http://weheartmus... I was hyped to see Josh Ritter perform at the El Rey Theatre this past Thursday in Los Angeles. ... Albums The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter [2007] The Animal Years [2006] 4 Songs Live [2005] Hello Starling [2003] Golden Age of Radio [2002] josh ritter [1999]

And the award for the happiest man alive goes to...Josh Ritter. From the moment he walked on the stage of Hall Two at the Sage Gateshead, to the moment he told his final bow, Josh Ritter wore on his face the most dashing smile I've ever seen.

Now I know Cristina (Ritter's future wife) has already mentioned the Josh Ritter tour, but W♥M is an international site and I loved the gig in Newcastle so much that I couldn't resist mentioning it again.

I never truly understood how being compared to Bob Dylan can used as a criticism, however I've read a few reviews making similar comparisons as if it were a bad thing. In my eyes, Ritter has always stood apart from Dylan, as part of the vanguard of the modern Americana.

I expected a good performance from a seasoned singer-songwriter such as Ritter. What I actually witnessed in the intimate setting of the Sage was an astonishing show from a musician at the peak of his game.

His personal serenade to a bearded man in the balcony was a priceless moment, as was his theory that David Attenborough makes most of the animal sounds on the documentary 'Planet Earth'. There was a moment during the show were he plunged the entire hall into darkness, although the lighting crew were quite reluctant. In the pitch black, he led the audience in making the sound of the giant carnivorous rabbit. Ritter had a lot of fun.

Supported by a band for most of the show, he was rarely off the stage during his two hour set. In total, he left for five minute break before returning for an encore of classics. The sole disappointment of the evening was 'A Girl in the War'. I have become so accustomed to hearing his acoustic demo version, that hearing it plugged in and amplified seemed alien to me. But all sins were forgotten when he started his encore with a soulful cover of 'Chelsea Hotel No 2', which is probably the closest I'll get to Leonard Cohen himself.

Josh was clearly playing to a crowd of fans. He seized the opportunity to rehash classic such as 'Monster Ballads', 'Lillian, Egypt', 'Good Man' and 'The Snow is Gone'. He even threw in an old Dylan song. Throughout though, there remained a healthy dose of new material taken from his latest album, 'The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter'.

The Temptation Of Adam

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One of the highlights of the night was 'The Temptation Of Adam'. A ballad about a romantic affair in a nuclear bunker located underground and out of sight, which managed to be hysterical and sentimental all in one as the couple ponder whether WWIII is the only way to make their love flourish.

Supporting Ritter was the surprisingly delightful Katie Walsh, who has just returned from her US tour. Her brand of soft-spoken, sensual ballads was a fitting introduction to the more well-rounded sound of Ritter, and at times a little more heart-felt and personal.

At the end of it all, I felt like a born-again Ritter fan and fully justified in my decision to join the Josh Ritter Appreciation Group on facebook. Talking of facebook, there is an awesome W♥M fan page...Ok, so it ain't awesome but it is pretty good.

Check out Ritter's website for more free tracks available to download (spread across his entire discography).

Josh Ritter's Fall Tour continues on in the UK and Ireland before finishing in Boston and New York. A lot of the venues are already sold out.

Most importantly Ritter managed to convince my younger brother, Tim, that I am still cool. I am still cool. I am still cool. I was never cool. All in all, it was another wonderful night at the Sage Gateshead.   

 November 22, 2007 21:05   Ryan my♥posts joshritter.com