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I just got back from seeing Josh Ritter at The Recher Theater in Towson, MD. This is the second time I’ve seen Ritter in the last few months, and if at all possible it won’t be the last. Ritter commands the stage with almost reckless enthusiasm, sweeping the audience along through his evocative songs. Behind him is one of the tightest bands you’ll ever see, locking the upbeat tunes into a hard groove and subtly adding presence to the ballads.
Highlights of the show included “Snow is Gone”, “Harrisburg”, a solo rendition of “Girl in the War”, the always amazing “Kathleen” (which included a 30 second group slow dance), and a version of “Lilian, Egypt” that ended with a disco sing-along, done in stages that represented major periods in American history from the 1860s to present. It’s hard to explain. I guess you had to be there.
Another high point was Ritter’s solo performance of a new song, which he announced as “Folk Bloodshed”. It was very much a Mississippi blues tune, with lyrics that incorporate the Stagger Lee story that’s so popular in the genre. A great new song.
If Josh and his band are coming anywhere near you, do yourself a favor and go see them. You won’t be disappointed.
3 comments
May 2, 2008 at 10:07 am
Ali
Hey, i was at that Josh Ritter Concert. Just wanted to tell you that the “bluesy” song is not Josh Ritter’s. That was “Angel’s Laid Him Away” by the great Mississippi John Hurt. You should check him out if you like Delta Blues music.
May 5, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Sean
Ali,
I think you’re partially right. The refrain is certainly from Mississippi John Hurt’s “Louis Collins”, but the verses are different. Ritter’s verses played on the Stagger Lee story, also made poplar by MJH, as well as using elements from “Louis Collins”, and another classic delta blues song, “Delia” (the version I have is Blind Willie McTell). So it seems he mashed up a bunch of old tunes to make something new, a time-honored blues technique.
BTW, the full lyrics are here: http://www.joshritter.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3330&sid=1ca86c575bd753a862e4b9326d2d8521
May 5, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Sean
And there’s a live performance of it here:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/cultureclub/2006-02-27.htm