BY MARK DOLEJS When Josh Ritter entered the stage at the Haw River Ballroom on Tuesday night, he ran to the microphone to say hello to ...
BY MARK DOLEJS
When Josh Ritter entered the stage at the Haw River Ballroom on Tuesday night, he ran to the microphone to say hello to the crowd. The full house welcomed him for an intimate seated show.
Ritter played this show as a makeup date for a weather-cancelled show back in January, when he had two back-to-back shows scheduled. This was a special show, an acoustic show, just Ritter and his guitar.
Ritter has a charisma that draws you in and doesn’t let go... for the whole time he is on stage. I noticed that the usual army of concert cell phones was not present. I think I only saw one or two people the whole night with their cell phone, taking a quick picture or video.
' With a smile on his face, throughout almost every song, you can feel Ritter’s passion. He pours out his heart and soul into his lyrics and the way he sings. His words resinate with everyone who hears them.
The crowd for this show was one of the most respectful I’ve ever seen. They sat the whole time, not because it was a seated show, but because they were so engaged, it was the best way to soak up the musical essence in the room. When they sang along, they did so quietly, so that they could still hear every note coming from Ritter.
Ritter is a folk, singer songwriter, that has been recording since he was 21. Twenty eight years later and this guy is still cranking out fan favorites like “The Curse,” “Kathleen,” and “Homecoming.”
I’ve not seen him with his band, The Royal City Band, but I feel like his delivery as an acoustic solo performer is as strong as it gets. You feel each song and each lyric as if you’ve been a part of Ritter’s life and experienced his writing as if you were there when he wrote it.
Partway through the show, Ritter introduced a song made popular by Jimmy Durante, called “Make Somone Happy.” He said, “I want to try this song, it’s gonna be a train wreck.” Far from it, the crowd loved it.
That’s the thing about Ritter. His delivery seems so effortless, but yet his subject matter and lyrics are pretty damn complicated, often singing about love, grace, and faith. I hadn’t listened to too much of his music prior to the show, but I am now a big fan.
“Father’s War” is an emotional protest song about the warriors who return from war and how war has changed them and how we relate to them in this messed up world. One line from the song is “Remember, even Jesus had to fight his father’s war.”
Ritter began the night talking a bit about being on the road in these screwed up times. He said, “There are reasons to be ashamed, but also reasons for hope.”
After more than 20 songs, Ritter performed a cover of The Dubliners' “Raglan Road.” This quiet, haunting song was a wonderful way to end the night. And just as he had entered the stage, Ritter ran off after thanking the crowd. While I appreciate his sentiment of thanking us after most of his songs ended, I think he deserves all the thanks! I will be back to see him again, every time he is in town or nearby.
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- MARK DOLEJS
Photography is an avenue that
Mark Dolejs uses to learn about the people and places that cross his path. After more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mark enjoys concert, macro, and roadside photography. Follow Mark on Instagram at @solidrockpix.
Read Mark's posts here.
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