Josh Ritter is one of those artists that I’ve followed for years and who I try to see live whenever he plays locally. He brings so much energy to his shows and is legitimately having the time of his life up there on stage. Touring for his latest album, Spectral Lines, he played the House of Blues in Boston with Amythyst Kiah opening.
A little history
The way I fell into Josh Ritter was different than word of mouth or by luck. I was in high school, I’m guessing around the year 2000 when I went to Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts to see the singer-songwriter, Tom Russell. Seeing Tom at Passim became a yearly pilgrimage. This was the first time I’d see Tom Russell and opening for him was another singer-songwriter, Josh Ritter, who was just starting out.
After the set, I purchased his self-released self-titled CD from him at the merch table. The following year, I started college at Boston University, and throughout my time living in West Campus I would see Josh’s name on the marquee of the front room at the Paradise Rock Club. I thought to myself it’s pretty cool to see this guy make it this far. Ironically, the front room of the Paradise would be just the tip of the iceberg.
And Onward
In 2003, his acclaimed album, Hello Starling was released. My dad said to me, “Remember that guy Josh Ritter we saw open up for Tom Russell a few years ago? You must have been onto something because his new album is getting all kinds of great press.” After hearing tracks like “Kathleen” and “Come and Find Me” (the latter from his previous album), I couldn’t believe how he’d grown as a singer and a songwriter. That New Year’s Eve, he played a free show as part of the Boston First Night celebration along with the Pernice Brothers at the Orpheum Theater. The early show was sparsely attended, but he was excellent and I was hooked.
In 2006, he released The Animal Years which is my all-time favorite Josh Ritter album, which is a difficult feat because so many are just so good. This album cemented him as one of my favorite musicians. Since that tour, I don’t think I’ve missed him on tour for a new album. From the Newport Folk Festival to the House of Blues, the Somerville Theater to the Toad’s Place, I’ve seen him in an array of venues. Last May was the most recent time I saw him live, and as always, he put on quite the show.
Josh Ritter at the House of Blues, Boston
Amythyst Kiah opened the show with a powerful set. Josh Ritter then came up with an excellent set himself culling from over 20 years of songs. Although his newest album was represented with 8 songs, he even played “Harrisburg” which dates to his second album. Altogether this was another superb performance from Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band. This had been the first time in a while seeing him without guitarist Josh Kaufman. All of the musicians he brings in, from longtime bandmate Zachariah Hickman to newer band member, Jocie Adams all bring their own flair to the songs.
Josh Ritter is seemingly always touring, so the next time he’s in a town near you, check him out! (PS- He’s out and about in 2024)
