Lifestyle

Josh Ritter is my favourite musician but why?

On November 10, aka our first night back in London. I got to see Josh Ritter (again) at the Barbican Centre. Now since this is the 4th time I’ve seen him live (twice in America, twice in London) you might think that’s overkill. But when he performs he looks incandescently happy and charming. It makes you as an audience happy to watch him because it’s so infectious. Pure joy, really!

barbican 2013 london
His background was psychedelic.

Despite having been suffering heavily from the stomach flu for the previous 24 hours I did my best to pull myself together. We already had out tickets so I couldn’t waste them! Plus I had been looking forward to it for so long that I didn’t want a little thing like vomiting to get in the way. (In the honour of full disclosure, I had a plastic bag in my purse just in case.)

It’s rare to see someone looking so purely happy doing what they do best. You can tell me really appreciates music in his life and how it impacts others. Not to mention the fact that he’s plain ol’ brilliant.

His opening act this time around was amazing! Her name was Tift Merrit and as soon as Sam and I get settled and have internet consistently we are definitely going to download her CD.  It was Ritter’s new baby’s first birthday so at one point he brought her out on stage and everyone (audience and band) sung her happy birthday.
josh ritter

Ritter’s lyrics are always poetic and thoughtful but the musicality of his songs doesn’t suffer for the sake of his words. The songs are nearly as catchy as they are moving.

But the other reason why his music is so important in my life is the emotional memories it has for me. I introduced Sam to him back in the fall of 2010 and when I had to return to America that spring he would text me Ritter lyrics and it would light my day up. (Or sometimes make me cry joy/missing him).  Sam has never seen him live and we really wanted to make this a memory together for the two of us.

Just take a quick listen and see for yourself.

The only downside of the concert was that we waited by stage door in hopes of meeting Ritter which, of course, didn’t happen. We gave up after about an hour of waiting. Maybe next time!

What musician have you seen multiple times or would wait to meet?

 

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