Show Recap #4: Burlington, VT - Univ of VT - 12/4/09

"What a wicked game to play...to make me feel this way...what a wicked thing to do!  To make me dream of you...no I don't wanna fall in love....with you".

Yes, those are the words of Chris Isaak.  But you haven't truly heard that song until you've heard it belted out from Dr. Zachariah Jebediah Obidiah Book of Revelations Hickman to a sold out University ballroom.  Read on.

Last night's show, the fourth of this little tour in as many days, found Josh and the band on the campus of The University of Vermont in Burlington.  If you've been tracking the concerts here on this site, you know that each show has been different from the shows before.  This one was certainly no exception; the band once again strayed from their setlist, they played at least one tour first ("Wolves"), the audience was almost completely young college students this time, and most alarming of all: dry campus.  Take away a band's extra towels or something - fine.  But mess with their whiskey?  Bad things could happen.



But they didn't.  Josh and the band brought their high energy and rocking show right to the young, packed audience, clanging their drumsticks together to greet them with "Rattling Locks."  The standing crowd was pressed right up to the barrier as far as they could go at the front of the stage; they couldn't get close enough.  "Rumors" is launched next, which sends the faithfuls up front into a tizzy.  I should mention - if I haven't yet already - that the band has a new setup onstage that places keyboardist Sam Kassirer not to the audience's far left with guitarist Austin Nevins between him and Josh (which it's been for as long as I can remember), but instead slightly set back and facing the audience to drummer Liam Hurley's right.  With Nevins able to move over to where Kassirer used to be, a lot more room is freed up for Josh - who has been using that extra elbow room to move is...well, elbows.  And hands and feet and knees and his head.  He's ALL over the stage these days, like a little kid playing his favorite record in his bedroom.  It's infectious, so if the audience wasn't bumping into each other up front during "Rumors," they certainly were during the next song, "Right Moves."

The ballroom on campus there at the Davis Center allowed for a sold-out capacity audience to fill the floor, but left a bit of space toward the back of the room - which young fans quickly used to spread out and dance or just joyously flail about.  To be honest, I absolutely love witnessing reactions like this.  The set slows only slightly here for the new "Southern Pacific" (have I mentioned the chorus that will be stuck in your head yet?), but when the band hits the first few chords of "Good Man," the audience is back into a tizzy.  To see what a crowd favorite this song has become isn't shocking - but still surprising to see the almost anthemic heights it has reached.  Then, for the first time since opening night in D.C., it's "Open Doors" with Josh and Austin both on acoustic guitars.  At the moment, I can't think of another song the band does with BOTH Josh and Austin going acoustic, and it really does make the song stand out from the rest of the full band songs, both sonically and attitude-wise.  "Open Doors" was always an underrated favorite of mine from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, so I welcome this song onto the setlist every time (*some Josh trivia for the diehards: Nevins confirms this morning that these two peformances of "Open Doors" this week are the first time he's played acoustic onstage with Josh since the 'secret' show at NYC's The Box, well over two years ago).

The audience is really into the show at this point, barely able to settle themselves when the song finishes.  So it doesn't surprise me that Josh decides to stave off the next song on the setlist ("Girl in the War") to slip in another tour premiere, the rockin' "Wolves."  And I say it's about time, Joshua.  Hell, even the tour poster and Josh Ritter t-shirts being sold at the merchandise counter feature the images of wolves emblazoned across them.  Speaking of anthemic rock songs, this is perhaps at the top of the list for Josh's catalogue, and it goes over with huge approval from the crowd.  Needless to say, the space at the back of the room was utilized big time.  I notice one girl dancing all around and singing her heart out, while her boyfriend (?) stands nearby, eyes on the stage.  Not a fan?  Nah, he's proudly wearing a Historical Conquests t-shirt.  I dig that.

"Girl in the War" follows, and though the dancing in the audience subsides, the singing along does NOT.  For a long time, this song was a show opener, then eventually becoming the classic you hope to be rewarded for near the show's end.  On this tour, it being worked into the show somewhere near the middle (whether solo acoustic or with the band) works great, and serves as not just a high point, but as a rewarding closer to the show's first "act."  Because then it's Josh solo for awhile, as the band disappears from the stage and Josh is left talking to the audience about being nervous, playing there in Burlington only once before "down by the water," and how he's from Idaho - "which borders the Pacific Ocean." 

"You Don't Make it Easy, Babe" again makes an appearance during Josh's solo acoustic segment.  And when he fumbles a lyric or two, he - perhaps returning to something familiar and definitely fail-safe - dedicates the song midway through to Dick Cheney.  It's been awhile since one of those, and it's still as funny, especially when Josh sings the final line as "I'm trying hard to love you, there's gotta be an easy way.... Dick."

And now it's that time.  Josh asks for the lights - ALL the lights - to be turned off.  But after some quick darkening around the room, a lone spotlight remains on top of Josh.  He looks up and pleads.  "God?  Please?  It's me, Margaret."  It doesn't work.  And though again not on the setlist, Josh decides to slide in an extra song for the audience.  He must be reading my recaps or listening to me rant or just seeing me in the audience practically sobbing.  Because "The Curse" is next, and I think this song is starting to hit audiences the way it has hit me: absolute silence in the ballroom, and the looks on everyone's faces is something to behold.  The hush in the room is deafening as everyone stands, motionless, soaking in every word of the story.  It's so solemn, it's eerie.  The tone is as if everyone is paying respect to something tragic or important; it's church-like.  I'll say it again and unashamedley not for the final time: it's an artist's masterwork.

Josh stays solo acoustic for "Rainslicker" and for the first time there's some chatter in the audience during the performance.  It's not about that song though; I truly believe the audience was still buzzing about 'The Curse."  After, Josh starts talking to the audience again.  He introduces the next song with a story about his high school years, highlighted by the amusing "I had a girlfriend in high school.  Well, we were close.  Several times a day (laughs from the crowd).  Her locker was close to mine."  Perfect setup for "All the other girls here are stars / You are the Northern Lights," the opening lines of "Kathleen."  Having switched from solo acoustic to full band for this song during the week, they switch it up tonight by giving us BOTH.  The band slyly rejoins Josh onstage during the song's climax "If you'd like to come along / I'll be yours for a song / Whoa oh oh ohhhh" which the crowd joins in with a loud humming before Liam Hurley crashes back into the song on his drums.  I believe it's the first they've attempted that rendition, and I think it worked beautifully.

With everyone's hands in the air in the form of clenched fists or furious applause, it's everyone's heads that get bobbing and feet stomping next when the band jumps right into "Mind's Eye."  You can tell it's a favorite with the audience, but nothing can prepare them for "Remnant" - the new song the band has premiered on this tour that features Josh at the microphone, sans any guitar, trying to knock the entire mic stand into the crowd with the loud, relentless tumbling lyrics in front of the hard driving beat.  He almost does it, and I think will one night.  Even for longtime fans, this song will surprise many.  It's a haymaker punch of a jam.  In fact, it's a sucker punch.  And even when I know it's coming, I forget to duck.

The pace is then brought back down a bit, and I think the audience needs a breather at this point.  "Monster Ballads" is the perfect way to do it.  Josh doesn't let them breathe long though, as he fires up the show again immediately after for "Lillian, Egypt" which draws the biggest and most enthusiastic yells of the night from the crowd.  As they've done all week during this performance, the band segues into the festive "Little Drummer Boy," featuring Sam on the keys.  But as they've also been doing during the tour, they steer the rollercoaster ride of a show right back down to play the new song "Another New Word," another stunner of a narrative that will pay off for anyone who invests in its long, moody, and ultimately rocking presentation.  Another highlight of the current show, and another new song that folks seem to want to talk about after each show.

"Harrisburg" gets everyone back to jumping around - but this audience will get more than just the rockin' favorite about the existence of evil.  Whereas the band has been flipping back and forth this week (and well before) with the song's midpoint segue from Josh doing "Rambling Man" by Hank Wiliams to bassist Zack Hickman taking to the mic to do "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," tonight is a first.  Ever.  Zack takes to the microphone and softly starts to sing the chorus of the Chris Isaak 90's classic "Wicked Game."  He doesn't even need the mic's amplification, as he absolutely belts out "What a wicked thing to doooo!" with a bravado and gusto that only he can pull off.  And he nails it.  It's another fun, honestly weird curveball from Josh and the band that keeps us fans on our toes.  Just when you thought you knew a Josh Ritter show...

"To the Dogs" gloriously - and furiously - closes the main set as the diehard fans up front once again try to keep up with Josh's lyrical gymnastics as they sing along at a lightning pace.  If anyone is still with him by the time a Casey is killed by swerve laid low by a curve, I'm impressed.  This song just gets faster and faster each time.  Exhilirating is still the best word I can use to possibly describe the way it's currently being played in concert.

The encore finds Josh and Austin (playing his electric softly and gorgeously) covering "Moon River" before not only does the band rejoin them onstage, but Josh invites The Low Anthem (who has been opening the shows all week) up there as well.  I must apologize to my fellow Josh Ritter fans and any Low Anthem fans at this point for not saying anything yet this week about this amazing band.  I will in a future post.  But they are NOT to be missed; their new album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin is must-hear, and their live show features an array of talents, sounds, and even instruments you won't see with any other band.  See - and hear - them immediately.  On this night, they make a great backing vocal chorus for "Empty Hearts."  Josh convinces the crowd to sing to THEM first though, a serenade a la Romeo and Juliet, that the audience obliges with some real love.  Another highlight that no other town has gotten.

For the first time during this little tour, "Come and Find Me" is skipped in lieu of "Snow is Gone."  It's a wise move, for this young Friday night crowd on the university's campus did not appear to want to slow down.  And they don't.  When Josh gushes his thanks to the crowd and the house lights come up, the fans go skipping out the door, some still singing "Be my darrrlin'!"  Another amazing and different show from Josh Ritter and his band.

And you should have seen me skipping.

On to Troy New York!