A Good Man

Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band is one of three bands I would drop everything for in order to see them live each time they come through town (I’m sure I’ll write about the other two another time). Having seen Josh Ritter four times in the past, it’s become impossible to pass up the opportunity to see a musician who is so deeply in love with what he does. Fortunately, their show on May 15 at the Vic Theatre played nicely into my schedule, falling on the first day of summer vacation. It had been a little under a year since Josh Ritter last played in Chicago, the last time being at the Metro. At that show, Ritter played a few new songs he had been working on that were to be included on his next album. That album, So Runs the World Away, was released on May 4 of this year in the States and was greeted with almost unanimously glowing reviews. From NPR to Entertainment Weekly, critics are falling in love with the lyrical adventures and songwriting style of Ritter. It has been so wonderful seeing Josh’s popularity grow exponentially over the years, as his humble demeanor is certainly worthy of all the attention; which is why I was so excited to see that their show at the Vic Theatre had sold out. Just a year ago, I would never have thought it possible but it is direct evidence of what a quality album can produce. In front of this packed crowd, with bodies squeezed tightly together on the floor, and a rambunctious group in the balcony, Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band played as if every minute of their show was a sign of appreciation to their giddy fans. Ritter can at times sound like a broken record with his constant “thank you so much!”’s and “this is so unbelievable to be playing here”’s, but it’s a broken record no one would ever tire of hearing.

The show started with a few new songs, including “Curtains” and “Change of Time”. If there was any complaint I had with this show, it would be the somewhat slow choice of opening songs. Nonetheless, Ritter and the band recognized what the crowd desired and made sure to scatter favorites throughout the set. Playing nearly the entire album of So Runs the World Away, I’d say the songs sound even better live. “Rattling Locks” gained even more percussion as each band member took turns banging on drum sticks. “The Curse” was painfully beautiful with its waltz-like tempo. “Lark” permeated a cheerful mood from the stage to the rafters. Among the old favorites, “Harrisburg” was played, which included an excerpt of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games” sung by handlebar-mustached bassist Zack Hickman. Ritter played “Monster Ballads” solo, as well as a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” that even the Boss would approve of. For the encore, perhaps the biggest hit of them all, “Snow is Gone” was played and as if the entire crowd’s smiles didn’t already look like the Cheshire Cat’s, this one put them over the top. Among those was the opener for Ritter, Joe Pug. Pug is a fantastic Chicago singer-songwriter who also released a new album recently, titled “Messenger”. Josh Ritter showed off his generous side as he invited Pug out in the encore to play one of his own songs “Speak Plainly, Diana” with Ritter and the band. After nearly two hours, one final song was played, “Wait for Love”, sung together by all the musicians on stage. For all those in attendance, the joy was palpable and enough to carry them out of the Vic Theatre content despite the bittersweet nature of the show’s conclusion. At one point during the show, while struggling to form a coherent thought in between songs due to overwhelming joy, Ritter simply uttered “life is good”. Cliché? Maybe. True? At a Josh Ritter concert, you better believe it is.