May 6 2006: Josh Ritter, Hem – Memorial Hall, Shelburne Falls MA

Josh Ritter…..you could have played the show of my life. Your new album is amazing. The only other time I saw you, back in October of 2004, you were phenomenal. I’ve been telling friends to go check you out because it’ll be like it was to see Dylan in ’66. I guess I should have seen the tour before recommending you so highly.

And NOT that you weren’t good, either! It’s just so frustrating to be expecting a once-in-a-lifetime experience and to come away with maybe a 150-in-a-lifetime one. I mean, this was the last show of your first American tour for “The Animal Years,” and album with ALL my favorite songs on it. This was the Western Massachusetts show, home to your old label and clearly you scheduled it last on the tour for a reason. The venue was fantastic, an old movie-theatre-turned-concert-venue, the kind of place to see music that I love over all others. Everything was primed and ready to go, but I guess the stars weren’t in the right spots or something. Or something.

Your show opened with “Peter Killed the Dragon,” a b-side off the new record and then went into “Girl in the War.” The last time I saw you you opened with “Girl in the War” and it was enough to get you a standing ovation four minutes into your set despite being unreleased at the time. I mean, it was fucking amazing. but then tonight you seemed to just half-ass it. And the way the keyboard was used to mimic the mandolin you use for the into on the record was just a bad idea. The simple guitar/organ way you played it in 2004 was FAR FAR FAR superior. It’s frustrating like you wouldn’t believe how superior it was.

And the highlight of your new album, “Thin Blue Flame” was equally as half-assed. That’s the song I was expecting tears from.

I don’t know….I mean it was a good show and all, but…….it could have been so much better. And I feel like an ass for criticizing the show like this but I just can’t help it. I mean, not even “Me & Jiggs” or "Kathleen" could get me going. However, I will concede that “Idaho” and “Monster Ballads” sent shivers down my spine, that “Lillian, Egypt” was perfect in every way, and that “Golden Age of Radio” made my month. And I do think you are one of the absolute best songwriters around and I can’t wait until I can see you play again.