October 4 2007: Josh Ritter, Old School Freight Train - Somerville Theatre, Somerville MA

Night two. Met up with Adam and Sarai for half-priced happy hour food and the Rockies game across the street from the theatre, and then we made our way in about a half-hour before music. It was a nice place, kind of like the Aladdin but smaller. And they had pints of Harpoon for $4. Good times!

The show was mostly the same songs, in a slightly different order. For instance, they played "Rumors" instead of "Mind's Eye" to start things off after "Moons." And it felt like "Rumors" was much better after the crowd was warmed up (cause lord knows the openers didn't warm up shit). And "Mind's Eye" is just such a great song to start out with.

"Monster Ballads" was played pretty early on in the set, which was nice to hear, and the encore was almost all tunes that didn't get played last night. It started out with "Lawrence KS," then "The River," and then "Real Long Distance" and "Next to the Last Romantic," with the opening players each taking solos on "Last Romantic." Which I could have done without, for the same reason that I don't go see Van Halen when they play, but what can you do.

And there were horns! a five- or six-piece section that came out for a tune every now and then and provided a nice contrast to last night's show.

And it was a great night. "Lawrence" was played with the full band, with lap steel and a really nice drum part. And I was really glad to hear "Long Distance" and "Last Romantic," which are two tunes I really dig off the new record.

And it was an early show so I was home by midnight and at the hospital by 645. Woo!