Josh Ritter Acoustic Trio @ The Somerville Theatre
Somerville, MA: March 6, 2014
Joy. It’s just the first word that comes to mind when I think of this show, Josh Ritter’s face, the songs played, the energy between the 3 men on stage. Ritter has been touring for nearly 1 year straight since the release of his latest album, “The Beast in Its Tracks,” but it doesn’t show. He plays each show like it’s the first time he’s ever stepped out on a stage and his face is lighting up at the fact that the audience is all there just to hear his music.
I have had the pleasure of seeing Ritter play live with his full band many times. Not surprisingly, this show had an entirely different feel and sound. The songs were stripped down but lush in a very intimate setting. Opening with “Best is for the Best” from the The Animal Years album, Ritter grinned and the whole audience smiled with him. During “Wolves,” he got the whole crowd to howl. When he played “Come and Find me” and “The Temptation of Adam” solo acoustic, I looked around at a sea of mesmerized faces. Let’s just say that Josh Ritter had the Somerville Theatre wrapped around his finger.
Ritter was flanked by two expert musicians. Josh Kaufman showed off his musical chops by wowing the audience with incredible solos on the nylon-string guitar, mandolin, banjo, and electric guitar. I’ve seen Zack Hickman play with several different bands (check out Barnstar! if you haven’t already) but his bass playing really shines alongside Ritter. If you can take your eyes off of his incredible handlebar mustache for long enough, you’ll notice that he also shows some dance moves while plucking those strings! Seeing this show both nights was an incredible treat. I would definitely rank the experience right up there with my top 5 favorite concerts of all time. Thanks to Josh, Josh, and Zack. Please come back soon.
Photos by Suzanne Davis McMahon
About the author: Suzanne started her love affair with photography at age 15. When she's not snapping photos, she is working as a Clinical Social Worker just outside of Boston. Suzanne also enjoys attending concerts and singing. Check out more of her photos at facebook.com/suzannedavisphotography