Concert Review: Josh Ritter.
Oct. 19th, 2006 05:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
debsSo here’s the full report of last night’s concert experience. It was by far one of the better one’s I’ve had.
~ In which our heroine travels far to listen to good music, make new friends, and meets a hero ~
Left Corvallis at 4:30 and made it to Portland two hours later. The weather pretty much managed to cooperate, which was nice. Grey, soggy Northwest falls aren’t so bad. Ended up going to the show alone, which was fine as that was the original plan anyway. To rehash, I won two free tickets to the concert from Josh’s myspace group, but I already had a ticket so I was trying to give away the extras. I contacted perhaps ten different people, but no one wanted to make the trip on a Wednesday night. None of my friends in Portland wanted them either. Oh well, as I learned later it was totally their loss.
When I arrived at the Schnitzer, there was a problem in that they couldn’t find the free tickets. There were apparently a lot of people on these “guest lists,” but the tickets were nowhere to be found. The gal behind the counter told me I could wait, or check back with her later. I chose to go inside and have a blueberry muffin, which is what dinner consisted of last night. The Schnitzer is a beautiful older venue; it’s quite elaborately decorated inside and looks like an old state house or opera house. I’m having a difficult time describing it right now (so…tired….) so I’ll see if I can find some photos online.
After my muffin, I went to check out the merchandise. Josh only had one shirt for sale (the brown one with the bird), but I ended up buying a red Jamie Cullum shirt because I liked the design.
They opened the doors at 7:30, and I went in to find my seat. Disappointingly, I was about fifteen rows from the back of the really large theater, and quite a ways away from the stage. I was talking with some folks behind me about how sad our seats were, and I mentioned I’d won tickets. They convinced me to go back and check again, because my won tickets were most likely way better than the one I’d purchased.
I had to do a little bit of negotiating with the door people (there wasn’t any re-entry, but they walked me back out to the box office), but they had finally found the free tickets and I was able to pick those up. My new seats were four rows from the stage, and off to the right. They were, in a word, perfect. The seats down there are slightly staggered, which meant that I had a completely uninterrupted view of the stage. Yeah, I was right in front of the speakers, but that’s what earplugs are for. Now, you can say what you want about ear plugs, and I’ve had people give me funny looks on numerous occasions when I've put them in, but I stopped equating concerts with hearing loss when I was about 17 years old. Indoor concerts are just a step below space shuttle liftoffs in terms of harmful noise. Foam earplugs do not muffle the music. Instead, they filter out all the excess noise and feedback from the speakers and the fact that most bands feel as though they need to blast you out of your seat. In some ways, it’s a purer concert going experience because you are really only hearing the music. The one sad part is that you can’t really hear the crowd, which is sometimes good fun. There was a moment during “Girl in the War” when Josh stepped away from his microphone and sang on his own, and I could hear that just fine. /pimping ear plugs
Someone once told Josh that he smiles too much when he performs. That person is an idiot. One of the great joys of going to live shows is to see how a person’s music affects them as well as the audience. It’s great to see a performer who obviously loves what s/he is doing, and Josh’s excitement was infectious. I would say that a majority of the people there didn’t know who he was, but like Vienna Teng a few weeks ago, he completely won over the audience. He’s a very charming, engaging man with a good sense of humor. I’ll run through the set list the same way I did in my Vienna Teng/Madeline Peroyx post, but this time I’ll put Josh’s comments in quotes.
”Good Man”
Babe we both have dry spells, hard times, and badlands…
This was an excellent opening number. I always forget about this song until I hear it on the record. I’m going to take this space to say that Josh’s band rocks. His bassist has this porn-tastic handlebar mustache and wore this ginormous cowboy hat. They’re a totally “emo” band in the sense that they dress like hipsters (i.e. like they tossed together their wardrobe by digging through their grandfather’s closet and combining their finds with stuff from a bargain bin at Goodwill). This makes them perfect for Portland.
“I always wanted to be a skateboarder when I was little. But I lived on a gravel road. There are still places where the TV goes off at midnight, or even earlier, depending on how Christian you are. They show the American flag blowing in the wind and they play the national anthem. And then it comes back on at six in the morning, and they show these black and white shots of Washington D.C. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? [crowd claps] This god’s eye view of the capitol. With all that white marble. And I always wanted to be a skateboarder.”
”Me & Jiggs”
On a Saturday night in a town like this I forget all my songs about trains….
“We were just in Austin, and they have this radio station that only plays ‘positive country.’ Positive country. There’s no gambling. A guy walks into a bar and orders a shot of whiskey, but they only serve milk. That’s a real song; I’m not making this up. So, uh, here’s some positive country.”
The trivia question that I answered to win the tickets was about this song. It asked which singer songwriter was mentioned in the song where the protagonists drink beer, play guitar, and write they’re names on water towers to pass the time. The answer of course is Townes Van Sandt. I was obsessed with this song for about six months, and it seemed fitting that it was the origin of my good fortune for this show. It reminds me of home in autumn.
"ITHTLY,YDMIEB"
I know the song of the handcuffs as they scrape across the floor
but that new thing you’ve got I’ve got no clue what it’s for
“This next song goes out to someone…someone really special. He sings with us on occasion. Lovely soprano voice. We were hoping to play with him again, but uh, his cat’s sick, so he won’t be joining us. This one goes out to Dick Cheney. [crowd goes wild] It’s called ‘I’m Trying Hard to Love You, You Don’t Make It Easy, Babe.’” [crowd goes even more nuts]
This is a heavy, dirty song hidden beneath a simple melody. It’s slightly deceptive, and I’ll admit to not fully comprehending some of it until last night. Josh paused after the verse above and laughed.
“Only a town with Dante’s club [a bar in downtown Portland] would really get this. The only places we used to play were strip clubs and porno theaters. Who knows, maybe as the night wears on….”
He finished the song to the kind of applause you’d expect from a blue state. (Why can’t Obama be out next president, again?)
”Girl in the War”
Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
“This next one is for all the soldiers over in Iraq. And also for everyone living in Iraq. I guess there’s not much of a difference.”
Josh didn’t smile during this song. My one big complaint from the set was the balance on this one. His bassist really is a bit out of control. Awesome, but a little too overpowering. Tone down the bass, bring up the keyboard. On the album, the keyboard seems more major key, last night it was more minor. I think it had to do with the lack of xylophone/bells. This song was pretty much my spring trimester last year. The lyrics are beautiful, which is kind of redundant as all of Josh’s lyrics are so richly layered and interesting.
”Lillian, Eygpt”
I remember back in Illinois I found her
The lily of the valley the lily of the West was a rose
“This is a song about pirates. About pirate cowboys. And hey, I know it’s kind of early in the night, and this early in the week you’ve probably just had a big turkey dinner. You know what I mean, up there in the tryptophan section? *waves at the balcony* Well, we want you to feel free to sing along, anytime not just with this song. We don’t want to pressure you, but anything to cover up the music would be great. And, you know, the people sitting around you…the best way to meet people is to sing along. Men will be entranced by your melodious voice. And women will be entranced by your vulnerability.”
One of the true foot stompin’ country-esque tunes on the new album, I wish it had been kosher to get up and dance for this one. As it was, I confined myself to chair dancing, which was just as fun. Again during the bridge, they broke it down and Josh chatted with the crowd.
“Since you guys are from Portland, you’re more sexual than the rest of the Northwest. I know because my grandmother is from Medford. I was brought up to fear you people and your lascivious natures. But he [points to keyboardist] wasn’t. He doesn’t know. So, I think that if we start really soft and get progressively louder that you may be able to corrupt him.”
There’s a la da da da section in “Lillian” and we basically sang it over and over again. This was the one part of the concert where my earplugs were a hindrance. It’s difficult to get into that kind of thing when the crowd noise is muted.
”Kathleen”
All the other girls here are stars, you are the northern lights….
They try and the try but every thing that they do is a ghost of a trace of a pale imitation of you....
“This huge monstrosity behind me is the cover of my new record, which is much smaller in person. It’s a young, naïve record…it will go home with any of you tonight. Thanks so much for having us, I’ll be back in February!”
What to say about “Kathleen?” It’s the one song the I unfailingly crank and roll down windows for. It must be sung at the top of one’s lungs while driving very fast down back-country roads. Perfect for road trips and barn parties. And a wonderful end.
~~~
Wandered back out to the lobby with everyone else and their mother. It was about nine o’clock and I decided that I wasn’t going to stay. I like Jamie Cullum, but his albums are enough. I needed to get home and deal with the cats, and I was already exhausted because I’ve been averaging about five hours of sleep per night. I tried scouting around for the couple who’d been sitting behind me in the crap seats at the back of the theater, but I couldn’t find them. I ended up spotting a couple near the merchandise table who were obvious Jamie Cullum fans. They had t-shirts, piano song books, the works. They also looked like Lewis & Clark students. I asked them if they had good seats and they said no, and then I asked if they wanted my tickets. They looked at me like I was crazy, but when I explained they said yes and were very grateful. It felt nice to spread the love a little. Good karma.
There were a bunch of people loitering beside the merchandise table, presumably waiting for Mr. Ritter, and I joined the throng. He came out right when they started flashing the lights to tell everyone to go back inside for the second half of the show. At the Aladdin, they made Vienna stand behind the counter while signing CDS, Josh was luckier last night. He camped out next to the table and greeted people one by one. In my experience, a lot of artists view fan meetings as a bit of a necessary evil. Rock stars especially are not particularly friendly or receptive. What really impressed me about Josh is that he seemed truly interested in and engaged with whoever he happened to be talking to. He asked everyone where they were from and what they did in terms of work/school. He found specific ways to connect with each person. This meant the wait to see him was longer, but it also meant that your interaction was much more meaningful. Most people had bought posters/t-shirts/The Animal Years for Josh to sign (note: none of his other albums were for sale, interestingly enough). I think I was the only one there with a copy of The Golden Age of Radio on hand. People kept asking me what it was. Only the best record ever. ;)
And because I am the James Boswell of these kinds of experiences, I will now recount my conversation with Josh, as well as I could remember it last night at 11:30:
Josh: Hey, *shakes hand*
Me: Hi! My name’s Deborah. [spells it, hands him disc] I gotta tell you, two years ago this album literally saved my sanity.
Josh: [gives me Raised Eyebrow of Concern] Is everything okay?
:Me: Besides my penchant for hyperbole? No, yeah, I had just graduated from college and I had no idea what I was going to do with myself, and this album was kind of my anchor.
Josh: Did you know that this record was how I met Jamie?
Me: Really? No I didn’t know that.
Josh: Yeah, he was looking for a group called Golden Age of Radio, and he found this instead.
Me: How funny! Hey, not to change the subject, but I was reading the Paste article from a few months ago and in it you talked about creating your own major, and that was what I always wanted but never had the chance to do. I was retroactively inspired by that.
Josh: Yeah? Thanks! Where did you go to school?
Me: Lewis & Clark.
Josh: Oh yeah, I know them. Good school.
Me: I did get to go to Scotland, though.
Josh: Where in Scotland did you go?
Me: We spent a month traveling the highlands and then two more months in Glasgow at the university. But the highlands were the best part. An amazing experience.
Josh: I’m actually playing there soon.
Me: I read that and I’m insanely jealous. I really want to go to the Inverness show, but I just do not have the funds. I’ll see you in February, though.
Josh: It was so great to meet you, thanks for coming Deborah! [hugs]
Me: Thank you so much. Oh, and thank your myspace team. I won the tickets.
Josh: Really? Awesome! Yeah, they’re always coming up with great questions for you guys.
Me: They were awesome seats! I just gave them to some other people.
Josh: I’ll tell Doug you said hi. Have a great night, Deborah!
Me: Thank you again, have a good night!
Okay, and the Kelsey Hug thing. Kelsey was one of my best friends in high school, and he gave the best hugs in the world. They were full-body contact, hold you tight kind of hugs, and they are one of the things I miss most about high school. Sometimes they were quick, sometimes they lasted for a very long time, but they were always great. I've only met three other people in my life who hug like Kelsey hugs; Nate, Emily, and now Josh Ritter. I miss hugs, and I miss hugging other people. Lately I've been carring around a lot of fear and other yucky stuff inside, and a good hug was something I needed.
Josh is one of my heroes, and it made my year to be able to meet him. He’s a very sweet man and I would love to spend some time talking with him about his lyrics. Definitely coming back in February, and I may write him a letter beforehand. I didn’t make myself very clear about the self-created major thing (I was more impressed with the subject matter than the fact that he created his own major; I don’t think that came across), and I wanted to drop him a few lines regarding certain songs. Even if he doesn’t read it, it will be good for me to get it on paper. All in all, a most excellent night. If you are still reading this, I'm amazed.
Oh, yeah, and he signed my CD.
It reads: Deborah! I'm so psyched to meet you! Love, Josh Ritter
Like I said, exclamation points and use of the word "psyched." :D
ETA: The Aladdin theater has a really good write-up of Josh and his music here. Also, for those of you in the area, yeah? Saturday February 24th. Bergie might be coming. You all should come, too. I'll be buying tickets as soon as I hear one way or the other from Katie. I can pick yours up as well if you let me know (I'll make an announcement before I buy).
~ In which our heroine travels far to listen to good music, make new friends, and meets a hero ~
Left Corvallis at 4:30 and made it to Portland two hours later. The weather pretty much managed to cooperate, which was nice. Grey, soggy Northwest falls aren’t so bad. Ended up going to the show alone, which was fine as that was the original plan anyway. To rehash, I won two free tickets to the concert from Josh’s myspace group, but I already had a ticket so I was trying to give away the extras. I contacted perhaps ten different people, but no one wanted to make the trip on a Wednesday night. None of my friends in Portland wanted them either. Oh well, as I learned later it was totally their loss.
When I arrived at the Schnitzer, there was a problem in that they couldn’t find the free tickets. There were apparently a lot of people on these “guest lists,” but the tickets were nowhere to be found. The gal behind the counter told me I could wait, or check back with her later. I chose to go inside and have a blueberry muffin, which is what dinner consisted of last night. The Schnitzer is a beautiful older venue; it’s quite elaborately decorated inside and looks like an old state house or opera house. I’m having a difficult time describing it right now (so…tired….) so I’ll see if I can find some photos online.
After my muffin, I went to check out the merchandise. Josh only had one shirt for sale (the brown one with the bird), but I ended up buying a red Jamie Cullum shirt because I liked the design.
They opened the doors at 7:30, and I went in to find my seat. Disappointingly, I was about fifteen rows from the back of the really large theater, and quite a ways away from the stage. I was talking with some folks behind me about how sad our seats were, and I mentioned I’d won tickets. They convinced me to go back and check again, because my won tickets were most likely way better than the one I’d purchased.
I had to do a little bit of negotiating with the door people (there wasn’t any re-entry, but they walked me back out to the box office), but they had finally found the free tickets and I was able to pick those up. My new seats were four rows from the stage, and off to the right. They were, in a word, perfect. The seats down there are slightly staggered, which meant that I had a completely uninterrupted view of the stage. Yeah, I was right in front of the speakers, but that’s what earplugs are for. Now, you can say what you want about ear plugs, and I’ve had people give me funny looks on numerous occasions when I've put them in, but I stopped equating concerts with hearing loss when I was about 17 years old. Indoor concerts are just a step below space shuttle liftoffs in terms of harmful noise. Foam earplugs do not muffle the music. Instead, they filter out all the excess noise and feedback from the speakers and the fact that most bands feel as though they need to blast you out of your seat. In some ways, it’s a purer concert going experience because you are really only hearing the music. The one sad part is that you can’t really hear the crowd, which is sometimes good fun. There was a moment during “Girl in the War” when Josh stepped away from his microphone and sang on his own, and I could hear that just fine. /pimping ear plugs
Someone once told Josh that he smiles too much when he performs. That person is an idiot. One of the great joys of going to live shows is to see how a person’s music affects them as well as the audience. It’s great to see a performer who obviously loves what s/he is doing, and Josh’s excitement was infectious. I would say that a majority of the people there didn’t know who he was, but like Vienna Teng a few weeks ago, he completely won over the audience. He’s a very charming, engaging man with a good sense of humor. I’ll run through the set list the same way I did in my Vienna Teng/Madeline Peroyx post, but this time I’ll put Josh’s comments in quotes.
”Good Man”
Babe we both have dry spells, hard times, and badlands…
This was an excellent opening number. I always forget about this song until I hear it on the record. I’m going to take this space to say that Josh’s band rocks. His bassist has this porn-tastic handlebar mustache and wore this ginormous cowboy hat. They’re a totally “emo” band in the sense that they dress like hipsters (i.e. like they tossed together their wardrobe by digging through their grandfather’s closet and combining their finds with stuff from a bargain bin at Goodwill). This makes them perfect for Portland.
“I always wanted to be a skateboarder when I was little. But I lived on a gravel road. There are still places where the TV goes off at midnight, or even earlier, depending on how Christian you are. They show the American flag blowing in the wind and they play the national anthem. And then it comes back on at six in the morning, and they show these black and white shots of Washington D.C. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? [crowd claps] This god’s eye view of the capitol. With all that white marble. And I always wanted to be a skateboarder.”
”Me & Jiggs”
On a Saturday night in a town like this I forget all my songs about trains….
“We were just in Austin, and they have this radio station that only plays ‘positive country.’ Positive country. There’s no gambling. A guy walks into a bar and orders a shot of whiskey, but they only serve milk. That’s a real song; I’m not making this up. So, uh, here’s some positive country.”
The trivia question that I answered to win the tickets was about this song. It asked which singer songwriter was mentioned in the song where the protagonists drink beer, play guitar, and write they’re names on water towers to pass the time. The answer of course is Townes Van Sandt. I was obsessed with this song for about six months, and it seemed fitting that it was the origin of my good fortune for this show. It reminds me of home in autumn.
"ITHTLY,YDMIEB"
I know the song of the handcuffs as they scrape across the floor
but that new thing you’ve got I’ve got no clue what it’s for
“This next song goes out to someone…someone really special. He sings with us on occasion. Lovely soprano voice. We were hoping to play with him again, but uh, his cat’s sick, so he won’t be joining us. This one goes out to Dick Cheney. [crowd goes wild] It’s called ‘I’m Trying Hard to Love You, You Don’t Make It Easy, Babe.’” [crowd goes even more nuts]
This is a heavy, dirty song hidden beneath a simple melody. It’s slightly deceptive, and I’ll admit to not fully comprehending some of it until last night. Josh paused after the verse above and laughed.
“Only a town with Dante’s club [a bar in downtown Portland] would really get this. The only places we used to play were strip clubs and porno theaters. Who knows, maybe as the night wears on….”
He finished the song to the kind of applause you’d expect from a blue state. (Why can’t Obama be out next president, again?)
”Girl in the War”
Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
“This next one is for all the soldiers over in Iraq. And also for everyone living in Iraq. I guess there’s not much of a difference.”
Josh didn’t smile during this song. My one big complaint from the set was the balance on this one. His bassist really is a bit out of control. Awesome, but a little too overpowering. Tone down the bass, bring up the keyboard. On the album, the keyboard seems more major key, last night it was more minor. I think it had to do with the lack of xylophone/bells. This song was pretty much my spring trimester last year. The lyrics are beautiful, which is kind of redundant as all of Josh’s lyrics are so richly layered and interesting.
”Lillian, Eygpt”
I remember back in Illinois I found her
The lily of the valley the lily of the West was a rose
“This is a song about pirates. About pirate cowboys. And hey, I know it’s kind of early in the night, and this early in the week you’ve probably just had a big turkey dinner. You know what I mean, up there in the tryptophan section? *waves at the balcony* Well, we want you to feel free to sing along, anytime not just with this song. We don’t want to pressure you, but anything to cover up the music would be great. And, you know, the people sitting around you…the best way to meet people is to sing along. Men will be entranced by your melodious voice. And women will be entranced by your vulnerability.”
One of the true foot stompin’ country-esque tunes on the new album, I wish it had been kosher to get up and dance for this one. As it was, I confined myself to chair dancing, which was just as fun. Again during the bridge, they broke it down and Josh chatted with the crowd.
“Since you guys are from Portland, you’re more sexual than the rest of the Northwest. I know because my grandmother is from Medford. I was brought up to fear you people and your lascivious natures. But he [points to keyboardist] wasn’t. He doesn’t know. So, I think that if we start really soft and get progressively louder that you may be able to corrupt him.”
There’s a la da da da section in “Lillian” and we basically sang it over and over again. This was the one part of the concert where my earplugs were a hindrance. It’s difficult to get into that kind of thing when the crowd noise is muted.
”Kathleen”
All the other girls here are stars, you are the northern lights….
They try and the try but every thing that they do is a ghost of a trace of a pale imitation of you....
“This huge monstrosity behind me is the cover of my new record, which is much smaller in person. It’s a young, naïve record…it will go home with any of you tonight. Thanks so much for having us, I’ll be back in February!”
What to say about “Kathleen?” It’s the one song the I unfailingly crank and roll down windows for. It must be sung at the top of one’s lungs while driving very fast down back-country roads. Perfect for road trips and barn parties. And a wonderful end.
~~~
Wandered back out to the lobby with everyone else and their mother. It was about nine o’clock and I decided that I wasn’t going to stay. I like Jamie Cullum, but his albums are enough. I needed to get home and deal with the cats, and I was already exhausted because I’ve been averaging about five hours of sleep per night. I tried scouting around for the couple who’d been sitting behind me in the crap seats at the back of the theater, but I couldn’t find them. I ended up spotting a couple near the merchandise table who were obvious Jamie Cullum fans. They had t-shirts, piano song books, the works. They also looked like Lewis & Clark students. I asked them if they had good seats and they said no, and then I asked if they wanted my tickets. They looked at me like I was crazy, but when I explained they said yes and were very grateful. It felt nice to spread the love a little. Good karma.
There were a bunch of people loitering beside the merchandise table, presumably waiting for Mr. Ritter, and I joined the throng. He came out right when they started flashing the lights to tell everyone to go back inside for the second half of the show. At the Aladdin, they made Vienna stand behind the counter while signing CDS, Josh was luckier last night. He camped out next to the table and greeted people one by one. In my experience, a lot of artists view fan meetings as a bit of a necessary evil. Rock stars especially are not particularly friendly or receptive. What really impressed me about Josh is that he seemed truly interested in and engaged with whoever he happened to be talking to. He asked everyone where they were from and what they did in terms of work/school. He found specific ways to connect with each person. This meant the wait to see him was longer, but it also meant that your interaction was much more meaningful. Most people had bought posters/t-shirts/The Animal Years for Josh to sign (note: none of his other albums were for sale, interestingly enough). I think I was the only one there with a copy of The Golden Age of Radio on hand. People kept asking me what it was. Only the best record ever. ;)
And because I am the James Boswell of these kinds of experiences, I will now recount my conversation with Josh, as well as I could remember it last night at 11:30:
Josh: Hey, *shakes hand*
Me: Hi! My name’s Deborah. [spells it, hands him disc] I gotta tell you, two years ago this album literally saved my sanity.
Josh: [gives me Raised Eyebrow of Concern] Is everything okay?
:Me: Besides my penchant for hyperbole? No, yeah, I had just graduated from college and I had no idea what I was going to do with myself, and this album was kind of my anchor.
Josh: Did you know that this record was how I met Jamie?
Me: Really? No I didn’t know that.
Josh: Yeah, he was looking for a group called Golden Age of Radio, and he found this instead.
Me: How funny! Hey, not to change the subject, but I was reading the Paste article from a few months ago and in it you talked about creating your own major, and that was what I always wanted but never had the chance to do. I was retroactively inspired by that.
Josh: Yeah? Thanks! Where did you go to school?
Me: Lewis & Clark.
Josh: Oh yeah, I know them. Good school.
Me: I did get to go to Scotland, though.
Josh: Where in Scotland did you go?
Me: We spent a month traveling the highlands and then two more months in Glasgow at the university. But the highlands were the best part. An amazing experience.
Josh: I’m actually playing there soon.
Me: I read that and I’m insanely jealous. I really want to go to the Inverness show, but I just do not have the funds. I’ll see you in February, though.
Josh: It was so great to meet you, thanks for coming Deborah! [hugs]
Me: Thank you so much. Oh, and thank your myspace team. I won the tickets.
Josh: Really? Awesome! Yeah, they’re always coming up with great questions for you guys.
Me: They were awesome seats! I just gave them to some other people.
Josh: I’ll tell Doug you said hi. Have a great night, Deborah!
Me: Thank you again, have a good night!
Okay, and the Kelsey Hug thing. Kelsey was one of my best friends in high school, and he gave the best hugs in the world. They were full-body contact, hold you tight kind of hugs, and they are one of the things I miss most about high school. Sometimes they were quick, sometimes they lasted for a very long time, but they were always great. I've only met three other people in my life who hug like Kelsey hugs; Nate, Emily, and now Josh Ritter. I miss hugs, and I miss hugging other people. Lately I've been carring around a lot of fear and other yucky stuff inside, and a good hug was something I needed.
Josh is one of my heroes, and it made my year to be able to meet him. He’s a very sweet man and I would love to spend some time talking with him about his lyrics. Definitely coming back in February, and I may write him a letter beforehand. I didn’t make myself very clear about the self-created major thing (I was more impressed with the subject matter than the fact that he created his own major; I don’t think that came across), and I wanted to drop him a few lines regarding certain songs. Even if he doesn’t read it, it will be good for me to get it on paper. All in all, a most excellent night. If you are still reading this, I'm amazed.
Oh, yeah, and he signed my CD.
It reads: Deborah! I'm so psyched to meet you! Love, Josh Ritter
Like I said, exclamation points and use of the word "psyched." :D
ETA: The Aladdin theater has a really good write-up of Josh and his music here. Also, for those of you in the area, yeah? Saturday February 24th. Bergie might be coming. You all should come, too. I'll be buying tickets as soon as I hear one way or the other from Katie. I can pick yours up as well if you let me know (I'll make an announcement before I buy).
