The Idaho-bred singer seemed to enjoy his new role of Josh the Conqueror, as he employed this new scorched-earth approach to older tunes like "Good Man," distancing himself from his former image as the sensitive, romantic balladeer. Ritter could not shake the nonstop grin from his face and had fun ad-libbing some silly lyrics during an upbeat version of "Kathleen." While this musical wild streak was thoroughly enjoyable, it is Ritter's talent as a wordsmith and unique subject matter of his songs that set his work apart.
As a result "Girl in the War," his take on the Iraq war, as told through a conversation between the apostles Peter and Paul, was one of the evening's highlights. But the Josh Ritter who attracted fans with his gentle demeanor and heartfelt emotional songwriting has not wholly disappeared. Ritter returned to his quieter side throughout the show, even taking the stage alone for a lovely version of "The Temptation of Adam," a song about a couple who fall in love while stuck in a missile silo.
Ritter silenced the crowd as he stepped away from the microphone to deliver a powerful encore of Bruce Springsteen's "The River," living up to the claim, as Entertainment Weekly recently wrote, to be one of the most exciting artists working today.
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