For the first time ever I purchased a meet & greet package for a concert. On May 22nd I’ll be one of the people arriving to The Vic early to hear a short acoustic set of music and get my picture taken with the man who I think wears the crown as America’s greatest songwriter. In general I think the meet & greet packages are a bit of a cash grab, but I don’t mind spending the money for someone that has provided me with so much great music and memories over the past 15 years or so.
I’m also super excited to hear what’s going on with this new album, Fever Breaks, that comes out in April. Jason Isbell produced it, with his band The 400 Unit backing up Josh. Based on the first single, “Old Black Magic,” it could be a return to the rock-leaning jams on The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (still my favorite album in Ritter’s catalogue).
If hearing that got you pumped like it did for me, head over to Josh’s website and pre-order the new record! The initial 1,000 signed records are already gone, but you can still get it on vinyl or a signed CD! And of course I can’t recommend getting out and seeing him play live with The Royal City Band. They put on a show as fun and inspiring as anything you’ll see on a stage!
Here’s an old clip from a show in Des Moines a decade ago.
Josh, I too have been a diehard fan of Josh Ritter’s for the past 10 years or so. My wife and I absolutely adore him and his music, literature, and artwork. We even met him one time in Louisville after a show. My wife was 8-months pregnant with our first child, and Josh was quick to run back into the building to retrieve some water and/or tea for her. We passed on the VIP tickets to the Ryman last year, but I quickly regretted that decision. Didn’t even hesitate to purchase them this go-around. It’s his tour finale, it’s at the Ryman Auditorium, and it’s Josh frickin’ Ritter! There’s no opener listed for this show (yet), so my fingers are crossed that Jason Isbell joins him on stage at some point, who I have recently taken a liking to. Cannot wait! We are also seeing Josh on March 29 in a frickin’ CAVE! At The Caverns in Pelham, TN for a live PBS taping, alongside Amanda Shires (Isbell’s wife and part of the 400 Unit) and Glen Hansard, who helped Josh gain popularity and momentum in Ireland way back when. 2019 is gonna be AWESOME!
That’s awesome, Mike! I read about the PBS show and it sounds amazing!!
I did have a very brief, accidental run-in with Josh. We were at SxSw in 2011 and wanted to get good seats for his set so we arrived at the venue early. The doors were open so we went in and ended up watching his whole soundcheck from the door, which was left a little ajar. We sat in the lobby waiting for the line to start forming and he came out to where we were. I shook his hand and apologized for invading the privacy of the soundcheck. He just gave me a big smile and asked if he sounded ok.
Can’t wait to see him (but hate waiting another 3 months!)