Oh, Josh Ritter, how I love thee! Let me count the ways!

1. You played the Ladies Literary Club in the Grandest of Rapids for a mere $15.00.


2. You repeatedly mentioned how bizarrely cool it was to be playing the Ladies Literary Club in the Grandest of Rapids.


3. You started alone with your guitar and played Idaho which is quintessential you.


4. You eased us into the show yet kept things moving. You know how to pace a show perfectly--jam out, jam out, jam out, slooooowwww down, jam out, jam out, sloooooowwww down, jam out, jam out, jam out, jam out, jam out...


5. You play everything. From Golden Age of Radio to Thin Blue Flame to Kathleen to Good Man to The Temptation of Adam.


6. Your band is amazing. I love Sam Kassirer. I love Liam Hurley. I love them all. Not only are they talented in their own right, but they complement you perfectly.


7. You're willing to throw caution to the wind and stray from your set list giving your audience the feeling we're experiencing a completely unique show.


8. You crack yourself up. Right before you play. By telling yourself a joke in your head and then telling us you just told yourself a joke in your head. I can relate.

9. You play acoustic guitar and sing without a microphone in the middle of a set. Just because you can.

10. You make me dream big. Never in my life have I had the privilege of watching someone do what they love with such joy. In this world of cynical Pitchforkians and fans who won't praise new albums because they're too different from the previous without acknowledging the bold choice you've made to stretch yourself as an artist, you humbly embrace beautifully written first lines like "All the other girls here are stars, you are the Northern Lights" with a pure lack of irony. When you're onstage you put a mirror of authenticity up to the audience which can be uncomfortable for some, but for most it causes us to smile uncontrollably. You make me realize anything is possible if you love it enough.

So, yeah.
I'd say it was a good show.


Oh and then we went to the new Founders which aside from it's abysmal parking situation really does feel the same as the old Founders. I doubted. I will not doubt Founders fans again.

And I'm currently in possession of a half gallon of IPA and a half gallon of Dirty Bastard.