With the spring leg of his U.S. tour nearing an end, and a full month off before the next trip, Ritter promised that he and his Royal City Band would “leave it all” at The Trocadero last night. And after nearly two hours and 20 songs, they couldn’t have had much left. After the solo performance of “Idaho,” Ritter’s amazing band found their way to the stage one at a time—each member joining in at different parts of “Southern Pacifica.” From there, the quintet rocked through fan favorites and much of Ritter’s new album, The Beast in its Tracks.

The Beast is not Ritter’s best work, but it is an important album in his catalog. The Animal Years remains his masterpiece, with follow-ups The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter and So Runs the World Away cementing his reputation as one of today’s great singer-songwriters. But the storyteller was forced to take a different approach for his seventh LP after he went through a rough divorce, and the result is Ritter’s most personal album. A man that has always made himself accessible to fans after shows now has made his personal story accessible to every listener, and he managed to do it in a unique and well-written way.

The album also marks a sonic change for Ritter. It’s much more stripped down and simplified than the ambitious orchestration of So Runs the World Away, and less rock-and-roll than Historical Conquests. Whether the stripped-back approach was the right call is debatable, but on stage it was great to see The Royal City Band fleshing out the songs and polishing them up a bit. Ritter is a great songwriter, but his talented backing band is a great gift for him to have and The Beast did not utilize them well enough. Most new songs, notably “Hopeful” and “Evil Eye,” were vastly improved on stage.

Though the new songs are welcome additions, a few too many made the setlist. “The Appleblossom Rag” was a textbook drink-break opportunity, and “Lights” taking the first spot in a two-song encore was a surprising and disappointing choice. With Ritter’s last full-band visit to Philadelphia having been in February of 2011, the appeal of this show was the revisiting of the old classics. “Lillian, Egypt,” “Rumors,” “The Temptation of Adam,” “The Curse,” “The Wolves,” “Snow is Gone,” “Kathleen.” The set had no shortage of fan-favorite material (though the absence “Girl in the War” and “Harrisburg” was unfortunate) and all of it sounded as great as it always has.

Setlist opinions aside, last night’s show couldn’t have been a much better return for Josh Ritter. With his divorce behind him, a new lover and a healthy baby daughter, he seemed in higher spirits than ever before, and his happiness spreads like a wildfire through the audience. The crowd smiled, danced, clapped, sang along, and even forgivingly cheered Ritter’s lyrical flubs. With that infectious grin and authentic, unfiltered joy on stage, Josh Ritter can do no wrong.

Additional notes:
- While the band quietly played “In Your Arms Again,” Josh took the time to explain what he went through after his divorce. He had become “angry at the idea of marriage.” He doesn’t feel that way anymore though, asking “why would we take (that chance) away from anyone?” It was a beautiful moment as he voiced his support for gay marriage, and rightfully earned loud cheers.

- The vocal support for gay rights seems to have become an important issue for Ritter after playing at Messiah College earlier this month. He learned that Messiah students have to sign a “Community Covenant” promising to “avoid such sinful practices as…homosexual behavior….” He donated the fee he earned from the show to The Trevor Project and vowed to not play at Messiah again “until they welcome, in word and deed, all members of their faith regardless of sexuality.” Read his full message on the topic here.

- Being in Philadelphia, Josh liked to ramble on a few times during the show about the history here, making up amusing stories about Ben Franklin and Lewis and Clark as he went along.

- Before “The Curse,” Ritter asked for “pre-constitutional lighting,” which was mostly just no lighting at all. He later asked for darkness before playing “In the Dark,” declaring it was “time to get naked.”

Josh Ritter @ The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA – May 16, 2013
01 Idaho (solo)
02 Southern Pacific
03 Hopeful
04 Rumors
05 Evil Eye >
06 Lillian, Egypt
07 The Curse
08 Joy to You Baby
09 New Lover
10 The Appleblossom Rag
11 The Temptation of Adam (solo)
12 In the Dark (solo)
13 Snow is Gone (solo)
14 Nightmares >
15 In Your Arms Again
16 Wolves
17 Right Moves
18 Kathleen
——encore——
19 Lights
20 To the Dogs or Whoever

On sale 5/17 @ 10 A.M.
06/28 – Designer Drugs @ Soundgarden Hall
07/09 – Kobo Town @ World Cafe Live
08/01 – Flogging Molly @ The Borgata
08/16 – Backstreet Boys @ Wells Fargo Center
08/30 – Imagine Dragons @ The Borgata
09/02 – Hanson @ Sands Bethlehem Event Center
09/11 – Gaelic Storm @ Musikfest Cafe
09/21 – Michael Buble @ Wells Fargo Center
09/22 – Dawn Hiatt & Friends @ World Cafe Live
09/27 – Jonny Lang @ Keswick Theatre
09/29 – MarchFourth Marching Band @ Musikfest Cafe
10/09 – Vienna Teng Trio @ Musikfest Cafe
10/25 – David Bromberg @ Musikfest Cafe
10/31 – Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors @ World Cafe Live

On sale 5/17 @ 12 P.M.
06/12 – Big Boi @ TLA
06/27 – White Panda @ Union Transfer
06/27 – Souls of Mischief @ Underground Arts
07/05 – Lantern @ Johnny Brenda’s
07/15 – Relient K @ TLA
07/17 – Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside @ Milkboy
07/24 – Kalin & Myles @ North Star Bar
07/26 – Texas Hippie Coalition @ The Note
08/08 – Steve Kimock ft. Bernie Worrell @ World Cafe Live Wilm.
08/22 – One More Time @ The Trocadero
08/25 – The Cult @ TLA
09/11 – Pinback @ Union Transfer
09/18 – FLAG @ The Trocadero
09/22 – Icona Pop @ TLA
09/24 – Superchunk @ Union Transfer
09/28 – Local Natives @ Electric Factory
10/05 – Boyce Avenue @ Union Transfer
10/25 – FIDLAR @ First Unitarian Church

With a start time of 6 P.M., early concert-goers were treated to quirky singer-songwriter Lucas Carpenter, who served as an impressive one-man band—looping and layering his own tracks while utilizing other digital “toys.” Soon after Carpenter was Genevieve Schatz, singer for Company of Thieves, whose powerful vocals were complimented by simple piano arrangements. Like Carpenter, Genevieve was a light-hearted and fun way to start the night.

River City Extension struck me as a strange band to have supporting Hockey and The Hush Sound, but the New Jersey folk-punk band took the stage in such a frenzy it was easily one of the highlights of the night. Complete with foot stomping and blistering guitar solos, the sweat could be seen dripping from these rockers and they were well received by the intimate crowd. Being the first act to utilize a full set of instruments was a nice change of pace, with the heavy drums and blistering guitars bringing a high dose of rock and roll to the otherwise indie-pop show.

For an act that was listed as co-headliner, Oregon-based pop group Hockey did not seem comfortable on stage. Front man Benjamin Grubin was unable to recapture the high energy that River City Extension had just brought to the stage, as the groups electro-pop set did not resonate with the crowd. I did not even catch the band’s hit single “Too Fake” until it was half over, as they were unable to build much momentum between songs. Grubin was able to gain some crowd favor when left his center-stage spot to bang on the drums to “Work,” which he tried duplicating later in the set without the same success. Grubin was simply unable to connect with the crowd and a few notable mix-ups between musicians during the show were too glaring to ignore.

After the differing genres of the opening acts, it was surprising to see what the “return of The Hush Sound” would have in store. When we last heard them on 2008′s Goodbye Blues, they seemed to be moving away from the summer-pop style of their first two albums, but who knows what a 5-year hiatus would do to their sound? I doubt anyone would have expected the group to come dancing on stage to the Biggie Smalls’ song “Hypnotize.” This was an early and fun way to ease the crowd and establish a level of comfort between band and audience that would only continue through the set. After the odd but amusing introduction, the Hush Sound went right into a great three-song opening which included crowd-pleaser “Honey.”

If appearances mean anything, then the Hush Sound’s more grizzled and unkempt look would suggest a new direction for the band. No longer a clean-cut indie-pop group, lead singer and guitarist Bob Morris was sporting an impressive beard and bassist Chris Faller had hair past his shoulders. Looking more 70s rock than “aughts-pop,” the Hush Sound played fan-favorites like “We Intertwined” and “Medicine Man,” but with a heavier beat and more mature sound which seems to point in the direction the band is going. Singer and keyboardist Greta Salpeter helped round out the set with her intimate acoustic ballad “Hurricane.”

By keeping the crowd in the action with dance contests, stories from past tours, and Morris’ woes over the Chicago Bulls, the Hush Sound seemed very comfortable on stage despite the long break. Audience members were also treated to two new songs, “Scavengers” and “Not a Stranger,” from their most recent EP release, Forty Five. While they did not offer any sneak preivews from the album that is sure to follow this tour, the Hush Sound presented themselves very well and were able to remind the crowd why they were popular almost a decade ago, and why they are still relevant now. — Joseph McGee

The Hush Sound @ Theatre of the Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA – May 15, 2013
01 Sweet Tangerine
02 Honey
03 Not Your Concern
04 Scavengers
05 Break the Sky
06 Lighthouse
07 Echo
08 Not a Stranger
09 We Intertwined
10 Hospital Bed Crawl
11 Love You Much Better
12 Crawling Toward the Sun
13 Medicine Man
14 Molasses
15 Momentum
—–Encore—–
16 Wine Red
17 As you Cry

Hockey @ Theatre of the Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA – May 15, 2013
01 Francoise Hardy
02 Wild Style
03 Explorer
04 Work
05 Love is Strange
06 Thought I was Changin’
07 Too Fake
08 Calling Back
09 Meta Hard Life
10 Song Away

Vile’s fifth full-length effort is for the patient listener; each track is a slow burn, every listen a revelation. In a live setting, the sound truly comes alive with backing by The Violators’ (whom critics have described as the Crazy Horse to Vile’s Neil Young) addition of rich, spacious reverberation as Vile delivers his impassioned, Leonard Cohen-esque deadpan vocals from behind a veil of shaggy brown locks. Together, they tear through raucous live sets beginning with slow, hypnotic ballads creeping into eight, sometimes ten minute-long extended cyclical jams that explode into a crescendo of piercing guitar solos and roaring percussion. You haven’t quite heard Kurt Vile and The Violators until you have heard them live.

Despite Vile’s offstage reputation as an affable, self-aware hometown boy, his onstage persona tells a different story, insinuating an air of mystery. Crowd interaction is limited to shy smiles or a quiet, “thanks,” leaving in-between song banter all but non-existent. This seems to be a trend amongst Vile’s contemporaries in lo-fi, heartland psychedelia, and it’s fantastic. Less talk = more rock.

Sharing the stage on Saturday is guitar virtuoso, Steve Gunn, who will return later in the evening as part of The Violators. Also on the bill is former Bonnie “Prince” Billy bandmate, singer-songwriter Angel Olsen. At $18 a pop, ticketholders for this sold out show are in for a treat; with the parade held in Philadelphia preceding the release of Wakin On a Pretty Daze, the mural in Fishtown that serves as the album’s cover art, even the sporadic appearance of the Frankford el in the video for “Never Run Away,” it is clear Kurt Vile is becoming to Philadelphia what Bruce Springsteen is to New Jersey. — Wendy McCardle

(Tickets, by the way, are still available. Get them here.)

5. “Another New World”

As difficult as putting this list together is, “Another New World” makes it in solely because of my current love affair with it. So Runs the World Away is full of great songs that I’d be happy to hear, but “Another New World” is an epic story that excels as a relaxed mid-set song.

4. “Harrisburg”

A good song on Golden Age of Radio, a great song on stage with The Royal City Band. They always find great covers to tease mid-song and the full band arrangement gives a whole different energy to this great love song.

3. “Girl in the War”

Does this even need an explanation?

2. “Thin Blue Flame”

A flagship song on Ritter’s best album, The Animal Years, it’s rare for him to dedicate the 9 or so minutes needed to perform this song—but when he does, it’s an exceptional treat (especially with The Royal City Band).

1. “The Oak Tree King”

This one is a very, very long shot, but the point of this list is to lay out what I want to hear, not what I expect to hear. “The Oak Tree King” is a breathtaking adaptation of “Der Erlkönig,” a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that has been used by many classical composers (most notably Franz Schubert). Unfortunately, Ritter has only busted out his adaptation during rare shows with classical violinist Hilary Hahn. I had the good fortune to hear him perform it at The Met five years ago, and the five-year wait to hear it again has been excruciating.

Honorable Mentions: “Bonfire,” a fun Paul Simon-like tune from the new album The Beast in its Tracks, and “The River,” Josh’s wonderful cover of Bruce Springsteen’s tune.

Now in his mid-60s, Bradley has found a home and success on Daptone Records. His 2011 debut LP No Time For Dreaming followed a long line of singles and finally put the singer on the map. Now this year’s Victim of Love has arrived to let you know that Bradley’s rise is far from over.

Charles Bradley & the Extraordinaires will play at Union Transfer tomorrow night, May 17th. Paul & the Tall Tall Trees will support. Show begins at 8:30. Tickets are $20 and available here.

Trampled By Turtles have debuted a new video for “Midnight on the Interstate” via Team Coco. The video was conceived and created by students in the Bethany Lutheran College Media Arts department and features stop-motion animation and 28 hand-made wooden puppets. Watch it above and read more about the making of it here.

The song is from TBT’s latest album, Stars and Satellites, which is available now on Thirty Tigers. The band will be touring this summer in its support and will play at the XPoNential Music Festival, hosted by WXPN in Camden, NJ from July 26th to the 28th. Joining TBT at the festival will be Bob Dylan, Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Dawes, Dr. Dog, Dr. John, The Lumineers, and many more. Get all the festival information here.

Cold Spring Fault Less Youth is the electronic duo’s sophomore LP, following up 2010′s Crooks & Lovers. “You Took Your Time” is the third track made available from the new album; you can stream “Blood and Form,” and “Made to Stray.”

Mount Kimbie will be playing live at Union Transfer on May 31st; tickets are available here.

Unfortunately, all this leads up to my point that Sam Beam is at his best when he’s at it alone. But these days, that’s a rare occurrence. With the 2011 release of Kiss Each Other Clean, Sam lost a lot of fans who had been around since The Creek Drank the Cradle and Our Endless Numbered Days. I was not one of those fans. Clean was a brilliantly constructed, wildly fun album—and the big-band direction was exciting. But it failed to translate live for reasons that are difficult to explain. The songs just never felt right on stage.

Enter Ghost On Ghost, this year’s new Iron & Wine album and another big-band effort. This one, however, is more hit-and-miss than Clean. There are great songs, but there are forgettable songs that disrupt the flow of the album. He hits the nail on the head with “Caught in the Briars,” “Grace for Saints and Ramblers,” and “The Desert Babbler.” But he misses the mark on “Low Light Buddy of Mine” and “Grass Widows,” among others. On stage, these songs find some improvement, but even with a 13-piece band, something is still missing.

There were, of course, times when the full force of the band was greatly appreciated. “Carousel,” from Beam’s best album The Shepherd’s Dog, was slowed down and emphasized the three orchestral string instruments to Beam’s right. It was a surprising and fresh new take that worked well. But then there was “Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me,” the closer to Kiss Each Other Clean, an amazing song on record that falls flat on stage, perhaps because of how much there is going on. Often times with Iron & Wine, it seems that less would be better.

That is not true, however, for the length of his set. Last night’s 105-minute, 22-song set actually felt too short. Because despite what you may think of Beam’s ambitious orchestration, his live show always has something for everyone. Last night’s set was all over the place, digging into every corner of the Iron & Wine catalog, from the In the Reins and Woman King EPs to the rarities compilation Around the Well. His last three albums were largely ignored (only a combined five songs made the cut), but somehow that wasn’t as disappointing as I’d expect. The more disappointing absences were “New Mexico’s No Breeze,” one of the five Ghost On Ghost songs left out, and “The Trapeze Swinger,” Beam’s most beloved song that is a true gift to hear live.

The lack of “The Trapeze Swinger” certainly disappointed many, but the encore finale of “Upward Over the Mountain” was a worthy replacement. Again it was just Beam, a spotlight, and one thousand adoring fans. And this time it was one of his best songs, and one final reminder that Beam’s experimentation with his 13-piece band, as great as it sounds at times, may just be taking too much of the attention away from one of the most captivating artists and performers in the music world today.

Iron & Wine @ Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – May 15, 2013
01 The Desert Babbler
02 Carousel
03 Kingdom of the Animals
04 Low Light Buddy of Mine
05 Tree By the River
06 Belated Promise Ring
07 Grass Widows
08 Sixteen, Maybe Less
— Free Bird tease (Beam solo)
09 The Sea and the Rhythm (Beam solo)
10 Woman King (Beam solo)
11 Resurrection Fern (Beam solo)
12 Such Great Heights (Postal Service cover, Beam solo)
13 Caught in the Briars >
14 Sundown (Back in the Briars)
15 Jezebel
16 Grace for Saints and Ramblers
17 Passing Afternoon
18 Singers and the Endless Song
19 Lean Into the Light
20 Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me
21 Baby Center Stage
——encore——
22 Upward Over the Mountain (Beam solo)

Credit: Dean Chalkley

Last month, I spoke to Josh Ritter over the phone during a short break from touring behind his new album, The Beast in its Tracks. That conversation informed a feature article on Josh and the new album, which you can read here. Now we’re posting an edited transcript of the interview for you; check it out below.

Before you do though, you can enter to win tickets to Ritter’s show at The Trocadero tomorrow night. More details on the giveaway are here.

—

The Swollen Fox: First off I’d like to say congratulations on becoming a father — Beatrix Wendylove Ritter [is] almost five months old [now six]. How’s she doing?

Josh Ritter: Thank you. She’s awesome. She’s awesome, she’s amazing, she’s practicing laughing right now. So, pretty great.

TSF: Where did you get the name?

JR: We just had a bunch of names in mind and those were two that we just really loved. We wanted something whimsical, kind of adventurous, wanted to give her as many options as to how she wants to be known. And she just looked like a Wendylove when she came out.

TSF: Awesome. How have you dealt with releasing and promoting an album and touring all while trying to father a newborn? You must be exhausted.

JR: It’s funny, they draw on different energy, you know? You get ideas and you can’t spend six hours agonizing over them. I used to have time, so much time, you know? And now it’s not the same. You have blocks, periods of time, so at the end of the day you know very concretely what you’ve done. Which is great. Also it’s taught me how to decide to learn to calm down and appreciate things a little bit more than I have in the past. Like constant movement is not necessarily the end goal.

TSF: So you’ve still had to time to write since she was born?

JR: Yea definitely.

TSF: I’m sure your process has changed quite a bit.

JR: You know it hasn’t, since she’s been born. You know, the first three months of her life were very, they’re also very much the first three months of mine. And Haley’s. You know you’re learning how to do something you’ve never done before. But also you know we’re on the road together now and that’s work, that’s not writing work. You know, Haley’s writing, but it’s creative work that I think can only be fed by having a job. Really we’re on earth for one real reason and the rest is just kind of passing time, you know? And so with that reason there right in front of you, it does change you. I can’t say how exactly, it’s so early, but I do feel, I feel that it couldn’t help but change my writing in some ways. But I have no idea how yet.

TSF: What is it like having a newborn on tour with you?

JR: It’s awesome. It’s amazing. The bus has a…we fitted it so that there’s a bed in back and it’s got a crib. It seems to be pretty much like how it always has been except you know we’ve got a couple new people. It’s such a family already on the road, the people that I’m with. We’re really close and having them there, it’s great. So far it feels just terrific to come back after a show and I’ll go down and be a family. I believe this and I’ve believed this for a long time, I don’t believe because you choose to be a musician or choose to do something that you should have to give up having a stable family and a good relationship. And I think so far we’re really lucky that that appears to be true.

TSF: I want to talk a little bit about the new album. It’s been called a “breakup album” but much of it seems influenced by your finding of new love, it’s quite hopeful. What do you think this record would be like if you didn’t find that new love when you did?

JR: Well I’d say that this was an interesting moment. I believe that with every record there’s a narrative that the record folds into. If a record is made how I believe they usually should be made, which is very regularly, you’re trying to encompass a certain amount of time, a certain amount of a number of preoccupations and get them all in that record so that when you move on, you have a record of that thing that happened. Whether it’s a writer’s block and adventure stories or kind of those ragged tumbling stuff. Those are all important moments for me, and they’re autobiographical in their own much less literal way. This was like a record where I began really in anger and real bitterness, and wanting to get some power back in my life. And I think I raised the pen at a moment when I think I needed to, where I felt like “these aren’t the songs that I want. These are not going to be the songs that I’m going to look back on and feel proud of, and it’s not the story that I’m creating right now.”

It took a while for the real black rage that I had to kind of get hampered a little bit so the other good parts of my life could come out. And along that process I met Haley and things changed in like a really radical way for the better. And that wasn’t something that was planned, but it changed the way the record sounded and felt altogether.

TSF: Would you say this was your hardest record to write, the most challenging to write?

JR: Well, you know, I think it strangely was actually one of the easiest I’ve ever done. You know there was like, when I was realized that I wanted to write about this stuff in a way that had a little bit more…it was a bit more interesting to me, I started to realize you know there’s only a couple of moments really in your life when you can see yourself for what you are. I sort of imagine it’s dark down there and you can see which way the river is flowing only like in a flash of light. You know you see where the river is going, where it’s gonna end up. You know yourself really well for just a few seconds. And when you get that chance, to describe it is for me, that’s the part that’s easy. But to see it itself and see like “New Lover” or “Evil Eye” or “Joy to You Baby,” you can actually see what it is you’re trying to describe. To try to describe a situation where you’re hopeful that someone’s doing better but you also hope that they’re doing worse. And that’s stuff that you have to sometimes get a flash of inspiration or flash of clarity. So really I think it was actually one of the easiest because it was very right in front of me and true in a really powerful way.

TSF: Was there any hesitation to release these more autobiographical songs? Was there ever a point where you tried to get back to writing less autobiographically like you had earlier, or was just it something you just felt you had to do?

JR: I just felt like this was…you know I was writing them, I just had to decide whether I wanted people to hear them. Not so much, not in regards to something like “Joy to You Baby” or “Lights,” which were more happy. But especially with the darker ones…but I feel like that’s the job, you know? If people don’t understand something, that’s fine. If they find it distasteful, that’s fine. But this is something that happened to me and I felt like if I didn’t write about it right now it’d be a betrayal of what I’m supposed to be doing. I mean there’s times where you’re just sticking around until that moment when something really important happens, or where you have something really important to say, and at that point, if you don’t say it then you’ve wasted all the time leading up to it. Plus I felt like if I did it right then it might be…people might be able to relate to it.

TSF: Before you started writing the album and before you went through the divorce, what direction were you expecting your next album after So Runs the World Away to take? Were you already expecting to strip it down a little bit or were you going to continue to do the more orchestral type of music?

JR: I thought about that a little bit. You know, when I’m finished with a record I usually don’t know where the next thing is gonna go, it takes a little while to know. And usually I’ve been pretty comfortable with that, but sometimes I thought in my mind like “wow, what would have happened? What would have happened if I continued down the direction of So Runs?” I mean that was a direction that was like big and cool and comfortable, and I felt like I was saying big things, you know? But I don’t think you can continue in that direction. I also felt like maybe I’ve gone as far as I wanted to for now, in that style. And so, so, wind. I always think the wind was basically just knocked out of my sails and in this way it was really, really positive.

TSF: What is “The Beast.” Where did the title come from?

JR: The Beast is the heartbreak. You can so easily make terrible decisions with your life. And I’m inclined to often make decisions that are rash, and that works out really good sometimes on stage, and other times in life it’s less good. But in a situation like coming back and it’s late-November, early-December [in] Brooklyn, and the sun comes up late and goes down early it’s…I was writing songs just to feel like I was not out there making bad mistakes and things that I would regret. So I thought of The Beast as being the heartbreak and if I could just kind of keep occupied with songs or whatever, it would help me to move forward in my life. And stay alive basically, until the page turned.

Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band play at The Trocadero tomorrow, May 16th. The Felice Brothers support. Tickets are available here.