Groovin' in the garden with Josh Ritter
As a musician, singer/songwriter Josh Ritter knows that every show can be challenging. Expectations can be high and it's up to the artist to make sure everyone enjoys the show.
"I saw Bruce Springsteen this week," he says. "The show was incredible. I know how high the bar can be set."
Ritter plays tonight at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens as part of the Groovin' in the Garden series. Concert goers can expect a few surprises from his first Richmond (and first outdoors) show.
"A record is different from a performance," he says. "It's a different world that you can't necessarily capture in a live setting. Once you learn the songs and play them a certain way all the time, it sort of limits where you can take it. You're setting the songs in stone before they're ready. No one says you have to play the same way every time."
Ritter also promises to pull out some new material from his upcoming yet-to-be-titled follow-up to 2007's The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, which he admits is a bit denser than his previous work.
"The songs I'm working on have a lot of love and natural laws… gravity… gamma waves… relativity," he laughs. "I've got a lot going on in my head. It's going to be different from the last record."
On top of working on a new album and touring, Ritter contributes to Esquire Magazine as well as taking time to write a book. To keep the creative juices flowing, he tries to stay as busy as possible.
"I run a lot when I'm on tour. Being in that space of time gets me thinking. It's helped songwriting a lot. It's also kept me sharp and focused. I'm more alert on stage when I perform."
"Although, people have gotten more of a look at my legs than I think they'd like," he laughs. "Plus, I'm not the world's most graceful runner."
Ritter is all about making the fans happy and he plans to do that with tonight's show.
"Come and be prepared to stay a while. It's going to be a great outdoor show in the middle of a beautiful garden. Can't ask for more than that."
Andrew Cothern is a writer and video producer for Richmond.com as well as an avid music lover. He is currently in the process of having his iPod surgically attached to his ears.
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