"In New York he is laid in a glass covered case. He pretends he is dead, people crowd 'round to see him. But each night she comes 'round, and the two wander down the halls of the tomb that she calls a museum. Often he stops to rest, then less and less, then it's her that looks tired, staying up asking questions. He learns how to read from the papers that she is writing about him, and he makes corrections. It's his face on her book, more come to look. Families from Iowa, Upper West-Siders. Then one day it's too much, he decides to get up, and as chaos ensues he walks outside to find her. She is using a cane, and her face looks too pale. But she's happy to see him, as they walk he supports her. She asks, "Are you cursed?" But his answer is obscured in a sandstorm of flashbulbs and rowdy reporters." ~josh ritter


I've posted a lot about The National lately, and there's more to come (including my thoughts on their newest album and a concert post after I see them next week), but for now I'm taking a break to write about a concert I went to last weekend. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to track and upload audio/video until today. It's a lot of work.

On May 18th, I went to see Josh Ritter and The Felice Brothers. I got a spot in the front row, which is always nice, especially for a shortie like me. I mostly went to see The Felice Brothers, who were the opening act. I think I've posted about them a lot; they're one of my favorite bands (in my top 5 at least). They're a lot of fun live, and this show was no exception. I always like to hear new songs, so a highlight for me was "Butch Cassidy." It was also nice to hear a couple of my faves, "Frankie's Gun" and "Saint Stephen's End." Here's my audio:

and some photos:

The coolest about seeing The Felice Brothers this time was meeting them after the show. They were hanging out at the merch booth, so I went and talked to them, and they were SO incredibly nice. They signed a CD for me (writing, Thanks Claire, we love you) and were perfectly happy to stand there and chat. I took a photo with Ian Felice (the lead singer). They were just so kind and friendly, and it made me really, really happy.

Josh Ritter was the headliner of the concert, and his set was one of the most uplifting, feel-good sets I've ever heard. He had the biggest smile plastered on his face throughout the show; he seemed so grateful and happy to be there, and he made the most of the experience. He played a lot of songs from his newest album (which is awesome) as well as some old favorites. I was most excited to hear "The Curse" (quoted in the opener of this post; I love the story it tells), "Change of Time," and "Joy to You Baby." Do yourself a favor and listen to my audio or video. I recommend starting with "The Curse," which starts my favorite part of the show. After that he does the two best songs from the new album (in my opinion), "Joy to You Baby" and "New Lover."

I took video of both shows, but my video of The Felice Brothers is really shaky because I can't help but dance to their music, so I was moving around a lot. I haven't uploaded those videos yet, but I might later, so check back here. I controlled myself a bit more during Josh Ritter. I uploaded my favorite videos from his set; I could only limit myself to eight (I loved the whole show). If anyone reading this is dying for a video of another song (or of The Felice Brothers), let me know. Here's the playlist (definitely check out "The Curse," "Joy to You Baby," and "Change of Time"):

Overall it was a great concert, and I was thrilled to be there.