On the Road to The Bellbrook Jamboree

Sometimes I find myself thinking, as I travel, "when I get off the road in a week, I'll get back to my letters, I'll go to the library, I'll put some time into making bread right, I'll go for a run along Paradise Creek, I'll fix the step..." and my mind careens off into all those lists upon lists of stuff to do that aren't related to playing music and writing. I've found though, that any road you go down besides the one you're currently going down, is bound to be a dicey one. Speaking of which I have to tell you about this one we're on in a second. I think about it like rock climbing: you don't look up and you don't look down, you just look for the hand and foot holds in front of you. The show is the thing each night, just as the writing is the thing when at home. Still it can be hard to concentrate when your desk is full of other stuff dragging you away from your main job. So this morning I got up early and have been working on a few things to get them off my "desk."

Firstly there are the arrangements just beginning for the orchestral arrangements for my show with the Boston Pops. Sean O'Laughlin, the arranger, has sent along some great stuff and I'm just now having the chance to listen to it. I'm also doing some email interviews, which take awhile to do right. Finally, I'm looking out the window at this incredible southern Ohio scenery floating by the bus as we make our way from The Music Mill in Indianapolis to the Bellbrook Jamboree in Xenia, Ohio later on today. The road is incredibly narrow and I've been up to the front several times to see how Richard, our bus driver, is doing. The man is a horse and I have total confidence in him, yet there are a remarkable number of rusted-out cars on the shoulders of this curvy mountain road, and it's no harm just checking to make sure he's good.

These last several days have been beautiful and although the shows have been smaller, the crowds have been a joy to play to. In Little Rock I got a chance to visit the Clinton (Bill) Presidential Library with Zack and Liam before sound check and then play with some great guys, The Benjy Davis Project, at the Revolution Room in town. This was by far the craziest venue of the whole tour. Perhaps five bars and a restaurant in the place, students going completely wild (not for us) in every nook and crevice (of the building). Cops were everywhere outside on all manners of conveyance ranging from foot to horse to Segway to scooter and car, a religious revival happening in a tent behind the venue, and in the corner, strummin' away, Josh Ritter and his band. The folks in our crowd were great sports to put up with the carnage all around, and festivities were in full force when we slipped out of town a few hours later.

In Omaha, Dawn Landes and her be-bearded drummer Ray Rizzo joined us for a string of shows starting at the glorious Slow Down. I'd read that this was rated the best new club in America so my hopes were high, but the rocket of my dreams blasted through the ceiling of cold hard experience when we arrived and found fresh hot coffee waiting for us and a group of people who were genuinely proud of their club. Here is a place that puts on four shows a week at most because they think more shows than that are too hard on the club and make for a less enjoyable experience for crowd and performer alike.

The next night, in Des Moines, was a night off. Nights off are expensive but necessary, and with only two nights off the whole tour, I wanted to do something fun. So Ray, Dawn, Brandon Eggleston (my guitar and monitor tech) and Bill Heath, who is making a documentary of the trip, and I all went down to see the Des Moines Cubs play the Portland Beavers baseball team on a beautiful clear Spring night. We also ate bratwurst and drank beer and harassed a walking piece of pizza, cheered the Cubs, took sides in an anthropomorphic fast food race between a hot dog, a chimichanga and an egg roll (go egg roll!) and ducked as hot dogs and tee shirts were variously shot out of a gun at the crowd. We (the Cubs) won handily and to celebrate we walked out of the stadium and down the street to the High Life, where we drank High Life and bought (it seemed like a good idea at the time) High Life sweatshirts.

Our show in Madison was great fun and a proud moment. Several years ago, when my band and I were opening for Sarah Harmer, we took a swing from the tour and opened the High Noon Saloon for about eight or nine people. This time it was sold out and with school getting out and the summer fast approaching, spirits were high in the crowd and on stage.

There seems to be a lot of porch sittin' in rural southern Ohio. Porch sittin', which was actually invented by my great great uncle, is near and dear to my heart so I'm gonna sign off now and watch some champions at work as our rolling porch tilts and sways towards the Bellbrook Jamboree.

Talk soon!
Josh

photos by Austin Nevins (and Josh)

Comments

[Blondiegrrl]

Aw, shucks. I guess Huntington didn't make the cut of Interesting Place to Write About. But I guess it's just as well; considering all the negative press West Virginia has been getting recently (Obama's "Appalachian problem" ... yikes), I think it's best we fly under the radar for awhile. Regardless, I had a great time at the V Club show. Even my husband enjoyed himself, and he's one of those grouchy, hates-going-out kind of people. Please come back soon, preferably closer to Charleston next time. :)

[elisemtl]

Thanks so much for your blog- it's great to be able to get a glimpse of life on the road (although it's not helping crush my desire to run away from thesis-writing and have some massive road-trip...)
And Austin Nevins takes fantastic pictures...
Hope to see you in Toronto in August!
-Elise

[SkylinePigeon]

Was also at the Little Rock show--and as crazy as it was, I enjoyed every second of it! The energy was ridiculously high, and that was kind of a plus on the fast songs because I danced like crazy in a way I've never done at one of your shows!! My best friend (also a huge fan) and I brought our moms along for Mother's Day, and you definitely won both of them over. Thanks for providing us the opportunity for the wonderful trip. We all can't wait to see you on the road again!

-Heather

[cricket19]

Josh!! I love love love reading your blog. I actually have the email alert turned on, and get so excited whenever you post a new one...my co-workers instantly recognize the squeal of delight. I even stayed late at work today, on a Friday, to read it. Imagine that.
I've been crying myself to sleep that I can't come see you with the Boston Pops! It sounds incredible. Since I am just a poor working girl saving money for school, I can't afford to go anywhere to see you.....so please come back through Winnipeg again sometime in the not TOO distant future. It seems that anyone else who adores you as much as I do has actually met you, and I (so sadly!) have not. On an almost completely unrelated note, I love your hair right now! ;)
Your music is the soundtrack to my life, and reading these always makes me smile. Good luck with everything, and please keep writing. Stay safe, and brilliant, and happy!
PS. Your sweatshirt rocks!
PPS. So....are we ever gonna get to see this documentary???

[mojo5575]

I must agree with you, Little Rock was an experience! I believe you and the band rose to the occasion. The Rev room is a world all it's own.It was the third time to catch up with you. Reno, Noise Pop 07, and now the Rev room. I caught your NPR with Hilary Hahn, what a nice surprise. Thanks for the small town tour! Mo

[thatbeccagirl]

Dear Josh Ritter,

i am quite possibly your biggest fan (haha i'm sure you've never heard that one before! but this time it might be true). my name's becca and i live right outside of DC. you actually held the door for me once (not kidding!) my dad, my friend and i went to see you at a small bookstore several years ago and you and some guys came out of "baja fresh" right in front of us and you held the door for me and my friend with one hand, and had your sneakers in the other! haha it was definitely a memorable first impression. anyways i love this blog, and i don't think i'd be the person i am today without your music! so thanks, you rock.

your (actual) biggest fan,
becca

PS if you ever need a roadie, i would do anything up-to-but-not-including dropping out of college in order to join you guys!

PPS please come back to MD soon! (like REALLY soon!)

[mattcleveland]

Glad to have been a part of your craziest show of the tour. I had a great time at you show, and it was also great to get to talk to you after the show for a bit. You're as nice a guy as you are an amazing songwriter, which turns out to be pretty durned nice. Come back anytime and we'll go grab us some Whole Hog Barbecue. Chips is good, but it doesn't compare to Whole Hog.