One Wish

If I had just one wish it would be that more people get to know and appreciate the music of Josh Ritter. I know I’m supposed to wish for world peace but this seems more realistic.

Josh Ritter’s ninth album, Gathering, was released last week and I had the pleasure to attend the release concert and signing at The Electric Fetus. Ritter played many of the songs from the album and proved that his artistic prowess has not dimmed. 

Ritter is a masterful storyteller, his lyrics are quite often a literal mouthful because the storyline and character development he accomplishes in a two or three minute song requires that the words fly by. Good luck learning the lyrics for "To The Dogs or Whoever." Ritter has certainly evolved as a songwriter; portions of Gathering feel very introspective compared to earlier albums (The Beast In Its Tracks being an exception). And his last couple of albums have a relaxed, looser vibe in contrast to the tight, studio sound of his earlier albums. And praise be! Sermon on the Rocks and Gathering feel closer to his electric live performances than, say, Hello, Starling. A fantastic album sure, but one that lacks the electricity present on Rocks and Gathering. 

While his personal and professional evolution seems to be on display on Gathering, what has not evolved, at least from the perspective of an audience member, is Ritter’s enthusiasm for performing. I have been attending Ritter concerts for a decade and have repeated the same refrain for ten years: no artist more genuinely enjoys performing and sharing music with his fans. I honestly cannot recall having ever seen him perform without an ear-to-ear grin plastered on his face the entire set and last week was no exception. Ritter and Zack Hickman brought down the house. Their encore performance of "Getting Ready to Get Down" with the entire audience singing along was one of the most fun concert experiences I have ever had.

As if that wasn’t enough, Ritter then talked with, hugged and signed albums and posters for everyone who showed up. I personally waited 2 hours and would have gladly waited longer. The general consensus amongst those of us waiting was ‘what a nice guy.’ So maybe it’s not world peace. Then again, if the world learned to understand, accept and empathize with all different kinds of people the way Ritter's music does maybe we would inch a little closer.

The Kitch Lit Series: The Mind of a Chef

Anthony Bourdain received hordes of attention upon the publication of Kitchen Confidential. Much of that attention focused on the debauchery of the bad boy chef culture and some less than appealing practices within the restaurant industry (I’ll probably think twice before biting into that slice of complimentary bread). As entertaining as those tales are I was more thrilled to get a glimpse inside the mind of a professional chef. 

The operation of a professional restaurant kitchen is like a complex dance with the chef acting as a combination of choreographer and principal dancer. Menu planning is a delicate balance between demand and product availability. Use fresh product today and plan ahead to use it when it may not be quite as fresh anymore. Bourdain preaches: never order fish on Monday. Product is not the only limitation, equipment can be limiting as well. Depending on what’s on the menu and how many diners order it simultaneously can the kitchen physically accommodate the orders – will there be enough burners available? As someone who has only ever been a diner, I find it fascinating to learn about the rhythm of the kitchen, the delicate timing required to ensure that the product will be cooked and delivered to the diner along with the product ordered by the rest of the table.

If you have any interest in what happens behind the scenes in a restaurant, Kitchen Confidential will definitely keep you engaged. And if you’re a vegetarian, just know before you start reading that Bourdain does not hold your lifestyle in the highest regard.