SHOW REVIEW: Minotaurs, Mystics, and Melody – Josh Ritter in Annapolis, March 12, 2025

Americana Highways

Josh Ritter photos by Allison O’Brien – AOB photos

Some artists step onto the stage. Josh Ritter bursts onto it. Bounding toward the mic, he radiates an infectious energy that never wavers throughout the night. Ritter smiles more than should be legal while singing, but it never feels performative. It’s real—just like the stories he tells. The sold-out crowd at Ram’s Head responded to that energy and warmth in kind, feeding off Ritter’s enthusiasm and creating a powerful, communal experience.

Ritter’s music lives at the crossroads of myth and modernity, blending sweeping narratives, biblical imagery, and a deeply literate approach to songwriting. As NPR Music recently put it, “[Ritter is] a hydrant of ideas while embodying an endless capacity for empathy and indignation, often within a single song.” That was clear from the very first number. “Monster Ballads” spun a tale of love and loss, laced with historical imagery, while “Joy to You Baby” followed, its seemingly lighthearted refrain— “Joy to you baby, and the joys of someone else”—carrying a quiet ache beneath the surface.

Before “Miles Away,” Ritter took a moment to acknowledge the chaos of the world, quipping, “No matter what you believe in, this must seem absurd.” But then, ever the optimist, he followed it with something more hopeful: “We all can and should feel our own occasional mystical significance.” Ritter isn’t just here to sing—he’s here to remind us to treat each other with love, grace, and joy.

While love songs filled much of the setlist, Ritter didn’t shy away from heavier material. “Henrietta, Indiana” carried a gripping urgency:

At night I leave a bottle on the table / The Bible open to the Sermon on the Mount / Blessed be the poor of Henrietta, Indiana / But happy are the ones that get out.

His social commentary reached its sharpest on “Gospels of Mary,” a breathtaking co-write with The Milk Carton Kids that draws striking parallels between Mary and Joseph’s biblical journey and modern immigration struggles. Switching between past and present, faith and desperation, the song’s mother figure is left abandoned—her husband dead on the road, her child missing:

I’m tired now, my eyes are dry / There’s only me alone tonight / In a land I thought would be / Ours if we could make it / A land that welcomes strangers in / A land that beckoned like a friend / If I had the chance again / I’d rather die than take him.

Ritter’s trio—Mark Erelli on guitar and Zachariah Hickman on upright bass—provided a dynamic, restrained accompaniment. Hickman’s bass was particularly striking, never overplaying, always making every note count. His solo on “Strangers” was a highlight. Erelli, a gifted singer-songwriter in his own right, added texture and color, particularly on “Right Moves,” which turned into the best jam of the night. The result was a sound that wasn’t loud but certainly wasn’t quiet—dynamic, intimate, and emotionally raw.

Still, some of the most powerful moments came when Ritter performed solo. A stunning version of “Kathleen” (“All the other girls here are stars—you are the northern lights”) featured an extended monologue, reminiscent of Springsteen’s ability to weave storytelling into song. Girl in the War was hushed and heartbreaking, with its sharpest lines cutting through the quiet room:

I got a girl in the war, Paul/I know that they can hear me yell / If they can’t find a way to help her, they can go to hell.

One of the night’s most special moments came with “Only a River,” a co-write with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, later covered by Bob Dylan. Ritter clearly loves to sing this one, his voice filled with palpable longing:

Only a river gonna make things right / Oh Red River Valley, will she remember all the things we said? / Do you think she’ll remember me / And our nights in the river bed?

For the encore, Ritter closed with “Lantern,” captivating the audience as he sang about “minotaurs inside a maze”—a fitting metaphor for his music, always leading listeners deeper into the labyrinth of history, love, and human longing. He left the crowd with a call to action:

So throw away those lamentations / We both know them all too well / If there’s a book of jubilations / We’ll have to write it for ourselves.

If this world were just, Josh Ritter would be a household name, rather than, as one recent headline put it, “The Best Songwriter You’ve Never Heard Of.” But maybe that’s part of the magic—his songs belong to those who seek them out, the people willing to follow him into the maze. Those lucky enough to be in Annapolis the other night will surely attest to Ritter’s unique genius.

Find tour dates and more information here on his website:

https://joshritter.com

Enjoy our previous coverage here: Interview: Josh Ritter’s Rousing Outlook