Josh Ritter, Indigo Girls open Landmark’s 2011-2012 Season

It was a splendid weekend of music in Port Washington as kicked off its 2011-2012 season with two sold-out shows: Josh Ritter on Saturday, Oct. 15, and The Indigo Girls on Sunday, Oct. 16.

Guys, take note: Josh Ritter is living proof that you don’t actually need more than one guitar in order to make great music. The stage was very simply set for Ritter’s performance with just a microphone and a pair of matching Gibson acoustic guitars – of which he only played one. Yet from the first strum of that guitar, Ritter captivated the audience with both the intensity and enthusiasm of his performance, and his mature songwriting skills.

Only in his mid-30’s, Ritter has already recorded numerous CDs, both live and in the studio, and has written a novel. His talent with words shows itself clearly in his songs which, like those of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon, are often short stories masquerading as lyrics. He sings about the “everyman” – riding on trains, hoping to discover new worlds, lamenting lost love. But a moment later he might be channeling Tom Lehrer, with witty lyrics causing the audience to burst into laughter. Mention must also be made of Ritter’s voice, which covered the gamut from a falsetto whisper to an all-out Johnny Cash boom – and everything in between. He used his voice to great advantage – stopping and pausing for dramatic effect in the middle of one song as the audience held its collective breath, waiting for him to continue.

Ritter played two dozen songs over the course of two hours, including several from his new CD, “So Runs the World Away.” The most notable of these included “Another New World,” the haunting story of a man and his boat, the Annabel Lee, as they go on a quest to find a new world, and “Southern Pacifica,” about trains and lost love. After a loud and enthusiastic standing ovation, Ritter returned to the stage for a three-song encore, including his interpretation of the classic song, “Moon River.” Afterwards, he thanked the audience sincerely and profusely and then jumped in the air several times like a boy who’d just hit a home run… which, in fact, he had.

The following night’s Indigo Girls performance broke two Landmark records: the fastest sold-out show, and the most gear onstage (although last year’s They Might be Giants setup came quite close). According to Landmark Executive Director, Sharon Maier-Kennelly, the show sold out in a mere 2.5 hours. People came as far as Boston to line up hours before the box office opened in hopes of tickets.

The amount of gear on the stage, which included at least 10 guitars, three keyboards, a drum kit, was due in part to the opening act – The Shadowboxers. As far as opening acts go, this was one of the best I’ve seen (aside from Zebra opening for Blue Oyster Cult in 1983). The five young men, including three who sang lead interchangeably, hail from the same alma mater as The Indigo Girls – Emory University. Imagine Maroon 5 with three Adam Levines, and you’ll get an idea of the sound and vibe of The Shadowboxers. Great harmonies, solid songwriting skills, and a little R&B flavor infused their energetic performance. Of special note was the song “Vienna” which they co-wrote with Indigo Girl Emily Saliers.

When The Indigo Girls took the stage, the crowd went wild. I heard several people around me remark on the intimate size of the theater, and Saliers agreed, exclaiming “this is a sweet room to play in!” Saliers and her performing partner, Amy Ray, were touring in support of their new CD, “Beauty Queen Sister.” Over the course of the evening, the two women played a dozen different guitars, as well as an electric banjo, mandolin and ukulele. Besides being proficient musicians, each Indigo Girl has her own unique vocal sound – Saliers is a mezzo-soprano, Ray, an alto – and both voices sound stunning together as they weave harmonies and counter-melodies into their beautifully written songs. They played crowd favorites, such as “Galileo,” interspersed with new material. One particularly outspoken fan shouted out a request for “Ghost,” and despite not having practiced it, The Indigo Girls complied, much to the joy of the fans. Standout numbers included Ray’s “Sugar Tongue,” and Saliers’ song from the new CD, “Feed and Water the Horses.” They closed with “Closer to Fine,” with the audience singing several of the verses, and dancing in front of the stage.

If opening weekend was any indication of what Landmark’s upcoming season has in store, it will be a great year for music lovers in Port Washington.