Josh Ritter 10/18/24 District Music Hall

 Cheerful, slightly autistic Idahoan Ritter is a singer songwriter’s singer songwriter. Rolled into a renovated DMH for a Friday night. Refinished interior with removable seats, the Hall is morphing into a go-to midsize venue with good acoustics and sight lines. I’ve seen Ritter several times, at SCSU with Jamie Cullum, at some church in Westport with his female companion of the moment, on a double bill with The Low Anthem at Toads, his hyper-bubbliness was historically off-putting for me. On this evening, I was able to get a fuller picture as to the nature of his internal ecstasy IV. Autistic has entered my observations, his speech gets ahead of himself, his effusive praise for his band mates ( that “put up” with his style) is not off-putting, but endearing when viewed in this light. Makes sense when you read that Ritter gave up neuroscience in favor of music. For twenty years he has made solid recordings packed with thoughtful lyrics and deft song craft. On this evening he is joined by piano/accordionist and lead guitar/pedal steel. Ritter stayed with acoustic guitar, his wide-eyed intersong banter further supported my “on the spectrum” claim. The set pulled from all aspects of his career including a recent Jason Isbell produced slab recorded in New Orleans. Ritter wore a pink floral suit that looked like it was fashioned from upholstery ripped from a south Florida loveseat. Josh told a story about his Idaho homestead which he purchased because it had a lo-fi subterranean writing room. The near capacity crowd was rapt and constant touring has snowballed a decent fan base. Closed with his signature hit “Kathleen” that had most audience members belting out the anthemic lyrics.

Gong 10/14/24 Spaceland

 Flying teapots, Electric Camembert, Pothead Pixies! What is this, some kind of French LSD cult? Well kind of. Welcome to another edition of progtastic fall of 2024. In 1967, Australian singer Daevid Allen was a member of the British psychedelic rock band Soft Machine and was denied re- entry to the UK after his visa expired. ( see September’s post on the current lineup of the Softs) Setting up camp in Paris, Allen and his partner Gilli Smyth established the first incarnation of the troupe that would become Gong. Allen’s wacky drug addled take on the band offered a whimsical fairy-induced output of “space-rock”. They accumulated personnel who signed on to the vision of Allen. Like Sun Ra’s Arkestra or George Clinton’s P Funk Allstars, Gong were an interplanetary happening that were theatrical as well as musical. Allen passed in 2015, but the notion of Gong endures. The current lineup boasts guitarist Fabio Golfetti, bassist Dave Sturt, sax/ clarinet player Ian East, drummer Cheb Nettles, and frontman singer guitarist Kavus Torabi. The crew touched down in Hamden for a lively set. My Guitar is a Spaceship, Kapital, All Clocks Reset, Rejoice! Tiny Galaxies, My Sawtooth Wake, Through Restless Seas I Come, Lunar Invocation, Master Builder, Choose Your Goddess, Insert Your Own Prophecy ( complete with taped Allen words from beyond the grave), and closed with You Can’t Kill Me. The band was tight, something that Allen probably eschewed in favor of mystical ethos. Gong did morph toward prog technical wizardry employing such axe-wielders as Steve Hillage and Allan Holdsworth. All musicians were talented and steered the spaceship. Torabi in particular was a sight, with his androgynous attire and poodle rocker hair, he looked like a lost member of The Romantics, the one that went behind the bowling alley and ran into 20 hits of blotter and never came back. I am amazed these bands are carrying the torch and happy they include the New Haven market as a tour stop.