Josh Ritter + Lake Street Dive @ Fonda, LA 3/19/13
It’s not every day that you walk into a venue and are handed a paper airplane, on which you are asked to write something that is bothering you. That was the scene as concert goers entered the Fonda on Tuesday night for Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band with support act Lake Street Dive.
From Brooklyn, New York, four-piece Lake Street Dive were a surprising and refreshing opener. Singer Rachael Price hit the crowd with her stunning pipes right from the get-go. At first the band’s soul sound seemed like a bit of an odd pairing for the night, but they quickly won the crowd over with their amazing stage presence and cheeky lyrics.
Ritter kicked things off on a mellow night with “Idaho,” an ode to his home state. Throughout the set the singer kept fans on their toes, switching things up at every turn.
For the slow-burner “In The Dark,” the Royal City Band stepped off stage, Ritter unplugged his acoustic guitar, and stepped away from the mic. True to the song’s title, Ritter played without any lighting on
him as the crowd hummed the sweet melody, filling the large theater with a warm tune.
After the band rejoined him, so did their friend and founder of SoulPancake, Rainn Wilson. Wilson explained the idea behind the paper airplanes – of letting something negative go. As the band started into “Good Man,” Wilson prompted the crowd to let their airplanes soar – and so they did, letting go of their problems, even if only for a duration of a song.
For more amazing photos from the show, go HERE.