One of the things I love about Josh Ritter is that you can tell he's having fun -- you can hear the smile in his live songs, like the one above. It comes through on "Empty Hearts," too, particularly the "Don't let me into this year with an empty heart, an empty heart" refrain.
I'm not sure I've seen a better show -- or a more dedicated performer -- than Bruce Springsteen, but I'm not sure I've seen (or more accurately, heard) someone consistently have as much fun as Ritter. Bruce, when he's on stage, works. Josh plays. There's nothing wrong with either approach, and it's not to say that the reverse isn't true of either one. But to me it seems like Bruce works first, plays second. Josh does it the other way around.
Either way, it comes out great from where I stand.
