One of singer-songwriter Josh Ritter’s last memories from his days as an Oberlin College student involves sitting in Tappan Square, watching “two squirrels fighting to the death.” He used this anecdote at last night’s show to explain — or at least make fun of — his songs about war and the end of the world. But it was also a fitting metaphor for the concert as a whole — which featured a pair of extraordinary musicians who played beautifully yet still appeared to be dueling for the audience’s attention …
This article appears in Apr 9-15, 2008.