The crowd that packed into the Great American Music Hall last night got their money’s worth. In terms of sheer quantity, four bands and more than four hours of music is a pretty good deal for $20, but it was the quality that made this a special night.

Josh Ritter

Josh Ritter came into the Great American Music Hall last night ready to play. Performing with only a string quartet, he was visibly excited to start and his obvious excitement quickly spread over the audience.

The setlist was effectively a greatest hits collection, including favorites like “Girl from the War,” “Kathleen,” To the Dogs or Whoever,” “Good Man,” “California” and an epic “Thin Blue Flame,” with a rapt audience singing along to nearly every lyric. While “audience participation” is typically frowned upon for indie shows, Ritter encouraged the sing-along and the crowd happily obliged. In addition to his back catalog, Ritter also debuted a pair of new songs. The second, a tortured love song to a ship named “Annabelle Lee” silenced the crowd as Ritter sang of their journey to find better world.

The setting of the Great American Music Hall was the perfect venue and clearly played a role on Ritter’s mood — he jokingly referred to the ornate interior as Liberace’s tomb — and he played to the dynamics of the small venue. He twice asked for the lights to be lowered and performed in near total darkness. While the openers had trouble being heard over the raucous crowd, Ritter stepped away from the mic for one song and performed without amplification, easily filling what was then a dead-quiet theatre.

It was one of those nights when the musician, venue and crowd all came together to make a special experience.

Laura Gibson

Laura Gibsons set was an excellent lead-in to Josh Ritter. The very definition of cuteness (see photos above), Gibson’s music defies easy catorigazation, sounding like a strange lovechild of Gillian Welch and Tom Waits, with her angelic voice floating over unorthodox instruments (melodica, banjo, accordion, bowed saw, castanets and an autoharp all made appearances).

Although she evokes a neo-traditionalism, her songwriting (varied from waltzes to folk) and instrumentation breathed new life into older forms. While her performance was great, the setting seemed at odds with the music. While hardly practical for an up-and-coming singer, she seemed to belong in a country church somewhere in the heartland — there’s a timelessness and calm in her music that just seemed off over the din of the crowd.

Dave Smallen

Dave Smallen performed a relatively short set to a fairly disinterested and loud crowd (three opening acts is a lot ask of a crowd). Deeply indebted to the emo-folk of Conor Oberst, his set was enthusiastic despite the lyrical angst.

Tiny Television

Local band Tiny Television went on first and ably ran through a set of country-tinged, indie folk-rock. Equipped with an acoustic guitar and dobro, the duo’s sound recalled the sepia-toned music of the ’70s (it also helps that singer Jeremy D’Antonio bears a striking resemblance to Stephen Stills). Highlights included “Hallelujah, I’m Coming Home” and the SF-themed “16th & Valencia.”

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