Speaking of Brian Ritchie, he was a charismatic presence throughout the show. Moving to the edge of the stage several times, he delighted those in close proximity. If there was a leader on stage among the band members, it was clearly Ritchie.
Zooming through the track listing, the energy level from band and audience never waned. The crowd did understandably appear to skew older, many likely discovering the debut album when it actually debuted, or soon thereafter. It was refreshing, however, to see younger fans scattered throughout, a family affair for some. Highlights included the aforementioned “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” “I Held Her In My Arms,” and “I’m Nothing.”
All of the band members are adept at playing multiple instruments, as is the case with many groups. Gordon Gano, for example, plays the violin along with the guitar. However, some of the instruments are, to say the least, non-traditional. Ritchie plays not only bass, but a conch shell as well, and a box he slaps as he sits upon it. I don’t know of any other punk bands in which a conch shell is used. (It also made me regret not taking home one of the beautiful conch shells I saw during my time spent in Belize years back.)
But eliciting cool sounds from unusual sources is just one of the things that makes Violent Femmes music unique.