At first glance, Josh Ritter’s Artists Den performance might have taken place in his native Idaho, against a landscape of rolling green hills and grazing bison. The enormous animals behind the band were, however, stuffed: the show’s venue was actually in the North American Mammal Hall of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, in the spirit of Ritter’s new album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (Sony BMG/Victor). Surrounded by grizzly bears and wolves, hundreds of die-hard fans packed the diorama-filled hall as Ritter delivered a full-on rock concert – complete with a 5-piece horn section – that kept the room dancing all night.

• Mark Lieberman

• Patty Griffin
• Buddy Miller
• Daniel Platzman