He’s been driving around this country for 15 years making this shit up as he goes along and playing it for anyone that will listen. Some people say his stuff is a bit opinionated, and while this may be true, he does not sing anything to try to change your mind, but rather to ease his own mind. And it just so happens that the stuff rhymes. He has been known to ramble on in between the songs for as long as 18 minutes…
So goes the story of Todd Snider and paraphrased above is a piece of the introduction he gives near the beginning of all of his sets. It’s a little bit longer than “Hello I’m Johnny Cash†but it pretty much sets the stage just as well. A Snider show is part comedy act, part hootenanny, part philosophy discussion, and one whole great time. Barefoot, under the influence, and armed with his acoustic Epiphone, he took the stage and opened with “Can’t Complain†and proceeded to rip through his catalogue playing tunes such as “Carla,†and “Easy Money,†but also throwing in his fair share of new classics including “Greencastle Blues,†“Money, Compliments, and Publicity,†and “Barefoot Champagne†all from his 2009 release The Excitement Plan. And of course he played “Beer Run.â€
The main 18 minute story of the evening was about Todd playing in the K.K. Rider band, and while I had heard this one before, it gets better (and more embellished) each time. He closed his set with “If Tomorrow Never Comes†from 2006’s The Devil You Know, but came back for two encores, the first including Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Pissing In the Wind,†and Todd’s own “Sideshow Blues,†and the second being another Walker tune “Drifting Way of Life.â€
The often rowdy crowd of 300 or so all seemed to have a hell of a time, as I know I did. If you haven’t seen Snider live, then you haven’t had the whole experience of his music. If you can’t make it out to a show in the near future, but want to know what all the fuss is about, visit www.toddsniderlive.com for soundboard recordings of select shows for only $7. It’s cool, this site is authorized by Snider, so he sees some of the money, but he also still allows fans to tape as well. Guess that’s why he corners the hippie crowd along with the indies, right-wingers, lefties, and good old boys.
www.toddsnider.net
www.eighteenminutes.com
About the author: Producer, Engineer, Musician and all around music enthusiast.