As I said earlier, I spilled a lot of ink on the Sisters Folk Festival this week, but probably could’ve written even more. One artist playing the festival that I really wish I could’ve done more on is Todd Snider, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who plays tonight on the Village Green main stage from 9 to 10 p.m.
I’ve been a fan of Todd’s since back in 1998, when I first heard the first track on his album “Viva Satellite.” It’s called “Rocket Fuel,” and I still think it’s one of the best pure, simple rock ‘n’ roll songs I own. I found a live version you can hear. Be sure to listen to the lyrics; I’m not sure they’d qualify for a poetry competition, but for me, they capture that whole young/carefree/immortal ethos that, as a 33-year-old working dude with bills to pay, seems so dumb and yet so appealing at the same time:
“Viva Satellite” is a pretty rockin’, full-band affair. And I haven’t been able to keep up with everything Snider has released since, so there may be some more rock-oriented albums among his more recent output, but for the most part, I think in the past few years he’s been focused on the folk-blues troubadour thing.
That format, of course, tends to shine a light on songwriting, and for Snider, that’s a good thing. The guy can spin a story and set it to a tune just about as well as anyone going these days. Click through the jump to watch three videos I found that showcase his skills. Bonus! Two of them have distinctly Northwest themes, and one is set in Oregon!
(Photo courtesy Todd Purifoy.)
Tags: Sisters Folk Festival, Todd Snider
