Singer, songwriter, storyteller and alright guy Todd Snider passed away on Friday, November 14.
The cause of death was, at the moment, complications from pneumonia but in typical Snider fashion, there’s much more to the story that we don’t need to go into right now.
Like so many of us in these parts, Snider once attended the Santa Rosa Junior College before deciding that it wasn’t for him and, unlike most of us, he lit out for brighter pastures, seeking to emulate the career path of his idol, Jerry Jeff Walker. He more than succeeded and his career was still going strong when he shuffled off this mortal coil. Key word, shuffled.
For me, Todd Snider was “my guy.” If you’re more than a casual music fan, you most certainly have “your guy” or “your girl” or “your band,” probably more than one which negates that singular sounding designation but, you get it.
I discovered Todd Snider at exactly the right point in my life. In 1994, I was around 23 and considered myself a member of the local punk rock scene but at that point, Green Day had went mega with their breakout album Dookie and my favorite band Jawbreaker ”sold out” to a major label and promptly broke up. I was looking for a new connection, something to hang my hat on and along came Todd Snider.
I had seen a large cardboard standee of Todd Snider’s debut album, Songs for the Daily Planet at the beloved Last Record Store as well as at the late, great Backdoor Disc and Tape but my punk rock cynicism dismissed him as a pretty-boy wannabe.
However, at that same time, in a flurry of confluence, I caught Snider and his ripping band The Nervous Wrecks on Austin City Limits and was blown away. The songs were catchy, smart and also rocked. Todd was amicable, boyish, charming and wrote great songs. I waited for the episode to re-air so I could record it on the VCR and later wore out that tape.
Also at that same time legendary KRSH DJ Bill Bowker and his late, great partner Doug Smith booked Todd Snider and the Nervous Wrecks at the late, great Inn of the Beginning and that show still stands as one of the greatest I have ever witnessed. I was hooked and honestly lost count of how many times I saw him solo, with his band, with another band and probably in some other band too as he always played our area when he was on tour and he toured non-stop.
I saw him play good, bad, and everywhere in between but what I loved most was, getting friends and anyone who would listen to me in and around Sonoma County to come with me to see him live. His songs are funny, poignant, insightful and cutting and his onstage storytelling will forever be unparalleled in my book.
Snider has several songs foreshadowing death but this isn’t particularly prescient, we’re all foreshadowing death every day. But him dying at 59 years old is just wrong and as another of Snider’s idols, John Prine, once noted, it’s a crooked piece of time that we live in.
While I’m still pretty torn up over the loss in general, I’m clinging to the bright spots which are memories of great times as well as the fact that the music will live forever.
Todd Snider rules.
I love this. I am so sad about how he exited this world. It was wrong and my only hope is his family gets millions from the lawsuits that are sure to follow. But that won’t really matter, their golden boy is gone. I can just see John Prine, my guy, being happy to see him.
I was there, Don knows I was, at the Inn at the Beginning show. It was lightning in a bottle and I started friendships that night that last to this day. What a time! I miss Todd already. We all do. Thanks for the memories Don… and Todd.
wonderfully written piece, Don. And i couldnt agree more with damn near everything your wrote here. Ill forever be in gratitude to my buddy ( cough cough) who first planted the seed ( by suggesting we check out this “Todd Snider guy @ the Inn of the Beginning” ). So again, thank you !
The rest, as they say, is history….Mind*blown*
Talons sunk, hook – line- sinker.
I was hooked. And 30 plus years later-
Ive reached the conclusion that there was / is none better. As bummed out as I am , im more grateful that i was able to see and experience his genius. There will never be another like him.
rest in piece TS