I have a friend who has seen Todd Snider perform about 14 times, and after Snider's Tuesday night sold-out concert at The State Room, he was disappointed with Snider's performance, which he thought was sloppy.
But that is part of what made the concert fun.
The only time I had seen the Oregonian mad hatter before was when he performed at Red Butte Garden, and while I love that venue, Snider is truly in his element in the more intimate State Room, which once again proved why it is one of the best places in the area to see a musician. In the front row, you could see up close Snider's unwieldy toenails (he always performs without shoes). It was a memorable evening with an engaged crowd, and his set list (which was made up on the spot, peppered with requests shouted out by the audience) was full of his better-known songs including "Beer Run." Snider released his tribute album to Jerry Jeff Walker on Tuesday, so it was a treat to see him deliver his unique, off-kilter take on "Mr. Bojangles."
Of course, he did his famous "18 Minutes" speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqlWAhS30pw
Here is one of my favorite songs from Snider, which combines my love of a good (and true story) and baseball:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG2SPjcKM4M and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zlAuY_-M30
