Todd Snider – Near Truths And Hotel Rooms

Back when he was leading his band, the Nervous Wrecks, Todd Snider gained a reputation as a raucous, rowdy live act. His shows were like those college parties you hoped would never end, full of good music, cold beer, and nonstop fun.

But you can’t party like that forever, at least not without attracting the attention of the authorities. So, maybe it’s good that Snider has settled comfortably into the life of a folksinger. And though he may no longer be the rambunctious, amped-up rocker he used to be, this live disc shows he still has the charisma that made those old shows so memorable.

It’s not surprising that Snider offers a toast to Ramblin’ Jack Elliott in the CD’s liner notes. Like Elliott, Snider knows how to tell a tale. Sure, the songs included are almost all keepers, but it’s Snider’s intros to a few of them that linger. As he recounts the story behind “The Ballad Of The Devil’s Backbone Tavern”, you can feel the live audience being drawn in by Snider’s subtle charm. And his introduction to “Side Show Blues” offers an entertaining glimpse into the odd places where songwriters find inspiration.

Though the disc may not feature the frenzied mayhem a Todd Snider live CD of a few years back might have, it does show that Snider still knows how to be the life of the party–albeit a little more subdued soiree–with just a guitar and a little bit of wit.