review of Todd Snider / Mary Gauthier show in Covington KY before Thanksgiving

*interesting review of a recent Todd Snider show; not primarily focused on "Peace Queer" and willingness to take lots of requests!!! And Mary Gauthier as an opening act! Wish I coulda been there!!!!



A bit more than halfway through Todd Snider's sold-out show here in Covington, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, it occurred to this writer that he had learned the lessons of the older Bob Dylan - the Dylan of the 1990s and this decade - better than just about any younger touring musician out there.


His band, comprising members of Leftover Salmon and Yonder Mountain String Band, while primarily (amped-up) acoustic, had played "hot" and rockin.' The sound was not so much folk or alt-country, nor anything overtly traditionalist, but a freewheelin' polyglot also encompassing bluegrass, blues, country-swing and Chuck Berry-driven rock ‘n' roll. There was also the knack for pop hooks and chord changes, to keep the rootsy songs from all sounding the same.


And then, as if to underscore the connection, the 42-year-old Snider slowed things down a bit - his harmonica on a holder - and covered Dylan's "You're a Big Girl Now."


One doesn't want belabor the Dylan connection, since Nashville-based Snider (who previously recorded for labels owned by Jimmy Buffett and John Prine) obviously has a lot of influences. He reminds one of a lot of other people, with his casually friendly stage demeanor, equal parts sincerity and smartness with a little silliness tossed in; his reed-thin physique and longish brown hair - Tom Petty, Brad Pitt and Beck come to mind. He can also be compared to Linda Ronstadt, since he performed barefoot like she used to.


Snider didn't dwell much on his latest album, Peace Queer, although he did insert a snippet of Creedence's "Fortunate Son," which he covers on the disc, into his "This Land Is Our Land." Instead, energized by his band - Vince Herman on guitar, Jeff Austin on mandolin and Ben Kaufmann on stand-up bass - he hollered for requests from the audience and then played just about everything he could. It was a veritable greatest-hits show for a crowd that knew his material extremely well - "Alcohol and Pills," "Easy Money," "D.B. Cooper," "Carla," "The Devil You Know," "Enjoy Yourself," "East Nashville Skyline" were among the standouts.


Snider actually wound up sharing the spotlight with fearlessly energetic mandolin player Austin. Besides his muscular playing, Austin provided forceful harmonies, higher than Snider's and just a pinch off the beat, that were very reminiscent of how Rick Danko would add his voice to ringing, rustic multi-part vocals of The Band's songs.


***


Opening act Mary Gauthier, who performed solo, was less familiar to the crowd. But by the time she was done, she received hearty applause and some new fans. She accompanied herself with acoustic guitar and harmonica. With a Louisiana twang reminiscent of Lucinda Williams, but more interest than Williams now has in singing exquisitely crafted story songs, she displayed droll, wry humor while introducing her material.


After the ironic "Christmas in Paradise" and just before "Thanksgiving," about visiting relatives in prison on that day of feasting and happiness, she said, "This is the second in what I hope is a series of miserable holiday songs."


As opening act, she got but seven songs to show her stuff, and made the most of it with her lonely portraits of "The Last of the Hobo Kings" and the "fallen angels" at low-rent "Camelot Motel," among others. The material exuded sadness, but also beauty and honesty.


"I can't say why singing blue makes me feel better," Gauthier said toward set's end. "But after 40 minutes I go home and feel damn ecstatic." As she should.