Todd Snider returned to his faithful Purple Building studio in East Nashville, TN on Saturday for a special New Year’s Day livestream. The singer-songwriter delivered a set of originals, Jerry Jeff Walker tributes, and more to kick off 2022 between stops on his ongoing tour.
“And we are back on the air. Happy New Years. I am stoneder as a monkey, but I’m going in anyway,” Snider said to open the show.
Todd started the stream by stating the obvious with “Long Year”, ahead of his musical birthday card to Country Joe McDonald, “Happy New Year”. More New Year’s Day relevancy ensued with the obituary for Billy Joe Shaver‘s son Eddy, one of Todd’s closest friends who committed suicide on December 31st, 2000.
Todd also explored his most recent album, 2021’s First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder, with “Turn Me Loose” (I’ll Never Be The Same)”, “Sail On, My Friend”, and later on, “Handsome John”. The longtime East Nashville resident also filled viewers in on the recent misfortune that befell him as the tornados that ripped through the region destroyed his house. Snider has played 76 shows since his pre-tour Return of the Storyteller stream, and on the night of the last gig he got the call that a tornado went through the middle of his house.
“That has rattled the fuck out of me,” Snider plainly said.
Related: Todd Snider To Record New Live Album ‘Return Of The Storyteller’ On Upcoming Tour
Though it will take three months to put his house back together, Todd still feels fortunate because he has insurance. However, not everyone else knew of his uncharacteristic foresight, so his fans and management put together a fundraiser to rebuild his house. When asked, “what about all your stuff” the reliably non-materialistic Snider responded, “I don’t have any stuff.”
“There was a picture of our house going around,” Snider recalled. “They took the roof off that place!”
Snider also recounted his recent induction into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. He was inducted alongside “that nerdy band” The Decemberists and the Dandy Warhols.
“I’m the hall of fame guy. Said a speech and everything,” Todd said. “I set the record at my high school, I got suspended eight times. They said I’d never amount to shit, and they were pretty close to right.”
As the session wound to a close, Snider ended the nearly 90-minute stream with a tribute to the man who first inspired him to be a folksinger, Jerry Jeff Walker, with “Good News Blues”.
“That’s a Billy Joe Shaver song to start you off on your new year,” Todd said in closing. “Get out there and do something fun. And we’ll see you on the road in a few days. Seacrest out.”
Watch the New Year’s Day Todd Snider stream from The Purple Building in East Nashville and scroll down for a full setlist. Todd returns to the road on January 12th at Robert Kirk Walter Theater in Chattanooga, TN. For tickets and a full list of tour dates click here.
Todd Snider – The Purple Building – East Nashville, TN – 1/1/22
Setlist: Todd Snider | The Purple Building | Nashville, TN | 1/1/22
Set: Long Year, Happy New Year, Turn Me Loose (I’ll Never Be The Same), Just Like Overnight, Waco Moon, Sail On, My Friend, Too Soon To Tell, Doll Face, Roman Candles (Hard Working Americans), Just Like Old Times, Rose City, Handsome John, Jaded Lover (Jerry Jeff Walker), We Were Kind Of Crazy Then (Suzana Clark), Ballad of the Devil’s Backbone Tavern, Play A Train Song, Good Fortune
Encore: Never Let A Day Go By, Good News Blues (Jerry Jeff Walker)