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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2008 > October > 10 > Entry
Live review: Nick Lowe and Todd Snider
(Nick Lowe photo: Jim Cooper/The Associated Press)
It’s been just over 20 years since I’ve had a night like last night, when I was so entranced, so invigorated by the powerful grace of one songwriter that it seemed almost pointless to go to another show that night, but I did and was blown away all over again.
In early 1987, John Hiatt played a solo show at the Cactus Cafe to an audience of maybe 20, unveiling songs that would come out a couple months later on an album called “Bring the Family.” His career was pretty much finished at the time, but I really wanted to hear “She Loves the Jerk.” When it was over I just wanted to go home and lay under blankets and think about every minute of that show again.
But Richard Thompson was playing across town at the Back Room. Well, you can imagine…
Last night’s Nick Lowe taping of “Austin City Limits” was absolutely flawless. Anyone who was disappointed to arrive to see only an acoustic guitar on the stage was soon satiated by just how much power and control Lowe has in that stripped down context. He was Sinatra as folk singer, positioning his mouth away from the mike when trailing off was called for, but always in the pocket. The audience was perfectly silent except when a chorus on “When I Write the Book” or “All Men Are Liars” was called for. What a pleasure it was to hear such tunes as “Hope For Us All,” from the recent “At My Age” or the older “What’s Shakin’ On the Hill” without the cackle and clink of a nightclub setting. Don’t know why more rockers don’t step into the solo acoustic mode at “ACL.” In Lowe’s case, a band would’ve just mucked it up.
I walked out thinking that Nick Lowe, heralded though he may be, has not fully received his due. He was just stunning. Give him the whole hour, Terry L.
(Todd Snider photo: Brian Atkinson/For American-Statesman)
I told my friend Vickie that I’d go with her to Todd Snider, even though I’m claustrophobic and the show at the Cactus, just two blocks away, had been sold out for weeks. When you added all the well-connected freeloaders like me, it promised that my elbows, knees and knuckles would become well-aquainted with strangers. Xanax, anybody have a Xanax?
Unobstrusively backed by drummer Kory Cook on brushes and snare, sitting down standup bassist Sterling Findlay and Eric McConnell on lap steel, Snider got the packed house laughing on opening song “Slim Chance,” with a line about seeing a four leaf clover that had one leaf missing. “A slim chance is still a chance” he sang in a soul-clenching manner befitting the bluesy tone. The groove was so thick and round you could eat it with chopsticks.
The crowd, more familiar with Snider’s catalogue than I, gasped in delight when he played the intro to “Doublewide Blues,” with the couple in front of me whispering to each other about how he almost never does that one anymore. “Hey Hey” and “Alright Guy,” each inspiring vocal assist from the crowd, plus the new “Mission Accomplished,” the modern protest song posthumously written by Bo Diddley, were other faves.
The really good set was made unforgettable when Snider somberized “Fortunate Son,” giving a coat of dispair to Fogerty’s defiant snarl at have-nots marching off to a war orchestrated by those whose children were safe at home. A moment ingrained forever, it was almost as powerful as when a newly sober Hiatt pulled up the piano bench and sang “Have a Little Faith In Me” two decades ago.
The 85 minutes flew by then landed soundly with a nod to an ailing Austinite. “We love you Rusty Wier,” Snider proclaimed, then went into “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance.”
The night air never felt so crisp and inviting. The overbearing heat has lifted and we are free to move about in comfort, Two songwriters with great senses of humor, but even greater senses of humanity passed through and touched us with the craft of words and melody. It’s just so simple what Nick Lowe and Todd Snider do. But if it was easy there’d be many more nights like last night.
Comments
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By Faith
October 10, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
can anyone tell me about the song referred to in this post that was performed by Todd Snider:
“Mission Accomplished”…modern protest song…posthumously written by Bo Diddley
By keith
October 10, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
check out the song at peacequeer.com
By John
October 10, 2008 4:21 PM | Link to this
I was at the ACL show too and thought that I had just witnessed a musical miracle. What a tremendous performance. Each song was expertly crafted and performed. I was giddy by the close of the show. I agree that this would make for a solid hour of TV.
By Faith
October 10, 2008 4:45 PM | Link to this
how/why is it being it attributed to Bo Diddley “posthumously?” Did Bo Diddley write the song? or is Todd giving him credit for writing the song? What’s the story behind that?
By Bob
October 10, 2008 8:39 PM | Link to this
A song cannot be posthumously written. Posthumous means “occurring after death”. Writing a song while dead would be a feat. What I assume the reviewer meant was that the song was posthumously released. According to Allmusic.com Mission Accomplished was composed by Todd Snider for his 2008 album Peace Queer. After Bo Diddley died in June of 2008 a few albums were posthumously released. Bo may have recorded the song for use on one of these albums though the track listing was not available on all the releases.
By gingerly
October 10, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
It’s absolutely like Todd to say that. I wasn’t there but I can certainly hear him saying it. Posthumously written by Bo Diddley would mean that Bo wrote it after he died. Sorry, can’t tell you more than that and Todd means what he means.
By Michael Corcoran
October 11, 2008 12:42 AM | Link to this
Let’s clear up the “posthumously written by Bo Diddley” line. It was just a clever and confusing way to say that the song utilizes the so-called “Bo Diddley beat.” Mr. Diddley, RIP, did not have anything to do with writing “Mission Accomplished.”
By bill
October 12, 2008 9:05 PM | Link to this
Literal thinking run amok…Todd is channeling Michael Corcoran, and maybe Bo Diddley too…are meds in short supply in Central Texas?
By sponson
February 15, 2009 12:27 AM | Link to this
Sure, it was poorly expressed. It’s confusing to thing that someone “posthumously” wrote a song. But, all due respect to Todd Snider, it needs to be understood. Bo Diddley wrote the songs, the rest of us musicians just play them. That’s the way it is, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Thank you, Bo.