Get ready kids...

I'm going to see Todd Snider again. Not only am I going to see Todd Snider again - he's playing in quite possibly my favorite venue. The Iron Horse in Northampton.

I'm way excited. If you follow me on the twitter, this is no news to you whatsoever. However, I'm still way excited.

And then I tried to figure out what it is about Todd Snider that makes me giddy. If one glances at my music collection you will try to figure out how Mr. Snider fits in. He's currently sandwiched between Those Darlins and Tokyo Police Club. I spend most of my days sitting at work listening to mixes comprised of The Hold Steady, Rhett Miller, random showtunes, Green Day, The Descendents, Jenny Owen Youngs, The Kinks, etc etc.

Except for those days where I decide I need to listen to Todd all day.

He fits in. He fits into the randomness of all the music I own. And he does what I love the most. He tells me stories.

I love stories. I love crafting them, telling them, reading them, hearing them, watching them. Even at work. I tell my staff that every file needs to tell us the story. It needs to explain to us exactly what is happening from beginning to end. Without the story, we don't know what we're doing. And most importantly, it needs to be able to be summarized (but that is the post for another day and perhaps a different blog).

And Todd can story tell like no other. Whether it's during his live shows and the randomness he tells in between the songs or the songs themselves, I'm in awe. I don't always love the twangy sound. I am not a big fan of his more poppy country albums. I prefer the slower pace. I prefer it when he brings it down, sits us in a circle and weaves a tale.

And an example ... (I was in the Tarrytowns that evening...)