Hey all,
At the end of 2025 the songwriting world lost one of its beacons - the great Todd Snider. Todd has played The Englert many times, and each performance was completely new yet utterly familiar. That was Todd, he could tell the same story 300 times and it would feel just as fresh and funny as the first. His songwriting was deeply relatable and always found that kernel of humor and lightness in a heavy world. He wrote like he spoke, which was both poetic and common. And maybe more than anything, he built true community around his music. His fans came out time and time again, rejuvenated by the music, his spirit, and the familiar faces they had come to know through this shared experience. If you never got to see Todd, that’s a shame. He was a force.
We have put together a special evening called An Iowa Tribute to Todd Snider as a benefit for the Iowa City Songwriters Festival Scholarship Program on Saturday, March 7th at Wildwood. If you aren’t familiar, the scholarship program provides 20 songwriters from both right here in Iowa and across the globe the opportunity to dive deep into their craft and learn from some of the best songwriters in the world. The scholarships include exclusive access to artists, one on one mentorship sessions, full festival access, as well as free hotel rooms and meals for their stay. We want there to be no barriers, no extra stress, just time to absorb crucial knowledge from those that are doing it.
The evening will include artists from across Iowa doing their takes on their favorite Todd songs, accompanied by a killer house band including Ryan Bernemann, Brian Cooper, Randall Davis and Dave Zollo. Having Dave in the band is especially meaningful for us. Dave was in Todd’s band in the 90’s during his time in East Nashville and stayed close with Todd and his circle. Dave is also incredibly important to us in Iowa City as a pillar of our music community. As one of my favorite Iowa songwriters, Joel Sires, put it, “He’s our Todd.”
We feel Todd embodied the spirit of ICSF, and we are very sad we never got a chance to bring him out for the festival. This is our tip of the hat to one of the greats. Please join us, have some barbeque, celebrate this music community, celebrate songwriting, and share a laugh with some friends. Even if you don’t know Todd’s music, a good time is guaranteed and a good cause is served.
Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think!
Brian Johannesen
Programming Director
