Todd Burge

Todd Burge (photo)

Todd Burge's songs are mostly stories that inhabit his invented characters. The scat singing and lyrical humor lighten the mood of some heavy subjects, letting his insights sneak up on you. Producer Don Dixon said, "With wit and pathos in equal measure, Todd Burge takes on subjects in his songs that never occur to most folks. Subjects too quirky, too controversial, too obtuse for most writers to get a handle on”. Over the last three decades, Burge, has played everything from Alternative/Punk Rock to Bluegrass, performing over 100 shows per year in venues as diverse as CBGB’s with his band 63 Eyes, to the The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Kennedy Center. He is a repeat guest on NPR's Mountain Stage and has been called the “dean of WV songwriters”, by the show’s host, Larry Groce. Burge has performed and toured with Tim O’Brien, Kathy Mattea, Lucinda Williams, Bela Fleck, Mike Seeger, Larry Groce, Ricky Skaggs and many others. In 2013 he is getting together with Bill "Hot Rod Lincoln" Kirchen for a few duo concerts.

Defying gravity and age, Todd just gets better. This collection includes songs that no one else could have conceived, much less written. Todd belongs in the company of Peter Stampfel, Todd Snider and Paul Thorn with Roger Miller winking from beyond. Dixon, O'Brien and Malone put up the perfect front to make it all seem so normal.
 Look upon his works, ye Mighty, and despair! --
Larry Groce, NPR’s Mountain Stage

In 2012, Burge released two CDs, One for grownups entitled Building Characters produced by Don Dixon (R.E.M. Mary Chapin Carpenter) and featuring Tim O’Brien (Hot Rize, Mark Knopfler, Steve Martin) and one for children entitled Character Building. The Children’s CD will serve as an ongoing fundraiser for The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. His high energy shows are packed with songs and stories of bizarre characters and critters, from dogs to sharks to humans and beyond. Burge has the ability to twist his catchy tunes into something we can all relate to. Todd Burge also hosts his own radio show and podcast, Songwriter Night with Todd Burge. He resides with his wife Lisa and two young children, Sophia (7) and William (9) in Parkersburg, WV.