I’ve been to my fair share of eTown shows. Living in Boulder makes it easy to just swing by the Boulder Theater and pop into the live radio show that has almost turned into the eco-radio version of the Late Night Show with David Letterman. It’s one of those little things that make Boulder what it is.

However, I’ve found myself with one of those types of complaints that can only happen in Boulder. Even though eTown attracts some of the best musicians of our time (Neko Case, Greg Brown, My Morning Jacket, etc), I always leave a bit frustrated because I want to hear more than just the short 4 song segment from the artist.

And then Joe Purdy comes along. His recent performance at eTown was nothing short of amazing. Not only is he already one of my favorite songwriters right now, but he sealed the deal by awkwardly forcing Nick and Helen Forster to allow him to play 3 more songs than he was scheduled for. What a mensch!

If you don’t know Joe Purdy, then get knowing him. He’s a witty, humble, and truly authentic songwriting genius. Plus, he comes across as an old fashioned southern gentleman, sorta. Purdy has recorded over a dozen records and yet he’s just barely out of his twenties.

You can listen to Joe Purdy’s new album on his website here.