Benjamin Tod Talks Smack on Bad Country, Retools Touring Band
Benjamin Tod came up playing street corner string music with his underground roots outfit called the Lost Dog Street Band. But recently he’s gotten a burr under his saddle about the state of country music, and has been hell bent on doing something about it. That’s why his last album Shooting Star (2024) was full of classic country period pieces. Rumor has it that his next album might feature classic country cover songs.
He’s also been speaking out about the state of country music recently, saying in one social media missive,
“There’s a freshman class of folks in our community who think that country music is only made by upper class white boys with mullets who sing about evading domestic abuse charges and DUI charges regularly. And they’re not going to take the space and hold it with that. It’s disrespectful, and it’s all due to the fact that people don’t know country music history. You can call me pretentious or an asshole for that … yeah, I’m pretentious about freight trains, 12-valve engines, and country music.”
Now that Tod’s wife and fiddle player/bandmate, Ashley Mae, is expecting their first child, Tod is retooling his touring band into a new outfit called The Inline Six, and potentially taking it in a more country direction if you take recently single releases like “My Pride” and a cover of “Outlaw Shit” with Shooter Jennings as any indication.
He’s also just dumped a huge list of new tour dates going coast to coast for 2026. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, November 18th, at 10 am local time, followed by a venue pre-sale which kicks off on Thursday, November 20th, also at 10 am local. The entire tour will go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 21st, at 10 am local time. For more ticket info, go to benjamintodmusic.com/tour.
TOUR DATES:
April 16 – Ozark Music Hall – Fayetteville, AR
April 17 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
April 19 – Longhorn Ballroom – Dallas, TX
April 20 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
April 21 – Emo’s – Austin, TX
April 23 – La Rosa – Tucson, AZ
April 25 – Stagecoach – Indio, CA
April 26 – The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
April 28 – Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA
April 30 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
May 1 – Mishawaka Amphitheatre – Bellevue, CO
May 2 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
May 4- Madrid Theater – Kansas City, MO
May 5 – Gillioz Theatre – Springfield, MO
May 7 – Bluebird Nightclub – Bloomington, IN
May 8 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
May 9 – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN
July 9 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
July 10 – Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
July 11 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL
July 12 – Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
July 14 – The Lincoln – Cheyenne, WY
July 17 – Under The Big Sky – Whitefish, MT
July 20 – Jackson Hole Center for the Arts – Jackson, WY
July 23 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA
July 24 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR
July 25 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR
July 26 – Knitting Factory Concert House – Boise, ID
July 30 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE
July 31 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
Aug. 1 – The Burl – Lexington, KY
Oct. 1 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH
Oct. 2 – Globe Iron – Cleveland, OH
Oct. 3 – Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI
Oct. 4 – Roxian Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
Oct. 6 – Anthology – Rochester, NY
Oct. 8 – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT
Oct. 9 – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT
Oct. 10 – State Theatre – Portland, ME
Oct. 11 – Royale – Boston, MA
Oct. 13 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
Oct. 15 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 16 – The Howard – Washington, DC
Oct. 17 – Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, VA
Oct. 18 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
Oct. 20 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
Oct. 22 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Oct. 23 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
Oct. 24 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
Oct. 25 – The Mill & Mine – Knoxville, TN
November 17, 2025 @ 1:27 pm
In the same paragraph this prick claims modern Country music is songs about DUI’s and domestic abuse? (It’s not) And that those same people don’t understand Country music history. Is this guy not familiar with George Jones whose songs and persona is literally both of those things. I’m but anyone who uses the phrase “holding space” is whatever the latest incarnation of “woke” is now and you’re insufferable for using that phrase.
November 17, 2025 @ 2:26 pm
I don’t remember George Jones singing about either of these things directly back in his heyday. Maybe you could point to a song like “Choices,” but that’s world away from someone like Gavin Adcock pretty much outright condoning drunken behavior both publicly and privately.
November 17, 2025 @ 2:41 pm
I’m referencing a Bill Burr rant about the Grand Tour where he makes a good point that it’s never explained why the wife and kid’s just packed up and left overnight. He makes a good point about it being domestic abuse.
I am obviously a classic Country fan, but it’s a common trope in Country to have the first verse describing the guy being sad about his woman leaving, but by the time the chorus or 2nd verse rolls around it’s because she was tired of him cheating on her. With modern Country there isn’t those common tropes anymore. A lot of it is “Boyfriend Country” with banjos and steel now more that it compares to classic Country.
Benjamin Todd needs to be more specific when he’s throwing out insults. As obnoxious as Adcock is I’m not aware than there are any valid accusations towards him about domestic abuse and DUI’s. If anything it sounds like a bad strawman against Zach Bryan. I’ll make fun of both on valid reasons not by throwing out some flimsy strawman made-up argument because I want my militant feminist girlfriend to fuck me.
November 17, 2025 @ 3:09 pm
So because a comedian has a rant about a George Jones song, this somehow confers and omnipresent knowledge upon everyone in the universe that George Jones condoned domestic abuse and drunk driving, and his name should be synonymous with this behavior? Tyler Mahan Coe believes the song is about a miscarriage.
Was not aware that Tod’s wife (not girlfriend) was a “militant feminist.” But I am extremely, extremely aware now that many people feel very extremely passionately about Benjamin Todd all of a sudden.
November 17, 2025 @ 3:42 pm
That is a bad misframing of my point. To anyone who has actually listened to the rant, Bill Burr brings up a good point about context of the song that was left out – context that isn’t confirmed but makes sense. My claim was never that George Jones made statements condoning that behaviour but that it’s common knowledge that he had his demons. There is a mural of him in Nashville riding a lawnmower to get booze – which is a story everyone knows. (The miscarriage interpretation doesn’t make sense for that song.)
You are also misframing why people are “passionate” about Benjamin Todd – it’s because he’s quite obviously making slanderous comments from a white-knight position, without naming names – so he doesn’t have to face blowback about those claims being false. That’s my take on this and I feel others are approaching this from the same angle.
I don’t like a lot of the modern Country artists either but it’s wrong to make false accusations about them engaging in domestic violence and enjoying driving drunk.
I don’t know if his wife is a militant feminist but I can infer that they both are based on him using verbiage like “holding space” which is not something conservative-minded people say. I don’t care that he’s liberal – artists are, but there is some ambigious self-righteous verbiage like “holding space” that drives me nuts. It’s ambiguous and technically meaningless.
November 17, 2025 @ 4:59 pm
“Holding space” is a term that comes from the practices of the Religious Society of Friends. It is part of one of the oldest forms of American worship, one which was integral to the development of American culture. Can’t speak to Benjamin Tod’s girlfriend, but holding space is neither ambiguous, meaningless, self-righteous, or liberal for that matter.
November 17, 2025 @ 5:55 pm
Another Strait post, another bad take!
November 17, 2025 @ 5:59 pm
Which new Country artists are singing about DUI’s and domestic violence?
Give us your excellent take on this ya coward.
November 17, 2025 @ 7:43 pm
Hardy and Morgan wallen off of the top of my head and I don’t really listen to that shit so I’m sure there’s more.
November 18, 2025 @ 4:58 am
Huh? Hardy? The Hardy who wrote and sang (with Lainey Wilson) “Wait in the Truck,” which was about a stranger encountering a victim of domestic violence and applying vigilante justice to the situation? Basically the same thing Martina McBride did to her abusive, alcoholic husband in “Independence Day” or what Garth Brooks had Papa doing to his wife and her lover in “Papa Loved Mama”? The theme is nothing new, in country, pop or R&B. Cheating, passion, jealousy — what could be more country?
Same goes for drunken driving. Heck, Johnny Paycheck actually had a hit with a song called “Drinkin’ and Drivin’,” which began with this verse:
“Five dollars worth of regular, Three dollars worth of wine
Just hand me a road map, show me the state line
I got the blues on my bumper, Lord, I gotta leave ’em behind
Yeah, I’m gonna drink and drive that woman right off of my mind,”
I can’t find anything in Morgan Wallen’s bloated catalog that straight-out normalizes DUI like that song from 50 or so years ago did. No, he hasn’t recorded a song that actually advises against drunken driving, like John Anderson’s “Let Somebody Else Drive,” but most times that Wallen sings about drinking, he mixes it with a good dose of regret. And again, seeing as how I’ve cited two songs that go back several decades, drinking (and by extension, driving while drunk) is an established country music theme.
November 18, 2025 @ 3:05 pm
Agree with Howard. Lots of songs by the legends about unsavory people doing unsavory things. To add to Howards short list: Gunpowder and Lead and Before he Cheats. Not certain what Tod’s version of Country music is, but the Country Music I grew up listening to tackled many topics considered verboten today. ( A fun German word )
November 18, 2025 @ 1:03 pm
Calling someone a coward over a computer in the comments section is hilarious lol
November 17, 2025 @ 2:09 pm
Fuck that guy and his stupid attitude.
I’ve done all the same street corner music and freight trains and back to the land shit and it’s literally supposed to do the exact opposite to you- Make you humble. He somehow added heroin to the picture and that made him an asshole.
You can even look to somebody like Sierra Ferrell who did all the same things without turning into a blazing dipshit.
About the only thing I can say about his immature act is that I know of at least two songs that people have written about him, and they do not paint him in a good light.
November 17, 2025 @ 2:28 pm
Man, was just trying to help push a dude’s tour dates that I get hell for not talking enough about, and I’ve gotten a face full of claws both here and elsewhere.
November 17, 2025 @ 2:43 pm
People are allowed to point out that Benjamin Todd made a bad comment that you included in this article.
November 17, 2025 @ 3:05 pm
Who said they weren’t?
November 17, 2025 @ 3:44 pm
Again, bad misframing. You made it sound like you posted an article of some dude’s tour dates and people are upset for some random reason.
And no I’m not just gonna “let this go” because you want the last word in the comment section.
November 17, 2025 @ 5:37 pm
It’s pretty hilarious that Strait loses his shit over Todd’s ‘throwing out insults’ that he disagrees with then proceeds to call his wife a ‘militant girlfriend’ with no knowledge of her. I guess it’s ok for some people to throw out insults that are possibly wrong or misinformed but not others.
November 17, 2025 @ 6:48 pm
Benjamin Tod’s writing, voice, and his songs are miles better than the usual dreck that so many here adore.
November 17, 2025 @ 7:22 pm
I had no idea Benjamin Tod Derangement Syndrome (BTDS) was a thing until I read these comments. Obviously his point is right, we all read this site because his point is right…it has to be a personal disdain for whatever reason, that is driving these comments.
November 17, 2025 @ 8:14 pm
People hate him because he’s a pompous ass. I’m actually not sure what his politics are and I was under the impression that they were not liberal but that’s not actually the issue. I don’t know why people dragged his wife into it, she seems perfectly nice.
He just generally seems very high on his own supply and since I have a lot of experience with the kind of lifestyle he feels so superior about, i find ut super annoying
It’s also come up in private with the number of other people who are artists. Like I said, there are at least two people who’ve written him into songs, and not in a good way.
November 18, 2025 @ 1:36 am
I domt quite get it shouldnt we be listening to the music not judging someones personality? I dont know Benjamin Tod well enough to know him, hang on ive never even met him. If your a friend and you fell out fine, but does he come across as an obvious asshole as Trump but despite being it obvious hes an asshole the american people voted for him twice as president so just like i must have got things wrong and trumps actually a really nice guy and a worthy president so what do i know? BenjamiAs for Bens politics whys it important? My experience of politicians is they never do anything that happens to help people anyway so maybe your a bit gullible putting your trust in any of them? For instance no matter who america wastes their time voting for none of them have tackled guns for instance in the 52 years ive been alive . I was seven when jphn lennon and theres still mass shootings in america and useless politicians who always apologise to the mothers of murdered school choldren but do nothing to bring strict gun laws in.
All im really interested in is Bens music unless hes murdered someone of coursr if hes not are you faultless as a person too judge him?
November 18, 2025 @ 6:30 am
As an aside, David Allan Coe was known to be a pompous ass and outright jerk. Despite his character and demeanor, he is still revered by many country music fans, DAC had many country top 40 hits in his heyday and these songs are still cherished by many fans.
November 18, 2025 @ 11:14 am
I have a passing experience with the train/traveler lifestyle and I agree, it doesn’t seem to produce pompous folks. In addition to Sierra, Tim Barry is super cool.
Tod seems like the arrogant sober type I’ve met in AA and related rooms. It’s a slim minority but the militant and holy ex junkie is definitely a type, similar to the ex boozehounds.
That said, I like Tod’s music. What are the songs potentially written with him as a character?
November 18, 2025 @ 3:54 pm
Yeah you absolutely nailed it about travelers and also about the weird self-righteous thing that sometimes happens when people go sober. I feel like one of us needs to write a song about this.
November 17, 2025 @ 9:03 pm
Turd.
November 17, 2025 @ 10:53 pm
No, Tod.
November 18, 2025 @ 1:14 am
Dunno what Strait is so angry about–(and this is the first I’ve ever heard of Benjamin Tod–but I agree with Strait about George Jones’s “the Grand Tour”–every time I’ve heard the song, it’s struck me as Jones is portraying a violent and abusive husband. I mean, why does a wife and mother abscond from her house suddenly, taking nothing except her child. That’s typical of a battered woman. The singer does not say that she left him for a lover–she seems to have left in terror.
The protagonist’s self-righteousness–He didn’t have a clue and has no idea whatsoever about why is wife suddenly left–is also consistent with that interpretation.
I’d bet that a lot of listeners–if not most–have heard it that way.
November 18, 2025 @ 3:56 pm
Yeah I love the ambiguity of some story songs. People are always using Ballad Of Billy Joe as an example of great songwriting, where you never know exactly what happened but the song is actually about the family just missing out on their child’s inner life or whatever. The George Jones song is another good example. It’s interesting that Tyler mahan coe thought it was about the child dying- you can absolutely interpret it either way and you can even interpret the narrator himself a couple of different ways.
November 19, 2025 @ 1:30 am
Sure, it can be about anything, but I try to stick close to the actual lyrics. The narrator says he’s devastated because his wife left him suddenly and took their baby with her. I buy that. The open question for me is WHY did she leave him?
To me, what makes the narrator seem llike a nasty character is that he’s completely self-centered. In most songs where the character has been left by a lover–Jack Greene’s classic “Statue of a Fool” or even Lee Greenwood’s “Ring on Her Finger (Time on Her Hands”) the narrator shows some introspection and recognizes that he’s the one who bears some or most ofthe blame. That what makes the listeer feel for the character.
Or like in “Margaritaville” (which is a much more light-hearted song,) Buffet keeps moving from “Some people say there’s a woman to blame” to “It’s nobody’s fault” to, finally, at the end, “It’s my own damn fault.”
The narrator in “The Door” shows none of that introspection. It’s all about him being the victim. No, the song does not say that he’s an abuser or is violent, but that’s the vibe that I get from it, and apparently some others have, too.
But I agree with you that the writer left enough ambiguity for people to see it in many different ways.
November 18, 2025 @ 11:06 am
His recently released live album is well worth a listen. He and his band have a great sound. I am not sure I completely agree with his comments. There might be some he is right about but there is a lot of good country music around.
November 18, 2025 @ 3:37 pm
Bring the original Todd Snider back!!!
November 19, 2025 @ 8:58 am
Not interested. See his quote above. #thehorseherodeinon
November 19, 2025 @ 8:59 am
Weird comment section. Benjamin Tod is a fantastic songwriter and artist and I’m pumped he’s coming to a venue near me. I didn’t expect someone shitting on people making bad country music would be a controversial opinion here, but somehow here we are?
November 19, 2025 @ 12:26 pm
Yeah, agree, but then god knows the comment section seems heavily populated with people who take even the mildest disparagement of their preferred worldview very, very, personally. On the other hand, thanks to ‘Strait’, I learned that a singer I’ve never heard of has a “militant” wife who won’t “fuck” him unless he sings her a song she likes. So there’s that.
November 19, 2025 @ 7:37 pm
I’m 100% sure that Strait and I have diametrically opposiing points of view on some things but I don’t think anything about this particular comment fight is about politics.
November 19, 2025 @ 2:26 pm
Missuh Ben Todd, he sho likes to talk dat shit, SHO ‘NUFF. !!
Poor lil’ sufferin’ sensitive soul dat he is, ….he just don’t get how da music which comes outta his mouth is no better looking then dat white-trash status symbol which winds ’round his pencil neck.
Hatin’ on your own kind is sho ’nuff bad for a Bro, ….. jus sayin’….
November 19, 2025 @ 4:18 pm
“Woke?” It again boils down to “woke?” OH,WELL……
November 19, 2025 @ 8:29 pm
I always interpreted The Grand Tour as the narrators wife dying in childbirth.
November 20, 2025 @ 12:56 pm
Same
November 20, 2025 @ 1:58 pm
Yeah,Trigger,but comparing Gavin Adcock and George Jones is like comparing Beyonce and Lizzo !!!!!!!!!!!!