Todd Hannigan and the Heavy 29’s
Courtside for the Apocalypse
![](https://www.independent.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/26/Artslife151-PickItUp-Todd-H.jpg)
America may have a courtside seat for the apocalypse, but Todd Hannigan makes it sound more like a compelling, watchable spectacle. A Ventura native, world traveler, and believer in surfing as the cure for a troubled soul, Hannigan manages to get all this across in his sophomore effort. It comes as no surprise that the surfer found “Peace of Mind” in the sleepy town of Perth, Australia, and that “Things Are Gonna Change” was inspired by the beauty of Berkeley, California. The finger-picking, Nick Drake-inspired “Maybe” is a standout, as is the title track, appropriately dedicated to Rome, the Coliseum, and the idea of watching the world go mad. Although the surfer-turned-environmentalist-turned-troubadour genre may have become an annoyingly predictable addition to modern music, Hannigan most certainly bucks the trend, adding his own voice to this musical journey.