Todd Rundgren @ State Theatre
Posted on September 15th, 2009 – 11:01 PMBy Jon Bream
It was the ultimate in rock geekdom: Cult hero Todd Rundgren playing his influential, obscure and cult-loved 1973 album “A Wizard, A True Star” in concert Tuesday at the State Theatre.First, we had to sit through a set of Utopia tunes played by Todd and three other guys (Roger Powell, Kasim Sulton, Prairie Prince) in plain white T’s and black jeans.
After intermission came “A Wizard, A True Star” with an expanded band (including Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes, saxist/keyboardist Bobby Strickland and guitarist Jesse Gress), white tuxedos with tails for the six musicians, and a series of colorful costumes for Todd.
Back in 1973, this music was experimental, adventurous and oddly eclectic. On Tuesday, it was merely a curious grab bag of unbridled creativity as Todd traveled through vaudeville, R&B ballads, prog rock, Broadway, hard rock, cabaret, pop, etc.
With the sound something less than stellar (Todd’s vocals were difficult to decipher much of the night), the costumes may have been as fun as the music.
To be sure, some of these costumes came out of the closet and had to be let out. Several were quite a trip like the feather-and-lame ensemble that looked like something Cher might have worn in her video for “Half Breed” or the Dreamsicle-orange suit (and electric orange satin-like shirt) that Rundgren sported for his R&B medley of “Ooh Baby Baby” and “La La Means I Love You.”
Near the end, when a truly rockin’ Todd was carrying on with scraggly, sweaty hair in an outdated outfit with a slight paunch and a puffy face, he suggested Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler.” But when he ended by slipping on a gold lame-like suit with oversized Elvis-like sunglasses to perform “Just One Victory,” it was clear that Todd the Rock God still rules.
For me, the “AWATS” experience wasn’t as rewarding as seeing Brian Wilson and his band do “Pet Sounds” in concert. But for all the Rundgren runts, they went ga-ga.
Todd Rundgren, performing Tuesday at the State.
Photo by J Bloomrosen (click to expand).
11 Responses to "Todd Rundgren @ State Theatre"
I LOVED the second set. He never had much of a voice but his “love what I do” attitude came through. He plays
as well as ever and his shadow looks as young as ever.No runt but a ga-ga maybe.
I guess Bream doesn’t get it because while us geeks were expanding our minds with AWATS .. he was rocking to The Archies. Rock on, Jon.
The sound was terrible!! Todd’s costumes looked like they were from K-Mart and the “Special Effects” were not very special.
I was really excited to see a “Wizard” but it was a real let down. I was in the 3rd row and wished I would have never gone. I love that album and it will be forever marred by that crappy show. It was like a real bad vegas act.
Why did he even perform that first set? We couldn’t hear anything but drums up front. Maybe he got paid by the promoter twice for being his own opening act! LOL
FANTASTIC show/mini-tour…BEST TR EVER!
yeah the sound was a bit muffled and over-run by drums and the audience was quite lame (what happened to Twin Cities audiences?)
but overall it’s tough to top such a historically-monumental album performed with such vigor, emotion, enthusiasm, and theatricality.
KILLER!
The first set was great. When Utopia toured for “Oops. Wrong Planet” they did the same thing. White t-shirts, jeans and and stripped down songs. A tongue in cheek comment on the punk rockers that were going to bury the dinosaurs (who still stalk the earth/arenas anyway).
The set was all Utopia music. Nothing from his solo albums.
2nd set was “Wizard” Pure Rundgren. The costume changes showed off his sense of humor. Todd isn’t full of himself. He plays music because he enjoys it and doesn’t find it boring. He’s admitted if it did get boring, he’d find another interest.
The tour is on a tight budget. The album/show was performed only 5 times in the US. Ours was the last stop. They’ll play it 2 more times in Europe next month. No record support. All tour costs are his responsibility.
The PA system belonged to the State Theater. A Turbosound system 15 years old and no fill speakers for the center. The sound mixer is way in the back of the room under the balcony, 15 feet from the lobby. I know quite a few audio techs who get frustrated with the room.
Bream doesn’t appear to know much about Todd. A lot of the show was full of little insider jokes about his past. The feather eyebrows, the rock god spandex (he even admitted during the show some had to be let out) were all parts of his past that him and his fans could laugh about together.
If Prince did the same thing Bream would be on his knees bowing toward Chanhassen. Except you couldn’t use the words, experimental (let’s try something different for a change), adventurous, eclectic, and unbridled creativity.
WTF? Bream must not know the names of any of the Utopia songs played. Not even one song title from the first set in the review. Moron. Typical Bream non-review.
Bream never has really cared for Todd. He’s too busy fawning over Springsteen and
Prince and working on his Angel from The
Rockford Files hairstyle and look
Can anyone post a setlist? I’m dying to see what they played.
Here’s a stab at the opening Utopia set list:
Road to Utopia/Libertine/Abandon City/Shinola??/Hammer in My Heart/Trapped??/???/Caravan/Last of the New Wave Riders
John Bream, You are such a A$$! You put down everyone! If it wasn’t for musicians like Todd, Bowie, Elvis C., Billy J…… you wouldn’t have a job and you should not have this job! Maybe your part of the reason the StarTrib is going down. Leave now and maybe the ship will stay afloat. Why don’t you read up and listen to the performers before you go to a show to review and then maybe you will have a better understanding what it is all about.
This show was fabulous. Superb musicianship and stage performance all made for a very enjoyable evening of entertainment. They guys rocked the house like very few can or every will. I have seen Todd/Utopia many times and have never been diappointed.
John, get a new life!!!
I think the review is decent coming from someone that obviously doesn’t follow Utopia or Todd very much. The AWATS shows were for the hardcore fans not the casual fans so expecting Bream to completely get it is asking way too much. I knew this show wasn’t for him when early in the blog I read this sad but funny comment, “… we had to sit through a set of Utopia tunes played by Todd and three other guys…”. C’mon Todd fans, lighten up, expecting Bream to get it is like expecting to never hear “Todd who?” again. The hardcore Todd fans are why these shows happened and they enjoyed them from start to finish. Have pity on the rest of the world that doesn’t get Todd or the Utopia and AWATS shows.
In closing, I thought the sound at the State Theatre was terrific. I guess it all depends on where you sit. Beautiful venue too!
