REVIEW: Rundgren’s performance conceptually innovative

http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2009/09/16/entertainment/doc4ab1adba2e7be073642175.txt

Rundgren’s performance conceptually innovative
Published: Wednesday, September 16, 2009


By BOB MCGUIRE

Todd Rundgren performed his entire 1973 album “A Wizard, A True Star” at the Stamford Palace on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The performance was filmed with multiple cameras after two warm-up gigs in Akron, Ohio earlier in the week. (Courtesy Photo)

Todd Rundgren performed his entire 1973 album “A Wizard, A True Star” at the Stamford Palace on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The performance was filmed with multiple cameras after two warm-up gigs in Akron, Ohio earlier in the week.

Always an innovator, Todd Rundgren is at the forefront of a new industry touring concept: performing a fan-favorite album from start to finish followed by a fistful of greatest hits. It’s a model followed this year by artists as diverse as Steely Dan, Bruce Springsteen, The Pixies and Aerosmith. Van Morrison has had phenomenal success this year touring a faithful version of his classic “Astral Weeks” album from the 70s.

So, back to Todd Rundgren. His “A Wizard, A True Star” (AWATS) performance in this tidy Stamford venue was remarkably successful. I’d never seen Rundgren perform, but I’ve always admired his production work for bands from Badfinger and The Band to Grand Funk Railroad and XTC. He even produced the background music for the 1986 television series Pee-wee’s Playhouse.

The performance at The Stamford Palace was more or less a Utopia concert with Kasim Sulton (bass) and Roger Powell (keyboards), but it was rounded out nicely by Prairie Prince (drums), former Cars keyboard player Greg Hawkes and veteran Jesse Gress (guitar).

A camera on a robot arm traversed above the band and crowd all evening adding to the overall sensory overload induced by lasers, lights and smoke machines. The performance was filmed for an eventual DVD release and this only added to the air of excitement in the hall.

All of the costume changes and smoke machines in the world, however, wouldn’t make a satisfying show if this wasn’t a band that could deliver the goods. They did, and had the perfect audience who had probably traveled many miles to witness this rare performance. It was originally planned for a London debut that fell through. It seems AWATS is currently being heavily sampled by the kids across the pond.

Bassist Kasim Sulton carried half of the vocal chores all evening and proved to be a perfect foil for Rundgren while playing in a dizzyingly aggressive and singularly propulsive style. Prairie Prince, formerly of The Tubes, lived up to his reputation as one of rock’s premiere drummers.

The AWATS album, especially the first side, is an extended medley after the fashion of the Beatle’s later recordings. The songs, sometimes snippets, run into each other to achieve an hallucinatory effect. Side one has a cover version of “Never Never Land” from Broadway’s Peter Pan, while side two explores what I’m sure are Todd’s radio roots of Doo Wop and blue-eyed soul growing up in the 60s in Philadelphia.

This band, tonight, goes from costumed psychedelia in the first half to doing more than credible versions in the second half of Curtis Mayfield’s “I’m So Proud,” “La La La [Means I Love You],” “Ooh Baby Baby” and a rousing rave-up on The Capitol’s 60s classic “Cool Jerk.”

Rundgren, who celebrated his 61st birthday in June, revels in being on stage and is clearly pleased as he runs through at least eight costume changes in the second set. The musicianship is flawless as the Zappa-like, tinker toy melodies are gleefully assayed by this attenuated group that practically invented the progressive genre with the release of this ground-breaking album in 1973.

The headliner has had a storied career beginning with Woody’s Truck Stop, then Nazz, followed by two solo albums as Runt. All this before helping to shape progressive rock on both sides of the Atlantic with the 1973 release of AWATS and the formation of Utopia.

Todd explained recently in an on-line interview that AWATS is “... not simply a musical presentation, it’s got to be more of a theatrical thing. I think the expectations exceed a typical sort of concert. Also, it’s of an era when, at least with my shows, I think most artists were doing something that was a little bit more production-oriented live.”

Mission accomplished; the show not only included a complete start-to-finish rendition of the 1973 classic but managed to capture a lot of the fun of the freewheeling early 70s. The band was prepared for the intricate workout and were aided by the multiple costume changes and the liberal use of theatrical props throughout the evening.

Bruce Springsteen is preparing a complete run-through of “Born To Run” while Steely Dan and even Devo are taking to the road with similar full album productions. As the economy tightens and promoters seek new angles, expect to see even more of this concept coming soon to a theater near you.