Todd: god?
Todd Rundgren's third appearance at the Tralf in a less than two-year period may have been the best of the bunch. Nearing the end of the tour supporting the recent "Arena" album, Rundgren and his killer band - keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Kasim Sulton, guitarist/vocalist Jesse Gress, drummer Prairie Prince, and bassist/vocalist Rachel Haden - appeared to be hitting a new peak during Wednesday's sold-out show.
All the pieces fit together seamlessly, and the musicians really sunk their teeth into the material, be it the "classic" stuff or the newest of the new songs. As ever, Rundgren himself sang beautifully, whether he was caressing the melody of the anthem-like "Just One Victory," or indulging in the near-industrial metallic clangor of the "Arena" song "Strike."
Great show but i preferred the first of the three and am looking forward to "A Wizard, A True Star," being played in its entirety in Akron.
Posted by: theneghan | July 02, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Arena is a great album! Glad to hear so many songs off it. Todd is still a strong voice in rock. Excellent show!
Posted by: Dave | July 02, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Saw all three shows and I thought this was the best! I loved the Arena songs especially Strike and Afraid. Now when I listen to the Cd I picture Todd doing that little dance he did during Afraid!!!
The encore was amazing and way too fun!
Posted by: Suzanne Sendlak | July 07, 2009 at 05:13 PM
With all due respect Jeff, it was not what I expected. While I know Todd was going to center on new songs, there was not enough there to justify the price of the ticket. And if screaming into a microphone is where he's gone, it's a disappointment. Some of the off-color remarks on Michael Jackson were beneath him. I thought it was a disappointment, as did at least one News staffer in attendance. We left early. On the flip side, what's happened to the Tralf we all knew and loved as a venue? Looked like they way oversold tickets for Todd - too many people crammed in. Even the staircase was jammed with people. Fire Marshall must have been looking the other way that nite. If the air-conditioning was on, I didn't notice. In fact, the overhead fans weren't even spinning. Tralf must be looking to save a couple of pennies. All in all, it was a disappointing night. Only consolation is Todd's Greatest Hits album, which I should have stayed at home to listen to that night. Sorry all.
Posted by: Tom Campbell | July 09, 2009 at 05:03 PM