Review- Jan 25 2003, Boca Raton FL

Review by Mike Spitz (Switch to
)
1/27/2003

Yeah, it was chilly and the drizzle didn't help. Todd looked and sounded great. I'm afraid that it's been ten years or more since I've seen a show. The set was frustratingly short. Todd has an incredible knack for doing things that are completely out of left field (not meant to be a baseball reference- I think Rex plays shortstop) and completely unexpected just when things are going beautifully. "Love Of The Common Man" and "Cliche" had me swooining. The decision to do "Lysistrata" was an odd one, but not out of the realm of reasonableness. I fully expected it to be followed by a political commentary, and would have cheered along had there been one. Perhaps Todd thought that we're bright enough to glean his meaning without being subjected to the blunt trauma of a bully pulpit lecture. (I think that he was flattering most of the crowd if that's what he thought. It really was kind of a drunk and boorish crowd.) With 35 years or more of wonderful songwriting from which to select, it seemed a shame that he'd do "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", but it sounded great and I guess if he wasn't going to do an R&B classic, a Beatles song was a good enough alternative. "Song Of The Viking" was an unusual choice and "Free, Male, and 21" was just a bizarre selection.

We brought our 14 year-old daughter along, because she's a musician and a music fan herself, she knows what a giant Todd fan her old man's been, and I thought she'd enjoy it. (I also wanted her to see Chrissie Hynde and to Adam Seymour play guitar.) She wasn't familiar with a lot of the material (she wanted Todd to do "that song about how he wants to change the world") but I think she had a genuinely good time.

The Pretenders put on an excellent show (though, I thought, not quite as good as the one a few years ago at the old now-defunct Sunrise Musical Theater).

High points- Todd looked and sounded marvelous. It was a treat to see him again and I wasn't the least bit embarrassed for the middle-aged guys who were singing along and pumping fists into the air. I don't think I was even embarrassed for the guy behind me who actually shouted "Todd is Godd". I've never seen an even mildly disappointing Todd show.

Low points- Not crazy about the venue. Folding chairs lashed together make for very crowded seating. Drunk Boca Ratoners in their forties and fifties (okay, I'm in my forties, but I was sober) are an obnoxious crowd to see a show with. I was terrified to drive home because I knew I'd be sharing the road with those same clowns. I'd have liked to have seen Todd pick up an electric guitar, and I'd have liked his set to have been longer.

Fact is, we had a great time.


Other reviews for Miscellaneous Dates 2003
1/25/2003 - Mizner Park Amphitheater - Boca Raton, FL

Other reviews for overall Solo dates 2003

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