He started off well, but then started complaining about how hot it was on stage and kept that going for quite a while. One of the most appealing things for me about Todd has always been his sincerity. Last night he seemed like he really wanted to be somewhere else. It was as if he was doing us a favor by singing his own songs and he tossed in others people's work (Lunatic Fringe, etc) with almost more enthusiasm than he had for his own.
The sound man had a heavy hand on the volume and a tin ear - it was distorting all over the place. (Clean volume doesn't bother me, but distortion makes me weep.)
Maybe Todd had a bad day, but he sure shouldn't have taken it out on us. We were in the 2nd row balcony and four people in front of us left before we did. We hung out for a couple more songs and left mid-way through the MP-3 Bossa Nova part of the show.
My friend Rick summed it up in two words: Self-indulgent.
On the way out we talked to another couple of major Todd fans and they were shaking there heads and leaving as well.
One word in defense of my favorite rock dude - the crowd was populated with total assholes. The kept hooting after every song and shouting out stuff. Geez, I always thought us Todd-o-philes were a cut above the rest of the herd. Such disappointment. To end on a positive note, I very much enjoyed Todd in the exact same venue just over three years ago. He was pumped and delivered the goods with enthusiasm and verve. Maybe he needs to have a band when he tours???
