I read the reviews from the Alexandria, VA show and it appears that Todd's voice was a bit hoarse and the band didn't seem to be having much fun. Not so in New Haven!
Todd's speaking voice may have been a little strained, but when it came time to sing he was mostly "right on". The band was smiling and laughing with each other throughout the show. I've seen more than twenty TR or Utopia shows over the years, and I can't remember ever seeing a performance when everyone (including Todd) was having so much fun.
The good feelings carried over to the playing... the performance was excellent! I went with two of my children and three friends, who had never seen Todd. Everyone agreed it was an outstanding performance by all. Todd was at the top of his guitar playing and singing game. We all know that Jesse and Kasim are top notch musicians and it was apparent to everyone at this show. I thought I might be disappointed that Prairie Prince wasn't playing on this part of the tour, but Mike Urbano was the perfect substitute. The man can play!
The set list was the same as previous shows and (thankfully) included an A+ performance of "Trapped" as the second encore.
This was the final show on this leg. If you are in the area of one of the Midwest shows in January, go for it! Hopefully you will be treated to a similar serving of good feelings, high energy and great, great performance.
