When I checked the link, I discovered Todd was opening for Jethro Tull in Austin, Tx on June 19th. I currently live in San Antonio, and Austin is a mere 70 miles away. I am in the Air Force and have been for over 18 years. I have not had the opportunity to see Todd since 1983, so this was a special evening for me. Between 1979 and 1983, I saw Todd/Utopia 13 times in the Maryland/Pennsylvania/West Virginia/Virginia/Ohio area. Additionally, I went to the concert in Austin (@ the Backyard) on crutches because of a recent foot surgery (old age and all). As I looked at the stage, it was apparent to me that he was going to do his one man act, and when he walked out on the stage, I felt like a 16-year-old groupie all over again. His opening song was "Love of the Common Man" and my 20-year-old daughter, who drove me to the concert, sang every word of it with me. I have massive goose pimples right now. He followed this with "Cliche" and I think I was the only one in the entire audience who could sing every word of the song. To say the least, Todd went deep into the archives and played so many great oldies that you had to be a true fan to know them all . . .and I was.
The highlight of the night for me was so adolesent that I almost did not want to mention it (I am 39 years of age), but after his encore, Todd threw his guitar pik into the crowd. I was, of course, standing, clapping, and screaming as loud as I could, but then again, so was the majority of the crowd, who I swear came to see him more so than Jethro Tull. Todd tossed the guitar pik, and the only way I can describe its path is with a golf analogy. It was a "lazy draw" that landed slightly in front of me and bounced once to where I only needed to take one step and bend over to pick it up. In 1981, at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburg, PA, I also caught one of his guitar piks and I promise you that on June 19, 2002 (at age 39) I felt every bit as thrilled to catch his guitar pik. I only wish I knew how to let Todd know that somebody in that crowd felt they way I did. No matter who you are and how much success you've had, everybody should know they reached somebody as profoundly as Todd reached me that night and has reached me throughout my whole life.
Thanks for listening to me and thanks for this web site.
