Tour, 19th June 2002, Austin, Texas.

Review by Derek Moore (Switch to
)
2/20/2002

From Derek Moore & Teresa Russo Houston, Texas.

Imagine an amphitheater in a meadow, with Pecan trees among the audience and rustic restaurants and bars on a hill overlooking the stage. This arena holds five thousand, plus standing room, plus the balconies. The “Backyard”, some thirty miles north-west of Austin Texas held all that, plus a few more. In the common venacular, it was a perfect setting for the man who flew from Hawaii the day before, and walked onto the stage, "on time” in “pristine appearance,” and spoke in humble tones.

He came for an hour to open for Jethro Tull (don’t know them either) and left to a standing ovation from the “sophisticated” in red-neck country. One man and his music gave the "ever-restless” an attention-span longer than it takes the Houston Astro’s to lose a game. He silenced the loud, charmed the ladies and captivated “the lot.”

This, “free, male and twenty-one year old” performed as if he was singing to the world. He joked about airport security, and “what they didn’t find in his luggage”, and he talked about “war.” He talked about the military today, and he talked about dying for something they didn’t know about. Said he was going to sing a song, “but he didn’t know how it would play to the audience.” He sang “Lysastrata” in G.W. Bushville and ended up with a standing ovation. He has not changed and he obviously, never will.

This is still Todd Rundgren “strutting his stuff.” Classic, from a genius of his day. One man and his art.

Todd has a routine of songs he sings with guitar, keyboards and piano. He did them all at Studio Z last year, and most of them he did this day. Hawaiian version of “Bang on the Drums,” was a hit, as were all of them. This man commands the respect of the children of “The Parents.” We are all moving through the years, this man holds the attention of ten year old children……it’s just him.

Jethro Tull, ….well there was this loud banging noise we could hear from the car park.

Houston on Saturday. Love to you all-hug you somewhere.


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6/19/2002 - The Backyard - Austin, TX

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