The songs were not new during this tour. Almost all of the songs were at least 20 years old, and the newest song was "Beloved Infidel" from 1995. The audience wasn't new either; almost everyone was in the 35-55 age range. We were old enough to get Todd's obscure reference to actor Lorne Greene and the Chuckwagon dog food commercial.
Todd alternated between class clown, hamming through chestnuts like "Hello It's Me", and earnest tunesmith, with thoughtful ballads like "I don't want to tie you down" and "Compassion". He was definitely having a good night, with almost no guitar or piano mistakes.
Some of Todd's songs, such as "Lysistrata" and "The Wheel" seemed especially relevant to President Bush and the Iraqi war. Todd stated that "The Viking Song" was about a leadership crisis; we all got the insinuation.
In summary, the songs were old, and even some of the jokes, like Todd falling asleep during "Born to Synthesize", were old. But it was an enjoyable concert nonetheless. Hearing those songs performed again was like hearing from an old friend.
Hey Todd, old friend, old buddy, old pal - if you happen to read this - could we hear some new tunes, from a new recording, on the next tour?
