Lets put things into perspective. Todd has a great wife and 3 gifted kids and lives in one of the most expensive places on the planet. His family likes to travel and if you live on an Island in the Pacific that means flying. Kids, wives, travel, expensive vocations, all take lots of money. Why. else would a guy who has made some of the finest albums of all time go out on these solo tours so unprepared and give such embarrassing presentations of his work. I am a father and husband too, so I understand how much cash today’s life takes. I’ve seen these solo tours over the last few years though, and I wont be wasting my time, or my family’s money on this years, or any of these shows. Sure I’ll gladly go see him when he and Kasim and the guys get together, but not these feeble solo things with the same old easy to play songs. Wasn’t LIARS one of Todd’s best works in decades? I want to thank him for that, but these shows filled with mistakes and excuses—I’ve got better things to do. Even his endless sarcastic wit isn’t enough to get me there, I say send Rebop and Michelle out on the road ,and the the boys baseball gig has got to be payin ok. Stay home on the beach, and get the boys and mom to make the money and you just stay home in the studio, work on your great stuff and catch a tan at the same time. These shows are too painful for me and I’m guessing you wouldn’t want Michelle and the kids or Joel or Liv at one of these things.
One last thing. I get blown away by those reviewers that say “Todd is at his best when its just him and the mike.” Are you Fn crazy. One guy on this tour even wrote how the strings took over for, and really ripped up the solo that Todd would play on Black Maria. Again I ask, are you Fn crazy. Todd is one of the best and uniquely stylized electric guitarists that ever picked the thing up. He is a band leader like Duke Ellington, a contemporary orchestra leader like Mozart. Go see some folk guy with a guitar and harmonica if you want that shit. Please Todd, bring the band with!
