Joe Jackson: I was very impressed with two of his new tunes, one of which was entitled "Awkward Age". He delivered a solid set with amusing and insightful commentary. I will probably be purchasing a "Best Of JJ" and the new recording when it comes out.
Todd Rundgren: I'll limit my comments to his performance of his three "greatest hits"...
"I Saw The Light" I really enjoy the Bosa Nova version. The intricate guitar work along with the appealing vocal tag he came up keeps this one sounding fresh. I prefer this rendition to the rushed version he used to do with Utopia in the '80s.
"Hello Its Me" Sometimes I wish he could put himself in the mindset he was in when he wrote the song and perform it with the longing angst of the updated SA recording. I also wish he'd play the intro! I air-piano that all the time. He teased with the first three notes of the intro and then launched into the first verse. I liked it. It was not rushed and the piano did not kick back. It was even amusing when he encouraged everyone to sing along with a "you know the words" and then promptly delivered some alternative phrasing which left everyone tongue tied.
"Bang On The Drum" I've always loved the Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and that spirit combined with the 3 month old baby guitar makes for a fun version of the tune. I do miss when he used to invite audience members up on stage to actually bang on drums back in the good ole '80's.
Wait another year Utopia is here? I dunno. Another Utopia/Tubes tour would be cool.
