Review of Todd's show at Naperville Ribfest 7-04-09

As the first reviewer indicated, the weather in Naperville was quite rainy and uncomfortable most of the afternoon, which no doubt played a key role in dampening crowd size. Nonetheless, despite the conditions there were a core group of Todd fans that showed up and it was obvious from panning the crowd which folks were fans, and which were there just for the ribs, beer, and desserts. Loyal Todd fans usually don’t talk during his music, or do so only sporadically while watching the wizard and his band work. I always find it a bit annoying when people don’t respect any musical artist when they’re working, and particularly so when it comes to Todd Rundgren because much of his music has profoundly touched my life for nearly 30 years. As is typical with Todd he did quite a bit of chatting between songs, but his humor was generally missed by anyone who wasn’t a true fan. If the same show were held in an indoor venue the audience responses to his playfulness would have been far more appreciated.

This was perhaps the 15th time I’ve seen Mr. R live, and as usual he didn’t disappoint. From a vocal perspective he started slowly in order to allow his voice to get warmed up, but it didn’t take long for him to really get going. It was great to hear “Black and White” and “Black Maria” again live, and the song “Trapped” just kicked ass. I must say that Kasim Sultan’s voice is just tremendous, both as a lead vocalist and when he sings in the background as well. Throughout the show I could easily hear Kasim’s voice as it adds such rich texture to the overall sound. The other band members also were exceptional on this evening, but that’s not a surprise given how many of these shows they’ve done together. To me it’s always very rewarding to watch people do something they love to do, and it’s obvious this group is really jazzed when they have the opportunity to perform live.

I completely agree with the first reviewer that the Arena songs sound fantastic when performed live because the band adds another dimension to the sound. The encores songs were “Love of the Common Man,” “Couldn’t I Just Tell You,” and “Just One Victory,” and each was performed to perfection. There’s something about that final song that always brings a tear to my eyes, as for me it truly is a “Todd Anthem.” Scanning the crowd and seeing folks singing along with it reminded me that while even though we Todd fans obviously don’t all know each other, we’re all connected through his music, and always will be.