Jesse Gresse is a formidable guitarist and Todd made sure he was stretched to his capacity. Given these gigs were centered around the blues and in particular, those of Robert Johnson, I wasn't expecting too many of Todd's own songs, but was overjoyed to discover that these outnumbered the RJ covers. Songs ranging from way back to the late 60's / early 70's Open My Eyes, Bleeding and all wonderful stops in between, Lowest Common Denominator, Mystified / Broke Down Man, Unloved Children, Soul Brother, Weakness. The intimacy of the venue added to the euphoria which built up constantly culminating in Hamburger Hell and RJ's Crossroads before the encores of Can We Still Be Friends and I Saw The Light.
I was lucky enough to be at the Auckland gig also, on the Friday 24th before this one and as one reviewer cynically insinuated, Todd was not by any means simply fulfilling contractual obligations, he was playing with his heart and soul with a top notch band for fans who had never had the chance to leave these beautiful islands and catch one of his gigs overseas. Please come back Todd. If you could make it to Christchurch next time, this reveiwer for one would be totally ecstatic. What a fantastic musical genius and gracious gentleman Todd Rundgren is to his fans. Thank you Todd and the 'Johnson' band.
