Review of Todd at Dallas HOB 6/28

I am a long time Todd fan who has owned pretty much all of his tunes at one time or another. I have seen Todd's show about 6 times in the last few years, Liars at the Gypsy Tearoom, New Cars at the Nokia and at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas and Arena at the Dallas House of Blues to name a few. My friends and I still revel in amazement at how he pulled off such a great performance at the HOB last year in spite of an obvious cold, sore throat, fever and the effects of medication. Most performers would have packed it in and canceled that appearance. I have a new found respect for the artist and the man after that night. TR is a troubadour in all senses of the word and a national treasure.

Being an IT person, I have always appreciated Todd's skill set as a producer, technician and innovator. His early work points towards the experimentation and techno direction that his new music offers. Anyone who loves Todd appreciates the lyrical and extravagant arrangements of his popular period. Many of the hits that a lot of people connect to him are over 40 years old. Something/Anything was released in Feb 1972. I was a high school sophomore then and I lived and breathed that album and AWATS for years. Todd's imagination and genius lies in his willingness to embrace change and adapt the innovations of recording and media to his art form.

He is a wizard and a true star and this was so evident during his performance last night in Dallas. I know most Toddies either love or hate the new music. Even before Todd's move to Hawaii, he had moved on from pop ballads to Patronet and more experimentation. The man has experienced a musical renaissance. Much as my life as changed over the last 15 years, Todd has sought out new ideas and tools in the studio. The Liars tour not only promoted his new songs and energy but the integrated sound stage and light show were just as interesting from a technician's perspective. Last night he unveiled to Dallas a new light show that was mesmerizing to say the least. Dallasites witnessed a great Rundgren performance. Jesse was animated and his guitar work was outstanding. Prairie is a human dynamo and his work with the new Roland or Yamaha electronic drum kit was interesting to watch. Todd's vocals throughout were strong and vibrant as he switched and doodled with his Ipads and control units. Todd's energy created a unbelievable vibe as he danced and sang onstage. His guitar work on Secret Society and other standards was fiery. Secret Society was one of my favorites songs from last night. The crew powered through many of the new songs from the State album and others from Liars, ReProduction and No World Order. Many of these songs were better live than the studio versions. Collide-A-Scope was awesome and powerful. No World Order and World Wide Epiphany fired up the crowd. Future, Serious, and Nothing to Lose are still playing in my head.

Get out to this show and be prepared for a visual feast of showmanship, great songwriting and electronics. Todd was on fire!