Todd Rundgren Revisits A Wizard A True Star at The Palace Theatre, Stanford CT, 09-09-2009 PART TWO

by Jeff Boule in Album Reviews, Concert Reviews, Editorials, Musician Reviews, Opinion Posts, Reviews, Song Reviews

Rundgren takes the mic back from Sulton for the ever popular 'Soul Medley'. Photo by Lynn Vala

Rundgren reemerges with an Orange suit on, much like the one worn during the Liars tour.  This medley is obviously what they rehearsed the most, or it at least sounded that way as apart from some errant Theremin notes (and those things were hair-trigger at best) this was as tight as it gets.

Rundgren is either imitating an old soul move or is suffering from an appendicitis attack. Photo by Lynn Vala

Once we hit the “Cool Jerk” portion of the medley, the Orange jacket gets thrown off and he and Strickland lead the crowd in “Cool Jerk 101” during the solo drum section.

Rundgren and Strickland lead the crowd in the Cool Jerk. Photo by Lynn Vala

After the song rejoins Hawkes keyboards get very loud, and as the band play out, Rundgren runs off stage acting quite the looney.

Strickland has the honor of re-announcing Rundgren, who returns to the stage dressed as a bizarre Swedish Chef from the Muppets for “Hungry For Love”.

Bork Bork Bork! Photo by Lynn Vala

The lyrics detailed the use of stimulants to attempt to replicate the “high” of love.  In conjunction with those lyrics, Rundgren reaches into his apron and tosses out things to the audience.  They appear to be candies.

My notes have a reference to Rundgren attempting to engage in activities that are very similar to those of Fee Waybill of the Tubes, and between Rundgren changing costumes like Waybill, and having Tubes drummer Prairie Prince play on everything live, and marrying a former Tubes dancer (Michele Gray Rundgren), we gotta keep him away from the Tubes.

“I Don’t Want To Tie You Down” is next and very somber in atmosphere.  The stage fills with smoke as Rundgren appears in a long purple hood robe with the hood up.  It is so foggy it is getting hard to see him.

Looking very Lord Of The Rings, Rundgren's ballad "I Don't Want To Tie You Down" mezmorizes the crowd. Photo by Lynn Vala

This is a simple song, piano, bass, Hawkes adds synth notes during the second verse.  But this is the song where Rundgren meet his vocal match, as those high notes take it out of him.

The hold note into “Is It My Name?” is exaggerated while Rundgren takes off the purple robe to reveal an outfit of full glam regalia complete with psychedelic SG.  It is a house rocking version, but when Rundgren lets off the guitar to sing and or gesticulate, the guitar sound falls off.

A glammed-out Rundgren delivers the goods on guitar. Photo by Lynn Vala

In order to keep the house rocking, those missing songs from the end of “side one” appear now, at the end of side two as after “Is It My Name” the album ends with “Just One Victory”.  “Sunset Boulevard” into “Le Feel Internacionale” are inserted to beef up the end of the set list.

I am not sure at this point who is working harder, Rundgren or the camera crew trying to keep up with him.  I gotta laugh at the line “The IRA have just hit London…”  They’re gone, didn’t think that would happen back in `73.  The crowd sing along as some of Rundgren’s solo notes are off.

It may be a reproduction guitar, but it sounds good to me. Photo by Lynn Vala

Rundgren makes his way off stage before “Le Feel” even starts, when it does, the folks in the first few rows are showered with streamers.  An un-executed streamer lands in my mouth!

Rundgren returns to the stage dressed in an outfit that would befit the photo shoot for Utopia’s Egyptian motif, to announce the members, Sulton, Powell and Prince getting the lion’s share of the applause.

Dressing the part of the Wizard. Photo by Lynn Vala

He also announces the person helping him change costumes, Michele Rundgren.  Of course, they undertake the start of the end, “Just One Victory.”  Without a hesitation, this is the fullest sounding version I have heard.  Loyal Utopia and Rundgren fans can’t help but get choked up when he picks up that guitar for the final solo of the night, it’s over.  Spinning on one foot he brings the mammoth version and this mammoth undertaking to a close.

Rundgren wishes us a good night.  Well, read on as the good night is just beginning!

LATER THAT EVENING…

After exiting the theater room, we managed to locate Mr. Ford.  We asked if there were any remaining duties we might assist with.  After indicating no, he then inquired as to our accommodations.  After telling him we were staying at a La Quinta on the fringe of the city, he advised us to follow Mel.  Sounded easy enough to do, she’s capable, I would trust her in a strange city, so off we went figuring we were being taken to the after show “Press The Flesh” event.  We did have passes for it (how we got them is known only to my best thing to ever happen to me, to this moment I still don’t know how we got them, I think she asked Mary Lou or Mel because she liked the art work) so it wouldn’t surprise me.

Once we left the Palace Theater building, I asked my best thing to ever happen to me why we would be leaving if we were going to the after show Meet and Greet?  I was told we are not going to the meet and greet, we are going to a dinner provided for staff and crew as a means to show gratitude for our efforts.  Tickets, passes and a dinner?  Did I mention how cool the folks at Rundgren Radio are?

We walked and talked and on the journey to the restaurant the story of the dissatisfied male chauvinist customer and how they took a lesser deal from the “man-in-charge” rather than the better deal from the woman-in-charge was retold.  I am familiar with chauvinism, my best thing to ever happen to me experiences it all the time.  Because the package is pretty, there must not be anything between the ears.  Makes me sick.  These are the same people who gave up serious seats because the people in front of them were standing and dancing.  Whatever floats your boat.

We arrived at the restaurant and proceeded upstairs to a buffet dining room with bar.  Before I get into specifics of the meal, I need to preface this.  I used to work in the corporate headquarters for American Telephone and Telegraph and some members of our group were of Indian descent.  One of these individuals provided a homemade buffet for the group.  More spicy, delicious or filling food you’ll not find.

The name of the restaurant behind the Palace Theater on Summer Street is named Tawa.  Hey have a sweet onion curry that is heavenly.  Ribs, pork, chicken, tasty crisp vegetables and an airy, delectable pita, each and everything delicious.  I have one more comment on the food later on, suffice it to say, if you are in Stamford CT, get downtown to Tawa!

After positioning ourselves at the table next to the buffet, once people got their food we’d be out of the way.  This time, I wisely took our concession booty back to the car.  Stamford is amazing, I found a free parking space within two blocks (crossing one street) of the theater.  So we were traveling light.  We watched many people arrive as we were with the first handful of people to do so.  After about an hour or so Roger Powell arrived and setlled into a booth.

Powell engages the buffet at Tawa. Photo by Lynn Vala

Next came Kasim Sulton and Bobby Strickland.

Sulton digs into the exquisite Indian cuisine. Photo by Lynn Vala

After a brief lull, Rundgren’s wife Michele and drummer Prairie Prince arrived.

Rundgren dislikes after-show meet and greets. Wonder what he and the Mrs. do during that hour? Photo by Lynn Vala

After having a brief kid with Kasim Sulton, I thanked him for including a link to my MySpace page on his web site for his DVD (steady PREX readers can refer to my review of Sulton’s Live In Atlanta DVD).  Sulton took my review from PREX and posted on the sale site for his DVD.  Among the chatter I was remiss in reminding him of his promise to me of two free tickets to a future live solo show.  He did say he remembers my best thing to ever happen to me.  Even clutched her chin in his hand and said she was gorgeous.  Such a great guy and with great taste, too!

The next band member to show is Greg Hawkes.  I was fortunate enough to have a brief exchange with him as well.  I would love to ask him a dozen questions, but this is not the venue.  Half the battle of getting yourself to dine with your heroes is being savvy enough to know that these are people just like you, who are eating and really don’t want to talk shop.  Hawkes is a very nice gentleman and I have no intention of interfering with his dinner.

My best thing to ever happen to me notices that Powell has produced some medicines and must be under the weather.  Explains his subdued aura.  After he eats he makes his way to the door.  I ask for a moment of his time.  I know this sort of violates what I said, but I had business with him as well as Sulton.  I HAD TO thank him for including my review on his CD’s sale page (another PREX reprint) and discussed that his CD Blue Note Ridge has been picked up by a label and will be re-released.  He could not say that my review did not help get that done.  It may sound like double talk, but I heard him say my review had a hand in it.  I was really grateful.  I asked him to sign the CD and the Rundgren Bio.

Your intrepid blogger (right) and Powell. Photo by Lynn Vala

He was happy to once he learned that I was the blogger from PREX, he stood at attention and repeated “Princeton Record Exchange?” and a connection was made.  Once Powell made that connection, he said that my review of his album was “wacky”.

I can die a proud blogster now.

Why Do I drive all this way, devote my time to over-listening to CDs and missing half of the live shows I go to because I am reporting on and writing through the event?

Roger Powell’s reaction, THAT’S WHY!!

I am already well winded enough with this review to go into how Powell’s path and my path have crossed before, it was still a thrill for one of my heroes to acknowledge my work.  I asked him about the Utopia set, and he said they referred to it as Notopia.

Intermingled with the arrival of Mr. Ford, Mary Lou and Jess Gress was the wizard of the hour, Todd Rundgren.  A face I did not recognize as it had been made over and made to look even hotter (as if that were possible with this woman) was sitting to the left of Rundgren, his ex, Karin Darvin.  Sitting to his right, was the current Mrs. Rundgren, Michele.

A blurry Todd Rundgren enjoys his post-show repast. Photo by Lynn Vala

I’m not going near that with a hundred foot pole.

Besides, I really had to no business with him, he was busy cutting up for the ladies.  Gritting a rib between his teeth and shaking it around.  I could have had him sign something (I’m sure he has not done that enough tonight, SARCASM), let him eat the great food.  I mean when you see Todd Rundgren gnawing down a rib like corn on the cob, you know it’s good food.

After some killer conversations, and some minor work, I extended to Mr. Ford congrats and assured him he most definitely knows how to, in the urban vernacular, “throw down” and we depart this wizard’s world.

Thanks to all who made this blog possible.  I will be reposting some older material in order to take a well deserved break from reviewing, but I will be back soon with new blogs!  Cheers!