Todd still rocks

So Muskegon is one of only six venues for the Todd/Healing tour. Great good luck for us. The Frauenthal is a wonderful place to see a show, though the sound could have been clearer and punchier. Some idiot near the front thought it could have been louder too. He told Todd that. Several times.

So, on to the show. Great 70s style. Check out Youtube for a look at Utopia back then, with Kevin Ellman wearing a kimono. Not quite that last night, but lots of colors and patterns on all the band, with Todd front and center. Musically, I guess people were a lot more indulgent in the 70s (Todd was released in 1974), as a lot of the music just doesn't stand up today. That made "The Last Ride" and "A Dream Goes On Forever" even more enjoyable. Talk about your heart-wrenching ballads. Todd does them better than anybody. Bobby Strickland lit up the night with a wild, mournful sax solo on "Ride." Todd rocked hard on "Heavy Metal Kids" but didn't really play enough guitar. And when he wanted to, he couldn't find the stagehand who had it. He mentioned afterward there were a few missteps.

After a half-hour intermission, the band reconvened, resplendent in tunic coats, Todd all in white. My all-time concert cohort Joey, a.k.a. Triathlon Man, said it reminded him what a great album Healing was. He's right. Every song was enjoyable. The secret weapon was a gospel choir from Detroit that sang backups. "Tiny Demons" showed previously unrealized depth (I'd never heard Todd perform it live before), "Compassion" was sterling, and "Time Heals" was outstanding as always.

The encore was one of my all-time favorite Rundgren songs, one I'd thought I would never hear live, "Sons of 1984." It lacked the horns of the original recording, but was moving, and the audience sang along. Even after the curtain went down. It was well-nigh magical.

Todd's voice was in great shape. He was emotive, passionate, hit the notes - I don't know what more you could have asked for vocally. The choir could have been miked a little more, and it could have used more from Kaz and the band for backgrounds, but that comes with that lack of general punchiness.

The band. Oh, the band. Jesse Gress didn't wail enough, but was masterful on acoustic guitar. Kasim Sulton ruled the bottom end, and sang his heart out as always. Prairie Prince wasn't as thunderous as usual, but seeing him seated atop his drumkit as the stagehands rolled it out was a treat. Greg Hawkes looked ancient, with his mop of white hair. Strickland played everything from soprano to alto to pennywhistle, unless it was uilleann pipes. And he played keyboards alongside Hawkes. So did Kaz. And so did Jesse. And Todd. A lot of money wrapped up in keyboards on this tour.

And big bucks in lights as well. This was the best lightshow from Todd in recent memory, at least dating back to Adventures in Utopia. Lasers, spots, just a bit of smoke to show them off.

All told, it was a very good show, though as it was done more as a revue than a concert there was less interaction between Todd and the audience than usual. I miss staples like "Real Man," "Just One Victory," or anything from Nearly Human, and this band could have killed on "Initiation" or "The Ikon." I had spoken with David Sanborn the same week I interviewed Todd, and told Sanborn his solo on "Initiation" was one of my favorites. It would have been way cool to hear Strickland tear into it. Oh well, just like the Tigers, wait till next year.

A few more photos here.

NEWSFLASH: On the Kasim Sulton blog site, someone posted this comment:

"I'm a fan and I had a good time and I'll go to the Faithful/Initiation show next year."

Hope it's true, and Todd returns to Western Michigan. Or maybe Northern Michigan, so I don't have to drive three hours and get home at 2 a.m.

Todd met with the audience afterwards, at least those who hung around. Hopefully he'll enjoy his taste of northern Michigan, courtesy of Way North Foods and Cherry Republic. He was charming and totally down to earth, good-naturedly putting up with fans asking for autographs and photos. And Michelle, his wife, is lovely and even more petite in person.

So I'm left with just one question: Todd, did you like the okra?