The multi-talented and ever evolving Todd Rundgren graced the stage of the Town Ballroom this past Tuesday night. Touring in support of his 25th studio record titled “Global,” this was the first time Rundgren has played the Ballroom, as he has played the Bears Den or The Tralf in recent years. The show was limited to about 600 folks, which made for an intimate show for those lucky enough to get a ticket.
Rundgren is known for experimenting and taking chances. This show was a perfect example of that. There was no backing band. Having a DJ named Dam Dunk and two dancers, the show was more of an EDM (electronic dance music) show than a rock show. The show was equipped with multiple lights and LED screens. The intro was “I Wanna Thank You (For Steppin’ Into My Life) where Dam Funk proclaims his love for Rundgren in a rap song. Then after this, two dancers came out and then Rundgren appeared to his faithful following holding his trusty Fender Stratocaster. The song he opened up with was “Everybody” which was the first song off of “Global.” What I thought was the start of something good was not to be, as Rundgren lost the guitar for almost the entire rest of the show. “Secret Society,” by his former band Utopia, and “Worldwide Epiphany were the only other selections where we saw Todd’s guitar. There were times when there was no DJ and no dancers and Rundgren was left alone to sing songs like “Ping,” “Smoke,” and “Soothe” to a background track.
While Rundgren performed, I really paid attention to his devoted fans during the show and it was really of mixed bag of results. There were some dancing and getting into it and some were totally clueless and didn’t seem to appreciate what Rundgren was trying to deliver. This show relied heavy on material from “Global,” hence 11 of the 12 tracks being played live.
You might be asking did Rundgren dance or partake in his own show? Yes, he did and even participated in a few of the routines the dancers were doing. I truly applaud Rundgren for still be willing to take chances. It makes it interesting and it was like “must see TV.” Rundgren is known for stepping out and experimenting with different musical ventures. Personally, I just wish Rundgren took out his guitar more than he did.
Setlist:
I Wanna Thank You (For Steppin’ Into My Life)
Evrybody
Flesh and Blood
Rise
Truth
Secret Society (Utopia song)
Ping Me
Earth Mother
Skyscraper
Party Liquor
Blind
Smoke
Holyland
Terra Firma
Today
This Island Earth
One World (Utopia song)
Future
Global Nation
Soothe
Can We Still Be Friends / I Saw the Light / Hello It’s Me
Worldwide Epiphany
Encore:
International Feel
Just One Victory
We would like to thank Chip Ruggieri from Chipster PR for the credentials to cover the show.
