Todd Rundgren at Antone's - more photos
photo by Jaime Butler - Staff Photographer |
Todd Rundgren
Hometown: Kauai, Hawaii
http://www.tr-i.com
Todd Rundgren Concert Photos
Saturday, July 19th, 2008
Antone's(Austin, Texas)
“I’m delirious with the heat,� exclaimed singer/songwriter/rocker Todd Rundgren, playing before a packed house Saturday night at Austin’s famous blues venue, Antone’s. A crowd way beyond fire capacity packed the place, the line wrapped around the building even as the show began. This was not a show for the claustrophobic. You would know your neighbor by night’s end, as personal space was a luxury only for the bartenders and musicians on stage.
No matter how packed or how hot Antone’s seemed to get, the crowd didn’t notice, but rather fixated their attention on Mr. Rundgren and his four supporting musicians rocking the night away. Opening with the raucous “Love in Action,� Todd wasted no time jumping into his set and energetically moving around the stage.
Todd wasn’t afraid to pick tracks throughout his long, established five-decade career, including “Open My Eyes,� a rocked-out track from his work with Nazz in the 60s, followed by “Black Mariah,� which showcased a long guitar solo from Todd.
But alas, the solo proved too much for his aqua green axe, which busted a string and forced Todd to break out a new guitar he had just bought in Austin that day. “Let’s see how this dog hunts,� Todd stated before covering Red Rider’s “Lunatic Fringe,� which the band performed excellently. The bassist, Rachel Haden, was also sporting a new bass that looked almost as big as her, but she wielded it all night with no problem.
Those who showed up hoping to hear some of Todd’s more popular standards from the 70s and 80s didn’t get that wish wholly fulfilled, as the show focused more on guitar-heavy rock and newer material from his forthcoming album Arena. While it’s due out in September, “[it] will be on the internet in a couple of weeks,� joked Todd. The latter half of the show consisted of this newer material, but the crowd eagerly bought into it and enjoyed every note escaping from the speakers.
That’s not to say Todd and Co. didn’t kick things old school at all. The room went crazy when the opening piano to “I Saw the Light� began playing, but Todd quickly waved it away. “That’ll never fucking do,� he exclaimed. The band then kicked it up a few notches and returned with a slightly heavier version of the song.
Antics and playful behavior like this helped keep the crowd energized and entertained by a man who just celebrated his 60th birthday last month. He even encouraged sedition, telling the crowd that Austin should secede to form its own state. He then asked for citizenship, which the crowd seemed more than happy to give.
In all, it was a night of great music, a great showman, and a great big crowd of fans young and old. Todd Rundgren showed no signs of slowing down Saturday night, and let’s hope he doesn’t any time soon.
