Live review: Todd Rundgren at the Orpheum Theatre [UPDATED]

If soul-prog-glam maestro Todd Rundgren would play his cards right, he could be enjoying a revival. Daft Punk set him up by using “International Feel,” the opening track from Rundgren’s 1973 opus, “A Wizard, a True Star,” in their robot road movie from 2006, “Electroma,” but whatever currency he gained there, he squandered in Friday's show at the Orpheum.

In the L.A. stop of his four-city West Coast tour, Rundgren performed the entirety of “A Wizard, a True Star,” and though it seemed to sate the loyalists, it could not have swayed any potential converts in the house, which was maybe two-thirds full.

The problems started with his opening set, nearly 45 minutes of rote Robert Johnson covers. Though technically proficient, Rundgren and his four-piece band wrung nothing new out of these blues rags that have been passed around so many times, from Bob Dylan to Eric Clapton, there’s nothing left but tatters.

It’s understandable why Rundgren might think some straight-ahead jams would provide clean contrast with the luscious psychedelia of “A Wizard,” but there are so many rarely heard gems in Rundgren’s back catalog, why not air one of those, as he has at other recent dates?

Things picked up once Rundgren and a six-piece band, including Utopia bassist and multi-instrumentalist Kasim Sulton and Jefferson Starship drummer Prairie Prince, launched into the main focus of the evening.

UPDATED: The original version of this post incorrectly identified Rundgren as the singer on "Does Anybody Love You?" It was Kasim Sulton.

For the opening number, our hero gamely staggered out in a spacesuit and the excited crowd -- comprising office denizens by day, prog nerds by night -- was on its feet. A soul medley, with songs by Curtis Mayfield and Smokey Robinson, found Rundgren doing some of his best crooner vocal work of the evening in an incongruously awful pumpkin-colored suit. “Flamingo” was righteously campy and Sulton, stepping in on vocals, played the incorrigible flirt for the playful “Does Anybody Love You?” 

All in all, Rundgren’s energy flitted between interstellar guitar god and fairy sprite, an entertaining combination, but the anticipated moments of true inspiration never seemed to arrive.

Unfortunately, the poor quality of the stage show was a big distraction. Billed as an “elaborate extravaganza” in press materials, it was anything but: The band stood on circular platforms covered in what looked like conference room tablecloths. The video projections above their heads looked amateur and perhaps made on an 8-year-old Mac. And though Rundgren’s costume changes were fun, some looked cheap and shoddily made. With tickets going for $48 to $78 a pop, the crowd deserved better.

Rundgren might still be a true star, but his status as a wizard should be downgraded, at least temporarily, by whomever currently controls such things.

--Margaret Wappler

Photo: Rundgren touches down on planet Earth. Credit: Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[heymikey]

You get the sense that Rundgren tries to do too much himself, for example promoting his own concert; it also seemed that Rundgren did everything else himself, from the musical arrangements to the graphics that yes, were probably made on his Amiga or Video Toaster back in Bearsville. For all I know he wired the P.A. himself, that's the kind of artist he is.

If he had delegated the tasks of publicity and promotion, he would have probably filled the venue: I found out about the show by mindlessly googling the topic Vaudeville; from the Vaudeville Wikipedia page I found the List of Vaudeville Theaters Wikipedia page; from there I found the Orpheum Theatre; and there I found the upcoming Rundgren show, all by accident.

What a wonderfully nerdy audience. It seemed that, somehow, everyone in L.A. who has ever worked as a roadie or sound man; or who has ever had, or wanted to have, a home recording studio, found their way in. I feared the material wouldn't be accessible to my date, not a fan, but this was not the case -- she had a blast. Your reviewer faulted Rundgren for a lack of "true inspiration," but what I heard was an audience cheering and whistling and stamping their feet for more.

I wish Rundgren and Las Vegas would find one another, and come up with a headliner act that is tight and polished and that contains more selections from the Rundgren comfort-pop vault.

[AWATS Fan]

I believe the reviewer missed some major points about this concert: (1) it was a show designed strictly for the delight of long-time Rundgren followers. It was a great and long-awaited reward for some of his most dedicated fan base to see him render AWATS in its entirety, as this masterful and challenging album is one of those most beloved by his fans. (2) While I agree that "elaborate extravaganza" might be a stretch, the staging of the show was designed to replicate something of the acid-and-glam-rock-influenced original work. It is unfortunate that Rundgren does not have the budget to stage a show to the liking of Ms. Wappler. Perhaps she should stick to reviewing expensive production shows performed by vacuous pop lip-synchers. (3) Rundgren's devoted fans--again, the target audience--accept him on his own terms. If he wants to rock a set of Robert Johnson blues, that is fine....wear a pumpkin colored suit, no problem. Mr. Rundgren has seen his fan base shrink drastically over the years, as he has stayed true to his eclectic and sometimes eccentric musical and philosophical vision. He declined to continue on a safe path to commercial pop stardom. This show deserves a review written by a journalist familiar with Rundgren and AWATS, not one written by a hack who is so obviously unfamiliar with the featured work that she could only focus on the durability of the sets and costumes.

[Bruce Kilgour]

To call Prairie Prince a "Starship" drummer might be a bit unfair to the former Tubes and Journey musician...

[rickla]

While I agree that the first set was pretty bad at times (a friend, musician and semi-fan that I brought along was horrified by the sloppiness), the second set was spot on and had a bunch of middle agers like me on their feet all night. Sorry the reviewer felt the stage presentation was cheap. That fact that Todd probably loses money on these gigs makes me appreciate the fact that he even tries something so difficult. And make no mistake, he's been putting on some of the best live shows of any artist for years. At 62, I'm not sure Todd is looking for a resurgence in popularity. He pretty much does everything on his own terms and that's okay with me. I'm just grateful that he continues to tour. As long as he keeps playing, I'll be there.

[Doug]

No surprise your review is negative when it's clear you didn't even pay attention. Kasim Sulton sings 'Does Anybody Love You' not Todd.

"Rundgren played the incorrigible flirt for the playful “Does Anybody Love You?”

No he doesn't, he's not even on the stage for that song.

[Grady]

----Once again, a reporter misunderstands his/her role in the process, which is to report on an event with the venerable who/what/when/where/why methodology. Had this reporter done that, the overwhelming ecstacy being experienced by the attendees should have convinced the reporter to give the proceedings a much more positive "spin".
----Many reporters incorrectly imagine themselves to be "critics". In order to criticize the works of any other person's endeavors, one must first have the ability, talent and skillset to accomplish at least a comparable feat to that which the would-be criticizer wishes to denigrate.
----Why some print publications have the philosophy that art should always be reported upon by reporters who are unfamiliar with the works being covered is beyond me. That is exactly like sending someone unfamiliar with science to interview a famous scientist, or sending someone who has no knowledge of history and politics to a discussion of current events.

[Wolf Edman]

OK. I’m a Rundgren fan. I have a bias to liking what he does. I’m curious as to what this reviewers bias was? So much of the review was so off base.

The Blues Set: I guess there is no more room for blues interpretation now that Clapton and Dylan have done the definitive Robert Johnson. (By the way….I follow Dylan pretty closely. When has he done blues covers in concert or on record in the last 10 years? If he has, I missed it).

The Crowd: “comprising office denizens by day, prog nerds by night”! Pretty snarky. Can you tell by looking at us what we do during the day? I spoke with a lot of musicians while I was there.

The quality of the production: Comments above said it all. Rundgren does it all himself and did a great job of emulating the psychedelic ’70s feel of the album.

As someone else pointed out….she even missed the fact that Rundgren wasn’t even on stage at the time that he was allegedly playing an “incorrigible flirt” on “Does Anybody Love You”? So where was our erstwhile reviewer at the time?

She similarly missed the boat on the quality of the musicianship and the delightful whimsy of the production and costumes. Todd pulled together every varied persona of his long and highly respected career: The techno geek, the romantic pop song guru, the glam rock god, the guitar hero, the soul man.

Shame that she was so busy being a reviewer. She could have had some fun like the rest of us.

[Nazzman]

The show was hilarious and ridiculous. Much like this lame L.A. Times review.

Rundgren knows slick, and does it well ("Almost Human" tour). This show, however, was a blast of goofy fun for his faithful and for those who love this groundbreaking album.

The costumes and silly staging were part of the joke, which apparently went right over the head of this reviewer.

Why does this review not address the album itself, which was the point. We are talking about one of the seminal works in rock. Perhaps she missed the artful way in which the songs were (subtly) rearranged to provide a holistic experience in concert?

What about the return after decades of Bobby Strickland, a key figure in Rundgren's career? Missed that one. The trio of keyboard players, a first since the original Utopia?

And for me, one of the highlights was Kasim Sulton getting a solo spot singing "Does Anybody Love You?" -- a classy and meaningful nod by Rundgren to his old running mate. The reviewer missed that, even crediting Todd with the singing.

The shot at the audience -- office workers? prog geeks? WTF? -- pretty much typifies the amateurish execution of this review.

And for the record, at least on the floor, this Boomer audience stood throughout the performance of the album. What a tribute to this musical wizard.

[Scott Elliot]

Hey, Margaret - what show are you talking about here? It can't possibly be the show I saw last Friday night where Mr. Rundgren rocked the house! I've seen several shows, as recently as a month ago when TR performed the last show of the Arena Tour, and this AWATS redeux is mesmerizing. More costume changes than Cher! To top it off, the man warmed us up with an hour of killer R & B... what could be better than that?

Since you raved about the U2 show at the Rose Bowl (which totally sucked!) and panned this show, you must be making this stuff up as you go. Do you even go to these shows - something tells me no. Say buh-bye to your credibility. You clearly live up to the phrase: "Those that can't, critisize".

[damnjim]

As Richard Dreyfuss once said, "This broad wouldn't know a kick-ass concert if it came up and bit her in the ass".
The opening set sloppy? Please. It was bad-ass electrifying.
Only Todd woud have the balls to shred some sacred "Robert Johnson Blues" before totally dropping a tab of acid on us.

Classic show, Classic Venue, Classic case of a reviewer in way over her head.

[Wolf Edman]

Amen to all of the above comments. And a postscript to my earlier post...

Todd Rundgren blew an opportunity to revive his career because DAFT PUNK! used one of his songs on a "robot road movie" in 2006? What are you on? Who is Daft Punk? Who even knows about this movie, much less saw it? Where are they now? Todd has been making great artistry for over 40 years! Daft Punk lasted about as long as it took for MW to write this awful review. Still wondering why she was taking such cheap shots.

[Jan]

It is clear that the media has, and never will get Todd and what he is about. If your ignorant on a situation and just don't get it then surely you'll give negative feedback.
I saw everyone in the theatre standing on their feet and jamming to the music as soon as the AWATS show started.... until it was over....they never sat down!!............so where were all these other theatre goers who didn't enjoy it????
Someone was out to lunch on this review.

[david peters]

Great show, totally crap review. Here's my review:
Review by David Peters

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG! Having seen close to a hundred Todd shows since '75, I think I can fairly say this was the best concert I've seen by anyone ever. The venue is fabulous and historic. The sound was very good. The crowd was loaded with the faithful, and they were presented with the dream show.

Opener was the blues songs of Robert Johnson performed by Todd in the lastest incarnation 'Todd Rundgren's Johnson', and it was great to hear him play the blues. He's been preparing for it his whole life, and it's the music he's loved and played since the '60s as a part of the musical stew he's brewed up in his wizard shop. The four piece of TR, Kaz, Jesse and Pairie brought it, and delivered a blistering set of reworked blues songs that have been done and redone, but never quite like this. His guitar playing was ON FIRE. (Long live Foamy). Clearly new to the arrangements, the band had a few miscues, but no problem. It was impressive.

During the break, more fan reunions, drinks, smokes, and giddy anticipation for the main event. The presentation of AWATS was without technical glitches, without broken strings, without wardrobe malfunctions, and without excessive commentary from our hero. The band played what was the most incredible musical roller coaster ride of all time, A Wizard A True Star. As for the music, you know what it is. But to be there with it in the air live is just so joyful, emotionally powerful, and physically moving. It was one of those concerts where everyone is on their feet and totally with it from start to finish. Granted, my vantage point from the third row was superb, but I think everyone was having as much fun as possible. This show is also visually stunning, but I won't go into that.

There was a couple behind us who had never seen Todd before, and said it was the best night of their life, the most fun they'd ever had. Welcome to the club. I'm surprised there aren't more reviews of this mini-tour, maybe folks are too blown away to review it. I just had to write. If you were there, you know what I mean, and if not, get to Ventura tonight. p.s. great to see Ralph Shuckett

[REA]

Obviously this reviewer when given the assignment replied "Todd who?"
Should have sent Robert Hilburn instead.

[Mindi]

Margaret, I am sorry that you did not enjoy yourself, but I think you were the only one. From what I could tell, everyone ELSE in the house was mesmerized. Better luck next time.

It was the best $78 I have ever spent.

[Zen Archer]

All of these comments are great and well founded. It is hard to decide where to begin in picking apart this review, as it consists of one lame, uninformed paragraph after another. Margaret Wappler, your incompetence is highly entertaining!

[Muse Singring]

Margaret -

After reading the critiques of your review I can only say that it is time to quit your day job.

- singring

[ian]

Margaret who???

[Neil Rosengarden]

In 1972, my first single on a major label was released. I always laugh when I read this review from a college station: Jay Meyers at WKDU in Pennsylvania said the following about the new single "WHAT CAN IT BE" by NEAL ROSENGARDEN:
"Very smooth sounding and starts very nicely. This disc has the type of sound that is very catchy. This is one that you do not forget very easily once you have heard it.
This, of course, is very important in the success of any effort. Reminds one a little of Todd Rundgren. Composition, possibly stronger. Flows very well and is applicable to all types of programmming. For a first effort, Neal may have a hit on his hands."
I have remained pretty darn obscure up to now. Maybe 2010 is my year!

[JimmyB]

I gotta agree with Ms. Wappler about that opening blues set. It was like a musical anti-personnel weapon. Seats were emptying all around me as it plodded on and on. As for the main event, all was forgiven when Todd spacewalked to "International Feel". I loved the show from that moment on.

[one nation under todd]

The ONLY shred of reality in this hideous review was the surprise first set material. Admittedly, some or the covers worked better than others but overall not that bad.
It also served its purpose by letting the highly talented band play some nice jams and not have any other original material competing with the main event. Cheesy costumes and effects? Not for those who were transported back to 1973. Stick to the stuff you know (Beyonce, Lady GaGa, Adam Lambert) or get a clue.

[Doug]

heymikey, for the record Rundgren did not promote the concert himself and that's the largest crowd he's had in LA in years. There were ads in the LA Weekly, a mention with photo in the LA Times, radio ads on the biggest show in LA, etc. Most people don't look for their concert calendars on Vaudeville sites.

It was a good sized crowd for a Rundgren concert and the fans there were clearly getting it unlike this blogger.