Austinist Review: Todd Rundgren @ Antone's
Though he apologized early in the show for likely disappointing the audience by not playing every song we might want to hear, that's an unavoidable situation for someone with the career Rundgren has had. More than likely it was just advance warning that he'd play neither Hello It's Me nor Bang on the Drum. Nevertheless, the band worked through both old songs and new, as well as a few covers&mdash most memorably fantastic versions of The Call's The Walls Came Down and Red Rider's Lunatic Fringe.
In spite of a series of technical problems, the band members and Rundgren in particular seemed to be having a blast. Midway through the show Rundgren dumped his mic and it took two replacements to get one that worked; guitarist Jesse Gress broke a string...and then another. All the while, the band played on and Rundgren stayed focussed and completely on cue—smiling and cracking jokes. We particularly got into the more recent Soul Brother and Mammon, off the album Liars. Older favorites such as One World and I Saw the Light were well served.
For a dude who is pushing 60 and has been actively writing, playing, and producing music for the last 40 years, Rundgren is a fresh, energetic performer. The crowd—an interesting mix of men and women, young and old—ate up every moment just as we did. If you missed it, kick yourself. If you ever have a chance to see Todd Rundgren live, jump at it. We certainly will.




