Local music reviewer's review in the Lexington Herald-Leader: TODD RUNDGREN PUTS TONGUE IN CHEEK, BUT STILL DOES ROCK 'N' ROLL
April 4, 2003 | Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)
Author: Walter Tunis Contributing Music Critic | Page: A2 | Section: Main News
428 Words
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REVIEW

Leave it to Todd Rundgren to serve as music critic for his own concert.

"Let's call my performance... 'rollicking,'" said the veteran composer, producer and pop technologist last night at a near-capacity Kentucky Theatre.

OK, Todd. Let's do that. There was certainly no denying that, for the better portion of his two-hour Lexington debut, Rundgren played the part of cabaret host with tongue securely in cheek. He merrily mugged his way through I Saw the Light, one of his most recognized hits, while seeming genuinely amused as he mistook the potent aroma of theatre popcorn for fried chicken. "Do you smell that?" he asked the crowd. "Or are you used to it?"

But, more important, Rundgren held firm to rock 'n' roll devotion. This might seem odd for a solo concert that, aside from a section boasting prerecorded bossa nova backing tracks, was entirely acoustic. Beginning with his 1982 Utopia tune Lysistrata, which also started a modest pro-peace thread that ran through the entire evening, Rundgren was clearly in no mood to present his songs as folkie makeovers.

The rockers of the program (Hammer in My Heart, One World and Black and White) all retained their original electric urgency in the unplugged setting. But the pop/soul side of Rundgren's profile was hardly underplayed. Love of the Common Man, Cliche and a devilishly playful Song of the Viking were grabbed by the neck and doused with the same performance intensity Rundgren would have dished out were a band behind him.

Casual fans got a requisite roster of hits, although most were broadly rearranged. Can We Still Be Friends moved to the bossa nova groove, Bang the Drum All Day was played on ukulele and, in the show's most ironic twist, the comparatively obscure Born to Synthesize was re-wired into acoustic swing.

Die-hards were just as generously rewarded. Among the list of delicious non-hits: 1995's meditative Beloved Infidel (another wonderfully topical selection), 1978's wistful Too Far Gone and 1973's pop lullaby I Don't Want to Tie You Down.

Whether howling during songs with Philly soul glee, selecting tunes affirming profound calls for peace or playing class cut-up, this Rundgren cabaret proved an unbridled blast. Oh, yes. It was really rollicking, too.