43-years after kicking off a full-time music career, Todd Rundgren has finally made it to the Australian stage.
Unfortunately for Todd, like his t-shirts for sale stated, he was between a rock and hard place.
A good chunk of the setlist revolves around covers of Robert Johnson blues songs. Rundgren was obligated to perform the songs because his publishers of the Johnson catalogue funded his next album on the basis he recorded an album of Johnson songs as well. But that wasn’t what the fans came for.
The good news is that Todd got to record two new albums out of the deal. The bad news is that last night his heart only seemed to be in one.
What we are getting in the Todd Rundgren’s Johnson show is the compromise. Maybe this shows works in the United States where Todd has toured dozens of times and the fans have already heard all the old songs live. In his first time to a new country and with such as rich back catalogue, it was a struggle for the audience to put up with the contractual songs at the expense of Todd songs.
It wasn’t until the encore when the hits surfaced. ‘Can We Still Be Friends’ (#3, 1978) and ‘I Saw The Light’ (#15, 1972) went down to thunderous applause. It was like the crowd did one collective “finally”. They were followed by the 1976 ‘Faithful’ album track ‘Boogies’ which was what a lot of the crowd were expecting from the start.
The die-hard fans were treated to some past gems scattered throughout the set. ‘Kiddie Boy’ and ‘Open My Eyes’ dated back to Todd’s the Nazz days. ‘Black Maria’ and ‘I Went To The Mirror’ from his “hit” album ‘Something/Anything’ nabbed a place.
Rundgren recently performed complete albums in the States. That formula would have been a better introduction to the Aussie fans. The Johnson songs were overkill. A nice 3 song Johnson bracket in the set, one of the albums performed in its entirety and a cherry-pick through the past may have sat well for this crowd.
The setlist for Todd Rundgren at the Corner Hotel, Melbourne, October 6, 2010 was:
Dust My Broom (from Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, 2010)
Stop Breaking Down (from Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, 2010)
Kiddie Boy (from Nazz Nazz, 1968)
Soul Brother (from Liars, 2004)
Walking Blues (from Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, 2010)
Kind Hearted Woman (Robert Johnson)
Bleeding (from The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, 1971)
Black Maria (from Something/Anything 1972)
Love In Vain (from Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, 2010)
Last Fair Deal Gone Down (Robert Johnson)
Open My Eyes (from Nazz, 1968)
Mystified (from P.O.V., Utopia, 1985)
Unloved Children (from Nearly Human, 1989)
I Went To The Mirror (from Something/Anything 1972)
Come In My Kitchen (from Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, 2010)
Hellhound On My Trail (from Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, 2010)
#1 Lowest Common (Todd, 1974)
Born To Synthesize (from Initiation, 1975)
Weakness (from Arena, 2008)
Traveling Riverside Blues (from Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, 2010)
Crossroads (from Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, 2010)
Can We Still Be Friends (from Hermit of Mink Hollow, 1978)
I Saw The Light (from Something/Anything 1972)
Boogies (from Faithful, 1976)
