I was sitting in a bar over the weekend about 5 miles from Rundgren's hometown when "Hello it's me" came on. It reminded me how much I missed some of his music. As a Philly kid in the late 70's/80's, Todd and Utopia were a big part of the local music scene.
That is Bristol IIRC. I lived in Philly from 68 to 71. Graduated from Lower Moreland HS in Huntingdon Valley in 70. Rundgren is one of my fond memories of Philly, but he was adapted as Cleveland's favorite son in the 70's. He was known here simply as TR. A fan from Nazz onward.
I was sitting in a bar over the weekend about 5 miles from Rundgren's hometown when "Hello it's me" came on. It reminded me how much I missed some of his music. As a Philly kid in the late 70's/80's, Todd and Utopia were a big part of the local music scene.
Got the tickets. Still plenty left. I'm hoping for a special show. We're the second stop out of the box and the Civic is one of his favorite places in his home away from home. We're still in shake down mode being the second stop. I asked the wife if she wanted to go see Todd. She was good to go and I as I told her who else was going to be there, I saved Cross for last and she got real excited. Yeah, she can still listen to Sailing over and over again. I pulled the album out not so long ago and she knew all the words for all of the songs even after not hearing it for at least twenty years. This should be a fun night. We don't get a lot of good Friday or Saturday shows in this town anymore. We're sorta the B circuit for really great shows.
Does the Agora Ballroom still exist? I remember that part of Rundgren's live album from the late '70s was recorded there. In an old interview with Devo I remember them saying how excited they were when they first got to play there - like they felt they had achieved success. I think Chrissie Hynde said something to that effect about her first gig there as well.
It exists in a different location now. The famous location you refer to burned down in the 80's IIRC. It presently exists in what was the old WHK radio auditorium building. It is easier to name the acts that didn't play there back in the day. When I was driving my coffee truck aka the roach coach, I used to stop there in the alley by the stage door for a small GE job shop right across from it. Every Wednesday from 11 am to Noon, WMMS did what was known as the Coffee Break Concert and it was broadcast live from the Agora. More than a couple of times I almost ran over the host, Matt The Cat as he booked out the back door to get back to the studio to continue his air shift. I had the stop there when Paul Simon was doing the movie One Trick Pony. I wondered in the back door one day and caught him just sitting on a stool on the stage killing time and just noodling on his guitar. Gave him a returned nod of recognition and respect and moved on to my next stop. Just one of those casual moments on a hot summer day when everyone was moving around slowly in the heat of the day.
Agency Recording was also in the same building and served as the uplink for the radio broadcasts. Most of the Grand Funk albums were recorded there as well as many other acts. I think that I have a copy of a 2 plus hour early 70's Todd concert from Cleveland Music Hall on a VHS tape recorded in HiFi audio from the broadcast. We were proud to be included on his Back To The Bars album. Springsteen, who broke nationally out of Cleveland did a 2 1/2 show for MMS's 10th anniversary that was broadcast world wide. I may still have a copy of that on VHS as well. Todd broke out nationally from Cleveland as well as David Bowie, The Tubes and we had a role in getting Floyd on the national map when DSOTM was released. Todd was our adopted son here and he owned this town. He was known here simply as TR.
Lot's of history made there. That was the place when whoever happened to be in town might just show up and join the act already on the stage and join in. The Raspberries were sorta the house band. The legendary Swingos Hotel and what not was a couple of blocks away and it is where everybody stayed when they played Cleveland. That was the 70's in Cleveland and it was a real fun time for music and everything else. It was SF in the 60's, Cleveland in the 70's and then the scene moved to Seattle.
Might be time to go dig up those VHS tapes and see if they are still viable and rip them to the computer.
Got the tickets. Still plenty left. I'm hoping for a special show. We're the second stop out of the box and the Civic is one of his favorite places in his home away from home. We're still in shake down mode being the second stop. I asked the wife if she wanted to go see Todd. She was good to go and I as I told her who else was going to be there, I saved Cross for last and she got real excited. Yeah, she can still listen to Sailing over and over again. I pulled the album out not so long ago and she knew all the words for all of the songs even after not hearing it for at least twenty years. This should be a fun night. We don't get a lot of good Friday or Saturday shows in this town anymore. We're sorta the B circuit for really great shows.
Does the Agora Ballroom still exist? I remember that part of Rundgren's live album from the late '70s was recorded there. In an old interview with Devo I remember them saying how excited they were when they first got to play there - like they felt they had achieved success. I think Chrissie Hynde said something to that effect about her first gig there as well.
I've got that wonderful AWATS DVD. It's a really good capturing of the show and there's something really fun at the end. No spoilers.
I caught Dolenz/Tork with Nesmith coming on for the encore in Monterey a few years ago, and Mickey was, deservedly, taking a victory lap. He's still doing really well.
Sheff reminds me that the corporate entity Chicago has told Lamm that he's no longer allowed to contribute. That makes mehttp://robertlammsolo.com/biog...
And Cross is still sailing the seas of smooth due to that "Best New Artist" and more he won that first year. Ah, well. And I didn't know Molland was still around. But he's not Pete Ham.
Got the tickets. Still plenty left. I'm hoping for a special show. We're the second stop out of the box and the Civic is one of his favorite places in his home away from home. We're still in shake down mode being the second stop. I asked the wife if she wanted to go see Todd. She was good to go and I as I told her who else was going to be there, I saved Cross for last and she got real excited. Yeah, she can still listen to Sailing over and over again. I pulled the album out not so long ago and she knew all the words for all of the songs even after not hearing it for at least twenty years. This should be a fun night. We don't get a lot of good Friday or Saturday shows in this town anymore. We're sorta the B circuit for really great shows.
You have inspired me to go see him again for the first time since the 70's. He's going to be at the Akron Civic on a Saturday (w00t!) September 28th for his White Album tour. TODD RUNDGREN, MICKY DOLENZ, CHRISTOPHER CROSS, JOEY MOLLAND, JASON SHEFF are the lineup. Molland from Badfinger and Sheff from Chicago and I get to see a Monkee ! I suppose it will be ala his Faithfull album. The wife has learned to like Todd over the years (she didn't have much of a choice), but Cross and Dolenz should seal this deal for her. I'm also going to grab the DVD of this AWATS concert which was taped at the same Akron Civic back when. The Akron Civic is one of my most favorite venues ever. Such a beautiful place with sound to match. It also has a full tilt working Wurlitzer pipe organ.
I've got that wonderful AWATS DVD. It's a really good capturing of the show and there's something really fun at the end. No spoilers.
I caught Dolenz/Tork with Nesmith coming on for the encore in Monterey a few years ago, and Mickey was, deservedly, taking a victory lap. He's still doing really well.
And Cross is still sailing the seas of smooth due to that "Best New Artist" and more he won that first year. Ah, well. And I didn't know Molland was still around. But he's not Pete Ham.
He did AWATS start to finish, with his original (re-tailored) costumes from his career. I was hugging the stage at the SF show, and a few rows back, sidelined due to arthritis, was Roger Powell. He's in this performance, filmed earlier in the tour. I've seen Todd in many configurations (alone at the Fillmore, the EDM dance party in Napa, the "unpredictable" tour and "hits" tours recently, and the recording of 2nd Wind at the Palace of Fine Arts are some I loved) but this....at the end, this part, when the quarter notes signal the starting of the end (but there's more) I just closed my eyes and leaned my head back and tried to soak it all in. A pinnacle of an extraordinary career.
And he is playing barefoot !
You have inspired me to go see him again for the first time since the 70's. He's going to be at the Akron Civic on a Saturday (w00t!) September 28th for his White Album tour. TODD RUNDGREN, MICKY DOLENZ, CHRISTOPHER CROSS, JOEY MOLLAND, JASON SHEFF are the lineup. Molland from Badfinger and Sheff from Chicago and I get to see a Monkee ! I suppose it will be ala his Faithfull album. The wife has learned to like Todd over the years (she didn't have much of a choice), but Cross and Dolenz should seal this deal for her. I'm also going to grab the DVD of this AWATS concert which was taped at the same Akron Civic back when. The Akron Civic is one of my most favorite venues ever. Such a beautiful place with sound to match. It also has a full tilt working Wurlitzer pipe organ.
He did AWATS start to finish, with his original (re-tailored) costumes from his career. I was hugging the stage at the SF show, and a few rows back, sidelined due to arthritis, was Roger Powell. He's in this performance, filmed earlier in the tour. I've seen Todd in many configurations (alone at the Fillmore, the EDM dance party in Napa, the "unpredictable" tour and "hits" tours recently, and the recording of 2nd Wind at the Palace of Fine Arts are some I loved) but this....at the end, this part, when the quarter notes signal the starting of the end (but there's more) I just closed my eyes and leaned my head back and tried to soak it all in. A pinnacle of an extraordinary career.
I've seen Todd well over 30 times over the years and somehow managed to miss this tour. Don't quite recall why, just didn't make it. Got the DVD but man I wish I was there. But I did make the 11 voice orchestra Acapella tour and I count that as one of the best shows of his I've seen.
He did AWATS start to finish, with his original (re-tailored) costumes from his career. I was hugging the stage at the SF show, and a few rows back, sidelined due to arthritis, was Roger Powell. He's in this performance, filmed earlier in the tour. I've seen Todd in many configurations (alone at the Fillmore, the EDM dance party in Napa, the "unpredictable" tour and "hits" tours recently, and the recording of 2nd Wind at the Palace of Fine Arts are some I loved) but this....at the end, this part, when the quarter notes signal the starting of the end (but there's more) I just closed my eyes and leaned my head back and tried to soak it all in. A pinnacle of an extraordinary career.
