Todd Rundgren @ House of Blues, June 29
by Andrew Clayman
Published in The Cleveland Scene (Village Voice), June 2008
Philly guy though he may be, progressive art-pop pioneer Todd Rundgren has always had one of his most rabid fan bases in Cleveland. Now, after a much-publicized stint with the New Cars, Rundgren is set to celebrate his 60th birthday with a return to his celebrated solo career.
Technically, the House of Blues is a tad small for the scope of the songs on Rundgren’s new album, Arena, but then again, it’s hard to say what sort of venue befits a performer with a back catalog as crazily diverse as this one. Just about the only consistent element across Rundgren’s 40-year career has been his infamous level of ambitiousness. In the early ‘70s, he followed up the AM radio charm of “Hello, It’s Me” and “We Gotta Get You a Woman” with the massive production experiment of A Wizard. A True Star. In the decades since, he’s continued to back up his bravado with innovative results-- laying the foundations for power-pop and prog-rock and making some of music’s first forays into interactive CD-ROM and internet technology. Oh, and he’s also the guy that sings that “Bang the Drum All Day” song they play at the ballpark.
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