Todd Rundgren’s An Evening With Todd Rundgren – Live At The Ridgefield is a multimedia live extravaganza that showcases the singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and producer’s diverse catalog. For this performance at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT on December 15, 2015, Rundgren chose well from his litter of songs, coming from albums like Something/Anything, A Wizard, A True Star and Liars. He also pulled in a few cuts from Utopia and The Nazz. In a nutshell, this set defines everything that’s great about Todd Rundgren.
“I Saw The Light,” “Love Of The Common Man” and a guitar wailing “Open My Eyes” start the set off on the right foot. “Buffalo Grass,” an early rocker, sees the band behind Rundgren — John Ferenzik on keyboards and backing vocals, Jesse Gress on guitar, drummer Prairie Prince from the Tubes, and longtime bassist and singer Kasim Sulton — cookin’ a heady brew behind their fearless leader. “Lost Horizon” mines the backing vocals of Sulton and Ferenzik behind what actually is one of the better Rundgren vocal performances here — even when he employs a falsetto.
Expected Rundgren classics are here — “Bang The Drum All Day, “Love In Action” and a near perfect “Can We Still be Friends” with its simple piano part, layered backing vocals, Rundgren’s lilting vocal. Other tunes like “Black Maria” and “One World” make An Evening With Todd Rundgren – Live At The Ridgefield, available on CD, vinyl, DVD, and Blu-ray, extra special.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
