I saw Joe Jackson & Todd Rundgren in concert tonight!

[Lex]

.
It was a great show---

Joe Jackson strides out and it's just him and a big ol' grand piano and a mic and the spotlight. He starts with My Hometown and seamlessly moves into Stepping Out. He does some new songs off the current album, then he did a really fabulous version of Different For Girls and then an entertaining version of Girl by the Beatles--his piano playing was flawless and fun on that one. He debuted a new song tonight that he said he hasn't even recorded yet, but I didn't catch the name of it. He said a little bit about the new Pope being so conservative, then launched into a song called Love at First Light about a one night stand that might really be love. Then he played Is She Really Going Out With Him, which was great--he got a kick out of the audience, when that part comes up "Look over there! Where?!" because the audience helped with the "Where?!" part.

Todd Rundgren came out with just a guitar and a mic on a stand. I don't know his music that well, but everyone kept yelling out for him to play Leroy ("We gotta get you a woman" -- that one) but he said he wasn't playing it. He eventually sat down at the piano and played Hello It's Me which was fantastic. Rundgren really has a great voice and it sounded great tonight. He then played Bang on the Drum while playing a ukelele. He didn't play Can We Still Be Friends unfortunately. Oh, he did say we have to start protesting this war and we have to bring our boys and girls home, and then he sang a song called Beloved Infidel. I just looked up the lyrics on that song--powerful.

At the end, Joe and Todd (and the string quartet, which opened tonight) came out and played While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Then just Joe and the string quartet did Jackson's Real Men and it was so good I wanted to cry. I love that song and seeing Joe sing it and play it in person, with the string quartet, really got to me.


If the show comes to your town and you're a fan of either of these two guys, try to catch it!

[Kenneth ken]

1. OOOOOOHHHHH !!!!

That sounds like a GREAT show. Thanks for posting. I hope they come to my area.

I'll have to go googling now and see what I can find out.

Lex
:yourock:

[Robeson]

2. Toddy Rules!...

...Love Todd Rundgren. His new stuff is just as good, if not better, than the old. Glad you had fun...:thumbsup:

[Lex]

4. Rundgren's sound in the venue could've been better tonight

and that was disappointing. His voice and playing were great, but the sound was a little distorted.

Joe Jackson's sound mix was much better and clearer.

As an aside, Rundgren's son plays for a minor league baseball team here in NC (the "Mudcats") and tonight he talked about how he's been in NC for a few days catching some of his son's playing.

[hfojvt]

3. a ukelele?

You mean he does not play drums? How can you do "Bang on the drum" without even one drum? :banghead:

[Lex]

5. Creativity! nt

[Lex]

6. Oh also---

I forgot to say that even though Joe Jackson played a great set, I wish I could've heard Breaking Us in Two and You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) and Place Us a Slow Song--my all time favorite.

But I was very, very happy with the songs he played tonight, so I can't complain really.

[SerpentX]

7. Dang. I meant to get back to Joe Jacksons website to check tour dates.

I saw Joe Jackson at the Old Opera House in Frankfurt for the Laughter & Lust tour. He had the whole band with him and the sound was just incredible. I had just got back from Oil War I and it was the best possible therapy at the time.

I've never heard anyone re-arrange their old standards like him. I saw him again in 95 and it was almost a completely different show. Not as elegant, but more intimate and just as entertaining.

[Lex]

8. I hope you get to catch him on this tour!

He just gets better with age, I think.