Oh goody. An Evening With is a DVD/CD of Todd Rundgren captured in all his esoteric glory live at Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut last Christmas. Those songs that should have been hits (Hello It’s Me, Can We Still Be Friends) are here, along with the sublime soul medley I’m So Proud/Ooh Baby Baby (but, curses, not La La Means I Love You).
His voice sounds a bit thicker than way back when he was the Nazz Zen Archer, but that makes the highlights more poignant; he is, after all, the greatest 68-year-old power-pop-star-plus on the planet. Grand rhythm backing from drummer Prairie Prince and long-time bassist collaborator Kasim Sulton keeps it authentic, while the vital keyboards are gloriously old-school during the standout Sometimes I Don’t Know What To Feel, the guitars cranked to frantic overdrive on Black And White. The man John Lennon christened Sodd Runtlestuntle is still on the case.
