Daryl Hall – Todd Rundgren review
I was pleasantly surprised last Thursday to find that my wife had just purchased tickets to Friday night’s Daryl Hall – Todd Rundgren concert at the Auditorium Theater in downtown Chicago. I really like both legendary musicians and the acoustically perfect Auditorium is the finest place to attend a concert anywhere.
I checked the Internet for information and found that the Chicago stop was the first on a very limited 14-date tour by Hall and Rundgren. The tour’s purpose was to promote Hall’s newly released album, “Before After,” which is a compilation of songs from his six solo records recorded between 1980 and 2011 and songs from his wildly successful “Live from Daryl’s House” television show. Uh oh! No music from the incredible Hall and Oates catalog? A feeling of trepidation came over me.
We settled into our seats and Todd Rundgren hit the stage with a very tight six-piece band that did a great job backing him. He played for 65-minutes and did every single hit from the deep Rundgren catalog including his work with Nazz and Utopia as well as his solo hits. I realized that as much as I like Todd, I do not own a single Rundgren recording. That will be remedied when the Amazon truck arrives at my home on Monday.
It should be illegal for a man who is 72 years old to be able to hit all the high notes and not miss a beat like Todd Rundgren did. His voice is as good as it ever was. He did a rendition of “Ooh, Baby Baby,” that would have made Smokey Robinson proud.
Although Rundgren is a very talented multi-instrument virtuoso, he only played the guitar and only for a couple of songs. His lead guitar work was phenomenal. He played a brand-new electric guitar for the first time that he had just purchased earlier that day. I closed my eyes and swore I was listening to Eddie Van Halen ... that’s how good Todd was.
Rundgren put on a great show, skipping and bopping across the stage like a man half his age. I’ll be in the crowd the next time Todd Rundgren comes to play in Chicago for sure.
After a short intermission, Daryl Hall hit the stage that was decorated with the neon sign that is normally displayed on his hit television show, “Live from Daryl’s House.” Hall was accompanied by a six-piece band that was supposedly the group who backs him on his television show. I can’t vouch for that because Hall, like Rundgren before him, never introduced the members of their bands, which I thought to be odd.
Daryl Hall is 75 but doesn’t look a day over 50. Hall began to play, and the first five songs were from his Oates-less solo albums. I had never heard any of them before. The couple sitting next to us actually got up and left, disappointed in the song selection. Someone down front was yelling “Maneater” over and over. Hall grinned and responded, “Sorry man! Maneater is a Jonathan song. Not gonna happen.” He then said, “Let’s mix it up a little.”
He then played the H & O hit, “Every Time You Go Away,” which was fervently received and calmed the demands of the crowd. Hall then went back to his solo material and also played the Eurythmics hit. “Here Comes the Rain Again,” which is on his new album and had been played on “Daryl’s House” with Dave Stewart. Damned good cover!
Hall made a great call and went back to the Hall and Oates songbook. He played “Sara Smile,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” and “You Make My Dreams Come True.”
Rundgren then came on stage to join Hall and they took turns playing each other’s songs, the same way Hall does it on his television show. They were a phenomenal duo. A highlight for me was their rendition of Todd’s “Can We Still Be Friends.” They finished the mini-set by paying tribute to their mutual home town of Philadelphia by covering the Soul Survivor’s hit “Expressway to Your Heart.” Fantastic!
Rundgren left the stage and Daryl Hall finished the ninety-minute concert with the amazingly provoking and sentimental “What’s Gonna Happen To Us?” It was the perfect song for the wacky and tragic world we are living in today.
I’ll give the Daryl Hall – Todd Rundgren show my highest recommendation. It was worth every penny and I am glad I was there. Thanks to my wife, Joyce, for surprising me with the tickets. Good call! (By the way, when the Amazon truck arrives on Monday with my new copy of Todd Rundgren’s “Anthology,” it will also be delivering a brand-new copy of Daryl Hall’s “Before After.”) I can’t wait!
Thank you
Steve Sarley
Great review, Steve, of what sounds like a great concert! (We had talked about going numerous times but never actually pulled the trigger when it came to getting tickets ... now we get to live vicariously through YOUR experience ... so thank you so much for sharing.) kk
