Cheap Todd Rundgren - Utopia Live in Columbus Ohio 1980 (DVD) Price

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Customer Reviews of Todd Rundgren - Utopia Live in Columbus Ohio 1980

Very close to being there
June 5, 1980 was indeed a magical night at Vet's Memorial Auditorium in Columbus. I too was one of the lucky ones to be in attendance. It was my first Todd Rundgren concert. I had heard the songs like Hello It's Me and Can We Still Be Friends, but it was Q-FM-96's playing of the Last of the New Wave Riders that got my attention. We had front row balcony seats, stage right. All I can say is wow, and then after all these years, I get to relive it again. <
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>Yes, there were some equipment problems during the show, but Todd and Utopia were always leading the way with new high-tech equipment, and being a pioneer means you have bugs. In addition, anyone that's a fellow live luthier knows how easy it is for equipment that normally works flawlessly to obtain gremlins and guitars to go out of tune. It was clear that Todd and the guitar tech's struggled for the first few songs. And while Todd's wireless mic failed at a real bad time, they recover, and go on to rock for three strong sets. <
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>Needless to say, this concert had a huge impact on me, I own all their albums and even had my own band for 6 ½ years. In addition, I've seen them many, many times since, both as Utopia, Todd solo, another foursome here and there, and... well you get the picture. <
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>If you're a Todd fan at all, the greatest part of watching this video for me was how happy they were, they didn't look road weary at all, and all the songs were played with great feeling and a super beat or tempo. Not all concerts I attended in later years looked or sounded anywhere close. And while the audio is not digitally perfect, a good surround sound set up made it rock for me. They were on their game that night and it showed. <
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>The only thing I am curious about, and it's only been twenty-five years (almost twenty-six), but I thought I recalled an awesome drum solo by Willie, and the drum kit spun around and the lights lit up... Also, the video for You Make Me Crazy didn't seemed a little edited or different, as I seem to recall when he sings about 100 cigarettes, you see a quick-time pile of what looks like hundreds appear on the table or in the ash tray. Same with some of the lighting for Todd and the boys as they sang back up on Love Alone (I recall them having a blast when the back up harmonies came in and out on this one). If you were there, maybe you can clear these up for me. <
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>The smile on the very horse Todd at end says it all, as they really gave it their all that night, and this DVD is worth the money. We waited out back after the concert for them to come out and the few of us that were there were able to applaud, get grateful waves of appreciation, and even shake a hand or two. I still have the bumper sticker and the Q-FM-96 patch from that night stuck to my vinyl LP. This DVD brings back the magic very well, but it will never copy the electricity that was in the air that night along the banks of the Olentangy. <
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Pass over this one.
I have seen Todd solo and with Utopia so many times, I cannot count it. Enjoyed each show, thought this would be a nice addition to the collection. I was wrong. It is the worst release of any artist I have ever seen. An actual piece of crap. Todd's pseudo-intellectual attitude seems to have gotten the best of him, thinking his fans would buy anything he puts out. He was right. I bought it, watched it, took it back and demanded my money. He should be embarrassed by this one. A real stinker.

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Flashes of the old Todd
I think if you watch "The Last Ride", it about sums the whole DVD up. There's Todd, up front, singing the first 2 note/syllable, and a roar goes up from the audience as they recognise it. And then its the Todd Show from then almost to the end of the song.

It's Todd's dilemma, you see. He's torn between his innate desire to please his fans (you know who you are!), to give them what they want - ie him - and his genuine hope for the success of the band Utopia. So even his career at that time is also encapsulated in this song. It starts explosively, a well-known classic that we all know by heart, even down to the qiver in Todd's voice. But then the rest of Utopia join in and screw up the song, and Todd (almost shamefully) picks up his guitar and slides back into the band for the big guitar solo at the end (we get to keep at least this much).

On the other hand, if you actually like Utopia, then like the Curate's Egg, it's good in parts. Luckily very large parts - of very Utopian keyboard solos, skreechy Todd guitar riding over the top - but the soundtrack is slightly muddy, and the band (distinctly, IMHO) go out of tune through some of the songs...and don't seem to notice! Also Roger Powell sings like the only song videos he's ever watched are AOR Power-ballads, C&W...and Bee Gees. Kasim's much better behaved, quite fetching (I've been told by a female acquaintance) in those white pants. But for me the crowning disappointment is the way Todd's hand-held mike cuts out just into "Love Is The Answer", missing out the first lines of the song. My favourite Todd song.

But it's a good video none the less. A great chance to see a live performance by an artist/artists that you may only have heard before.