I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen Todd Rundgren in concert since my first show at the Beacon Theater in NYC back in the 1980s, but the number is somewhere in the mid-40s by now.
That’s a lotta Todd.
Every one of these shows has been magical and memorable. However, Monday’s stop at the West Herr Riviera Theater in North Tonawanda just might’ve trumped them all. Er, so to speak.
What made this particular gig stand above the many others?
Primarily, it was the fire.
Rundgren is a richly layered artist who has operated across conventional genre lines throughout his 60 (gulp) year career, but a through-line has been his patented blend of the sardonic and the openly, plainly passionate. This show leaned decidedly toward the latter. Rundgren was committed to his vocal performances, clearly feeling the marriage of lyric and melody deeply, and making it easy for us to do the same.
Then there was the guitar playing. A fair criticism of Todd shows over the past decade or so might be to suggest that his brilliantly idiosyncratic skills as a soloist were treated in an increasingly off-handed manner. This was not the case at The Riv. Todd leaned into every solo, his tone was superb, his emotional commitment abundant. This stuff matters.
We certainly can’t leave out the musicians gathered to play this intricate music, which can run the gamut from the silly to the sublime. Rundgren has assembled a band that is beyond virtuosic, though so tight and seamless was their performance at The Riv that one might’ve taken that virtuosity for granted – these guys sound like they’re laying down a master studio take every damn time they play. Bassist/vocalist Kasim Sulton, drummer Prairie Prince, keyboardist/vocalist Gil Assayas, guitarist/vocalist Bruce McDaniel, and longtime musical compatriot Bobby Strickland on horns, woodwinds, auxiliary keys and harmony vocals, comprise a stunning ensemble able to add muscle when needed, subtlety when demanded, and levity when called for.
The construction of the evening’s program also added to the indelible nature of the show. Rundgren has a vast songbook, one of the most diverse and impressive in American music (or any other), and whittling that canon down into an incisive setlist can’t be an easy task. Breaking the evening into 2 electric sets, with an acoustic set sandwiched between them, proved to be a masterstroke.
Todd and band touched upon a little of everything Rundgren does so well – lush alternative pop (“Secret Society,” “Lost Horizon”), psychedelic power-pop (“I Saw the Light,” “Open My Eyes”), classic Philly soul (“I’m So Proud / Ooh Baby Baby / I Want You” in medley form), gorgeously orchestrated theater music (“Kindness,” a transcendent stand-out), prog-ish hard rock (“Black Mariah,” “Black & White”), progressive folk music (“Cliche,” a stunner, “Love of the Common Man”), heart-rending ballads (“I Don’t Want To Tie You Down,” “Can We Still Be Friends”), an a cappella treat (“Honest Work”), and a handful of gloriously goofy anthems (“EvryBody”, “Bang the Drum All Day,” “One World.”)
Throughout, Todd was in fine voice, despite appearing to be suffering from a cold, and in defiance of his 78 years and still-heavy touring schedule.
A text from a dear friend early the morning after summed up the show perfectly.
“That was a religious experience last night,” he wrote.
I couldn’t agree more, brother.
Todd Rundgren
Damned If I Do Tour
West Herr Riviera Theater, North Tonawanda, NY, 7/6/2026
Set 1 (Electric)
Evrybody
Secret Society
I Saw the Light
Stood Up
Lost Horizon
Open My Eyes
Buffalo Grass
Sweet
Down With the Ship
Black and White
Black Maria
Woman’s World
Set 2 (Acoustic)
Love of the Common Man
Cliché
Tiny Demons
I Don’t Want to Tie You Down
Born to Synthesize
Honest Work (a cappella)
Set 3 (Electric)
Bang the Drum All Day (with a guest audience member drumming along with the band)
Number 1 Lowest Common Denominator
Kindness (with Todd conducting)
I’m So Proud / Ooh Baby Baby / I Want You
The Walls Came Down (cover of The Call song)
One World
Can We Still Be Friends
Hello It’s Me
Sweeter Memories
