My seat was perfect! This venue allowed you to choose whereabouts you wanted to sit so I opted for the right side stalls (stage left) which is obviously Kasim's side. I also don't like the front row much so I sat in the second row seat right on the aisle. The seats sloped nicely, plus the woman in front of me was short, so I had a perfect view. However the woman (she was probably in her late 40s) had obviously had a few drinks and did a lot of chair-dancing during the set, including kicking her legs up in the air a few times which was amusing to watch!

The opening act (Larry Stevens) played for about half an hour and was decent enough. It was two guys on guitars and they didn't play for too long, plus their songs were just gently ones so they were perfect for an opening act.

Todd Rundgren played for just under 2 hours but had to cut his set short. There was an eleven o'clock curfew (which Todd mentioned a few times).

Security was red-hot about people not taking photos and stopped anyone who tried but during the encore people stood at the stage and it was a free-for-all. Kasim was badly lit at that point so I didn't bother taking any pictures.

Unfortunately overall I was really disappointed with the gig. I did know it was going to be Robert Johnson music and I knew that Todd was going to play some of his own songs that he hadn't played on stage before but there was a good reason why he hadn't played them before IMHO! The most popular songs were Open My Eyes and I Saw The Light and the reaction to those two songs was totally different to all the others. I do realise that he can't play Bang The Drum at every gig (and nor would I want him too) but I'd hoped for a more liberal sprinkling of his more popular songs in the set list (and Utopia songs).

I've been to over 70 Todd gigs and this is the one that impressed me the least, in fact I was getting bored by the end. I was planning on making a return trip to Japan when he plays there in October but if this is the set list, then I won't. Afterwards lots of people were saying that they enjoyed the gig (mainly the die-hard fans) but I did hear a few negative comments too so I wasn't alone in my opinion. For me it wasn't helped that the songs I've liked least on his other tours like Black Maria and Mystified / Busted are songs he played again tonight.

However it was good to see Kasim in stage for a couple of hours and he looked very energetic and seemed to be enjoying himself, although both he and Jesse hardly sang any vocals in the set which is another reason that I didn't particularly enjoy the set as much as others as I do enjoy good vocal arrangements. That said, Todd's voice was very strong all evening.

All the band wore all black and all wore glasses. Kasim played a different bass for all the set except the encore (when he swapped to his pearl coloured bass). The main bass he played was black and white.

Todd had a new guitar. It was a cream coloured one that he introduced to us as Butters. He alternated between that one and his green guitar (Foamy) but that tended to break the mood between songs as he seemed to keep swapping the guitars.

There was one song (Unloved Children) that they started but stopped after only one verse as Todd said that he couldn't remember the words and time was short (that curfew again!).

Roll on tomorrow evening...even if it is a lot of blues music!

Comments by fans posted to various messageboards and mailing lists include:
"So there are always plusses and minuses of going to a tour opener. (I don't think AWATS in Akron had any minuses). You get to be the first to see and hear the set, which is absolutely exciting. You get to be the first to see and hear the set list that wasn't overly rehearsed and it can be a little off. The crew hasn't quite got the sound right and last night was pretty distorted. As always, I loved the show, quirks and all. There was a curfew so he dropped 3 or 4 songs from what will be the standard set list."

"The audience enthusiastically greeted Todd and his crew who were all clad in dark colors. The stage layout was straightforward with equipment and lighting. The concert started with a double guitar assault with Todd and Jesse exchanging licks on "Dust My Broom" backed by the lively rhythm team of Prairie and Kasim. This set the timing and tone for the evening."

"It's really annoying to see the show was cut short, especially after paying good money and a 'convenience' charge for a conveniently curtailed show (through no fault of the band.) The show was barely 1:45, but with the full list above, would've been well past 2 hours."

"The music was great, somewhat loud."

"Nice tour bus this time, I doubt we will see back stage pass from Kasim showing the band driving in a corolla this time."

"While the setlist swelled with over two dozen songs the majority of the numbers were fast paced, short and succinct - showcasing galloping guitar leads backed by tight blues grooves powered by Todd's royal rhythm section featuring Sulton and Prince. However, the guys did stretch it out for a longer take on "Mystified/Broke Down and Busted" which was the mesmerizing musical climax of the evening."

"The band was tight and played well. There were a few sloppy moments but nothing inexcusable. I was in the rear orchestra and saw so many people leaving about mid show, they just were not into it. There were a lot of "Hello It's Me" wishers that left disappointed. I was surprised at such a low key audience. I saw very little reaction to the amazing songs he pulled out. I learned long ago not to let that bother me. I enjoyed it tremendously! "

Other websites:
TRConnection has reviews and photos of this gig here.

Kweevak.com has a review and photos of this gig here.

John Harris has posted a photo of Kasim at this gig here.

The venue (taken from the KasimInfo.com Blog that day):
Tonight Kasim Sulton plays the first gig of the Todd Rundgren Johnson's Music Tour. The gig is at the Bergen County Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ.

The address of the the Bergen County Performing Arts Center is 30 North Van Brunt St, Englewood, New Jersey, 07631 and the gig tonight starts at 8pm. Click here to view the venue website.

The Bergen Performing Arts Center is described as "a theater of and for the community that it serves throughout northern New Jersey, by being a creative focus, educational resource, and engine of economic vitality. A not-for-profit organization, BergenPAC’s mission is to make the live performing arts accessible to the entire population – building a creative home that guides and liberates the imagination of our young, inspires and expands the lives of our adults, and attracts established and emerging artists of excellence and relevance."

This theater opened during 2004 in the former John Harms Center. This was one of the largest performing arts centers in New Jersey which closed on 14th April 2003. The John Harms Center originally opened as the Englewood Plaza on 22nd November 1926 so is full of history but tonight it marks another moment in its history as it will be Kasim Sulton's first appearance here!

Click here to purchase tickets for the venue which vary in price from $69 to $29 (plus charges). A few days ago the best seats available were in the 23rd row of the orchestra section. The concert starts at 8pm.

Todd Rundgren 2010 Gigs