BabyBoomerBlog

Todd Rundgren At the Pantages 01-22-2008

On Tuesday night I had the pleasure of reconnecting with an old musical friend – Todd Rundgren.  As many of you know, I am a longtime fan of Todd's – going back to my Philly roots. 

This concert, described by bassist Kasim Sultan was a "plug in and play" show, was part of the short  "Freeze Your Ass Off" tour.  There was no warm up band, no sets or effects,  just four guys pumping out the rock to warm the gray haired crowd of faithful fans.

Todd, clad in sexy black leather pants and black t-shirt, was joined by his longtime bass-player, Kasim Sultan, guitarist Jesse Gress, and former Journey drummer, Prairie Prince to "shred" his rock anthem guitar solos.

This tight set did not indulge us with love ballads or metaphysical questions, instead the songs were collected from the rockers of  Todd's 30 plus year oeuvre.

Set List:  All songs from Todd Rundgren albums, unless noted

Buffalo Grass

    2000   One Long Year

I Hate My Frickin' ISP

   2000   One Long Year

Black Maria

   1972 Something/Anything?

Soul Brother

    Cover

Mammon

    2004  Liars

Fascist Christ

    1993  No World Order

I Saw The Light

    1972    Something/Anything?   a top 100 hit

Black and White

    1976   Faithful

Lunatic Fringe

    Cover

#1 Lowest Common Denominator

     1974   Todd

Drive

     1983  Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect

Tiny Demons

    1981 Healing

Mystified

    1985   Utopia, POV

Broke Down and Busted

     1970 Runt

Slut

     1972 Something /Anything?

The Walls Came Down

     Cover  original by The Call

One World

     1982  Utopia, Swing To The Right 

Encore:

Hawking

     1989  Nearly Human

Trapped

     1977  Oops Wrong Planet

World Wide Epiphany

     1993  No World Order

Todd entertained the crowd with short comments, but mostly with his great, tight songs, guitar solos, and a little fancy footwork, that looked pretty good for a guy turning sixty.

Shout outs to old friends Kate and Bill, and of course to Lani, who was selling merchandise.  She  helped me pick out my new sage green Foamy sweatshirt.  Foamy is Todd's guitar.

Links:

The Todd Rundgren Connection – Website with everything you always needed to know about Todd Rundgren.

Todd Rundgren Radio -  Web Radio at it's finest.  New weekly shows about all things Todd.

Michele Rundgren -  This link is to "iTune In, iTune Out," a hilarious one act play, written and directed by Michele Rundgren.

YouTube Metalunatic has posted individual videos of Todd performing most of the songs in the Set List above, at a concert from May 2007.  Other You-Tuber's have posted videos from the current tour, as well.

Todd Rundgren interview on Minnesota Public Radio.  Todd appeared on "Mid Morning" on the day of the concert.  The interview can be heard here.

Baby Boomer Blog: The Thesis

In February 2004 I wrote the first entry in “Baby Boomer Blog,” a blog I created as a vehicle for developing my personal capital in an age of innovation and change.  Baby Boomer Blog eventually became my final project for the MLS.  It is a creative project and this paper serves as the process paper.

The process paper is divided into six chapters.  In the introduction I explain my topic, blogs, and my project, Baby Boomer Blog.  I present my thesis statement and define blogs, virtual selves, personal capital, and alternative futures. In chapter two I present the  interdisciplinary framework for my project.  I explain how the Liberal Studies curriculum, the writings of Arthur Harkins, and the Generational Theory of authors William Strauss and Neil Howe affected my outlook. Some current research from the Pew research foundation's Internet in American Life Project provides context for my project. 

In chapter three I describe my personal experience with Baby Boomer Blog.   I review the topics of my blog, present my blog statistics and describe the blogging service I use, called Typepad.  Chapter four will define Blogging on the Internet Social Network,  MySpace.  Part of my research has been comparing and contrasting the results of blogging on this Internet Social Network.  I expanded my original blog into two blogs, a  technique  known as cross-posting.  Chapter five will explain what I learned from blogging.  I analyze the lessons learned from blogging, including the importance of design for a blogger.  I include an example of publicity I garnered for my blogging, and a cute web survey, “How Much Is My Blog Worth?”

In the  conclusion of my paper, and I share my insights on the future of blogging and Baby Boomer Blog.  I explain why I consider my blog a success, and highlight my most successful blog posting.  Then I step back and look at blogs from a larger viewpoint to explain where we are now with blogging in 2007.  I discuss why blogs have become     popular, and how blogs might look from 2008 to 2018.  The appendix features three screen print illustrations from my blog. A computer disc of the Baby Boomer Blog entries is included with this process paper.

The whole thesis is here.Download cohen_janet_dthesisdec2007.pdf

Thanks to my family and friends.  Mike, Shana, and Marc, and my sister Meira, who is a constant inspiration.  Special thanks to my friends Mary Alice, who first handed me a U. of Minnesota catalog, and Joe, a classmate who is now a blogger.  Also thanks to my friends Marisa and Heidi, and the members of Poor Posture, Fixed Gears, and the Zombie House. 

Thanks very much to my Advisors and Professors at the University of Minnesota:  Jack K. Johnson, Arthur Harkins, and two favorite professors, Jerry Alan and Jeremy Iggers, who first encouraged my research on blogging.  Also, thanks to the Master of Liberal Studies Department.

Next I'd like to thank the theorists and bloggers who most influenced my work.  Thanks to;  professor and co-advisor Arthur Harkins,  authors Brenda Fiala, William Strauss and Neil Howe, and  Generational Dynamics blogger John Xenakis.  Special thanks to the Pew Internet in American Life Project for their ongoing research in this subject.  Thanks to the bloggers and web creators I call my "Virtual Professors", whose words and thoughts have influenced me. Thanks to Andrew Sullivan, Meryl Yourish, Oliver Willis, Pamela Geller, Ray Kurzweil, Nova Spivak, dana boyd, Douglas Rushkoff,  and Jay Michaelson.  Also thanks to University of Minnesota blogger John Moravek.  Finally I would like to thank some special MySpace friends.  Thanks to Janet Waters Levite for being amazing, Manny Mann for being a blog-a-holic, Alvis Briggs, my futurist friend, and Diablo Cody, for being a fearless, female, blogger.