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.

William Strauss 1947-2007 founded Generational Theory

Generational Theory was a major influence on my Master's Project, and it is very
sad to read of the passing of one of it's founding fathers.

 

This Obituary is from John Xenakis on his forecasting blog Generational Dynamics.

 

 

Xenakis is wholly devoted to his blog, I predict that in 2008, he will start to receive national recognition.  You will be hearing more about Generational Dynamics

"William A. Strauss, February 5, 1947 - December 18, 2007

The co-author, with Neil Howe, of foundational books on generational theory, passed away on Tuesday of cancer at age 60.  

Strauss and Howe coauthored several best-selling books on generations, starting with Generations (1991), a history of America told as a sequence of generational biographies. Vice President Al Gore called it "the most simulating book on American history that I have ever read" and sent a copy to every member of Congress. Newt Gingrich called it "an intellectual tour de force."

Their most important work, in my opinion, is The Fourth Turning (1997), which establishes Strauss and Howe as the founding fathers of generational theory.  This book presented a new theory of Anglo-American history, from the 1400s through the present, showing that major historical events are driven by generational changes, not by politicians.

For example, we know that today's Boomers, the generation born after WW II, are arrogant and narcissistic, and that those in next generation, Generation-X, are angry and disaffected.  What Strauss and Howe discovered, by reading thousands of histories and diaries, is that generations that follow major wars (crisis wars, or "fourth turning" wars) are similar.  For example, those in the Reformation Generation that was born after the War of the Roses (1459-87) were also arrogant and narcisstic, and the next generation, the Reprisal Generation, was also angry and disaffected.

By piecing together these bits of evidence, they put together the monumental book Generations.  Many readers of this book, especially people who don't understand what's going on in the world, have found this book to be comforting, by each person where he fits in the generational flow.

Going further, The Fourth Turning presents what amounts to a highly readable but rigorous presentation of generational flow for the entire Anglo-American historical timeline.

Previously, Strauss coauthored two books with Lawrence Baskir about the Vietnam War: Chance and Circumstance: The Draft, The War, and the Vietnam Generation (1978), and Reconciliation After Vietnam (1978). Around that time, he served on the staff of the U.S. Senate and President Ford’s White House.  It was during this time that Strauss first began to notice that people of different social classes in the same generation are much more similar to one another than people from the same social class in different generations.  That led to his partnership with Howe, and authorship of Generations.

In addition to his career as a writer and historian, Strauss is a noted playwright, theater director, and performer. He was co-founder and director of the Capitol Steps, a professional satirical troupe that has performed over 7,000 shows, three PBS specials, and fifty radio shows for NPR stations. The Steps have released 26 albums (most recently, I’m So Indicted) and two books (most recently, Sixteen Scandals), and have performed numerous times off-Broadway, often with Strauss in the cast. Strauss has written three musicals (MaKiddo, Free-the-Music.com, and Anasazi) and two plays (Gray Champions and The Big Bump) about various themes in the books he has co-authored with Howe.  And in the summer of 1999, Strauss co-founded the Cappies, a high school “Critics and Awards” program.

A native of San Francisco, William A. Strauss was a graduate of Harvard College (1969), Harvard Law School (1973), and the Kennedy School of Government (1973). He's survived by a wife and four grown children.

William A. Strauss had many dear friends and followers.  Those wishing to express condolences may do so in the Bill Strauss, 1947-2007: With Great Sadness thread of the The Fourth Turning Forum ."

Losing Friends