OK,

For any Todd Rundgren fans who haven't gotten their tickets to the special performance of A Wizard, A True Star in it entirety will have another chance as a second show has been added for Monday night.

Apparently, there are fewer than 200 tickets left for the Sunday night, Sept. 6 and a whole bunch more for Monday.

Also, the All-Star band that will help Todd recreate one of his best records has been announced.

The Band will consist of: Todd Rundgren, Jesse Gress, Kasim Sulton, Prairie Prince, Greg Hawkes, and Roger Powell!!!!

That's right half of Utopia (Sulton, Powell), a member of the The Cars (Hawkes) and of course Mr. Prince.

Tickets for the second show go on sale Monday, June 29 presumably at the same price range ($50-$200) as Sunday night.

Here is some discussion with Todd about the album and the show from Rundgren Radio

Going to a Toby Keith concert is like having a few beers (and shots of tequila, and maybe a little bit of Willie Nelson's weed) with an old buddy you only see a year.

Yeah, they'll be some new topics to discuss as you catch up with the latest happenings in each others lives, but mostly you'll talk about the same old stuff, and when its over you'll have had a fun and familiar time.

Friday night Keith and fellow big, burly, ex-oil-rigging, ex-football playing, baritone Trace Adkins opened up the Blossom pop concert season with a near sell-out crowd that was quite happy to party with their old buddy, the Big Dog Daddy, and his Toughest Tour.

Despite the local weather folks gleeful weeklong predictions of torrential downpours, most fans didn't seem to concerned with the threat as short skirts, short shorts sandals and flip-flops were everywhere, with fans seemingly having faith that Mother Nature is a country music fan.

Their faith was well placed as the forecasted rain never came, though there was plenty of muddy ground through which to trudge.

Keith kept up his end of the bargain with a show that followed the basic blueprint he has been using for the past several years, opening the show humorous short film starring Keith, a talking bulldog and a Ford F-150. This year's lengthy edition featured a "contest" between Keith and fictional bands–with names such as Fistful of Guts and the Jehova Brothers–for the title of "America's Toughest Tour" sponsored by Ford, of course.

Also, per usual, a part of Ford truck was embedded in in the middle of the stage, this years edition featuring the bed of a F-150 with working taillights . There was pryo, there was confetti, there was group toast to the men and women of the armed forces, firefighters and law enforcement and a set list designed to get people partying which they were more than ready to do.

The Blossom show was only the second on the tour and Keith wearing jeans, a black button down shirt and requisite cowboy hat was in high spirits as he and his 10 piece band (including bass playing Massillon native Chuck Goff) ran through many of his hits including a dust-kicking set opening Big Dog Daddy, Hottie, and a rollicking Let's Get Drunk and Be Somebody that had folks line-dancing in the aisles.

Though he is several years removed from the controversy of Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, Keith is bit of a maverick in the country genre, flouting the general rule of thumb to keep your banter family friendly when outside of a bar. Keith dropped a several "S´´ and a few "F´ Bombs throughout the show and extolled his desire for a sisterly menage-trois at the end of I'm Just Talkin' Bout Tonight, none of which seemed to bother the crowd much. He played a few recent singles including the title track from his latest album That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy, and God Love Her and old concert favorites including the sing-a-longs Weed With Willie and Should Have Been A Cowboy.

Keith ended the show with a few of his patriotic tunes including American Soldier sending fans home satiated for another year.

Opener Trace Adkins, stated early in his set that "we ain't gonna mess around´´ and he did not, keeping fans on their feet for much of his 50 minutes onstage.

The setlist fed the party-hearty vibe Keith favors, highlighting Adkins popular uptempo and novelty tunes such as Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, I Got My Game On and the funny honky-tonkin' "ecomonic stimulus plan " Marry For Money. As promised, Adkins only performed two ballads the recent single Your Gonna Miss This and the gospel fueled Muddy Water featuring a small gospel vocal group and an impassioned and animated vocal from Adkins that surpassed the recorded version. Adkins ended his set with a surprisingly rocking arrangement of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground that saw Adkins reaching into both the upper and lower registers of his range and gave his his septet some room to to jam.

Fans may not get to many surprises at a Toby Keith concert and after you've seen him a few times it becomes fairly easy to predict the flow of songs and moods., But just as with that old drinkin' buddy, just because you've seen and heard it all before don't mean it ain't fun.

OK, Springsteen fans, here is a chance for you and your brethren to gather and rumple and fetish an array of artifacts related to BROOOSE!!
All you grown-ass men I've seen standing around after a Springsteen show like school girls waiting for one of the Jonas Brothers

As the hall is fond of reminding folks From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen is the first big Boss sanctioned exhibit of his stuff "in the world " and the rock hall will surely make use of their opportunity.

As should you, Big Boss Fan.

In case you haven't heard:

From Asbury Park to the Promised Land is a comprehensive look at Springsteen’s music, from such early bands as Child, the Castiles and Steel Mill through his work with the E Street Band and as a solo artist. The exhibit includes several of Springsteen’s guitars, including the Fender Esquire that is on the cover of Born to Run. It also includes the outfit he wore on the cover of Born in the U.S.A., as well as numerous handwritten lyric manuscripts, posters and handbills from all phases of his career, and various awards and honors. In addition, the exhibit includes Springsteen’s 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, which he purchased after the success of Born to Run. The exhibit will run until Spring 2010.

The events begin Friday afternoon, here's the schedule:

Friday, June 12th
4th Floor Theater
* 12:48-2:27 p.m. - Bruce Springsteen’s Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Highlight Footage. Springsteen inducted Bob Dylan, U2 and Creedence Clearwater Revival and following his own induction, performed with the E Street Band and Wilson Pickett.
* 2:28-3:46 p.m. - Blood Brothers- A documentary following the reunion of Springsteen with the E Street Band to release the Greatest Hits album. The film captures them behind the scenes and performing live.
* 3:47-5:25 p.m. - VH1 Storytellers featuring Bruce Springsteen

Saturday, June 13th
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Plaza

* 10 a.m.-1 p.m. - Food collection with the Cleveland Foodbank
As you dedicated fans know Springsteen and the Cleveland Foodbank have a standing relationship so if you wanna impress him you should bring a buttload of food….and none of that canned fava beans from 1973 refuse type stuff, either

4th Floor Theater
* 10:10-11:30 a.m. - Bruce Springsteen’s Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Highlight Footage. Springsteen inducted Bob Dylan, U2 and Creedence Clearwater Revival and following his own induction, performed with the E Street Band and Wilson Pickett.

* Noon – 1 p.m. - Jim Henke, curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s exhibit From Asbury Park to the Promised Land will talk about the curation of the world’s first exhibit devoted to Springsteen.

In case you didn't know

Rock Hall Main Stage

* 2 -3:30 p.m. - Special performance by Colin Gawel of Watershed
Gawel is the guitarist/leader of longtime Columbus well-traveled power pop/rock band Watershed

4th Floor Theater

* 1:15-2:15 p.m. - Chris Phillips, editor of Backstreets, interviewed by Lauren Onkey, Vice President of Education.

* 2:30-3:30 p.m. - Jim Henke, curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s exhibit From Asbury Park to the Promised Land will talk about the curation of the world’s first exhibit devoted to Springsteen.

I told you they'd toot their own horn, didn't I?

* 3:45-4:45 p.m.: Rock and Roll Summer School Album Spotlight -Born in the USA -Lauren Onkey will teach a multimedia class on the making of Springsteen’s most popular album, released 25 years ago this month.

This is the kind of cool geeky stuff that interests me. If I wasn't STILL burned out on that album I might go.

* 7 -8:20 p.m. - Bruce Springsteen’s Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Highlight Footage. Springsteen inducted Bob Dylan, U2 and Creedence Clearwater Revival and following his own induction, performed with the E Street Band and Wilson Pickett.

They really, really want you to see these clips.

Sunday, June 14th

4th Floor Theater

* 10-11:45 a.m. - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Live in New York City (2001) film.

* 12:30-1:30 p.m.- Thom Zimny will discuss Springsteen on film and present rare film footage. Zimny is the Grammy-award winning filmmaker of Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run, and Bruce Springsteen’s personal archivist. He has collaborated with Springsteen on Live in New York City, Live in Barcelona, VH-1 Storytellers, and several videos.

How many of you hardcore devotees wish you had that guys job?

* 2-3 p.m. - Thom Zimny will discuss Springsteen on film and present rare film footage (repeat presentation).

Perhaps he needs an intern…

* 3:15-5:15 p.m. - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Hammersmith Odeon, London ’75 film.

Arguably, the Peace Day Resistawnce (sorry, I took Spanish in school) of the whole shebang, This film is probably already in the collections of most of the folks who'll come to see it. But hey, it'll be on the big screen and what could be better than watching Bruce in his young, scruffy-faced prime??
Giant Scruffy-Faced Bruce.

Rootsy country-fried Akron band Blonde Boy Grunt & The Groans, featuring Akron Beacon Journal employee Mike Good will celebrate the release of their latest CD Never Buy A Skinned Rabbit at The Barking Spider Tavern Friday night (May 22) at 11310 Juniper Rd. in Cleveland.
The music starts around 10 p.m.

The quintet of good ol' poop kickers has been playing in the area for several years and aptly describe their music as "Freight Train Folkabily Bad Luck Blues," will have copies of the CD as well as new t-shirts available at the show. Also fans can purchase the songs online.
To try before you buy point your browser (in another window, please, cuz we need the page counts) to their myspace page where you can get a taste of their easy-going backporch-in-the-city musical ramblings.

Ok David Cook fans.

You offically sold out his Friday night show at Musica in 14 minutes.

Now, those of you who called at minute 14:01 have a presumably brief window to get a ticket and redeem yourselves.

As of right now, shortly after 3 p.m. there are a few David Cook tickets available at http://www.ticketweb.com.

I just attempted to buy two (although I don't know anyone who wants to go with me) and it appeared to go through so…

Have at it, D.C. fans.

OK, Runt fans, save your pennies and break out your old vinyl.

Todd Rundgren who just recently performed with his rock band in Cleveland will be returning to N.E. Ohio in September to perform, right here in Akron at The Civic Theatre.
What will he do?

For the first time ever (apparently) the singer will perform his dense 1973 breakthrough album A Wizard, A True Star in its entirety as part of Rundgren Radio's Birthday Bash II.

According to one of the guys promoting the show (Doug), not to long ago while Runt was on tour in Europe, a British promoter suggested the idea to Todd on two separate occasions, but never followed up.

But Rundgren–who has a soft spot in his heart for the album because it was a sharp stylistic left turn after Something/Anything which contained hits such as I Saw The Light and Hello, It's Me — liked the concept so much that VOILA!

Akron gets a musical gift.

Tickets for the special (possibly one-night-only) show go onsale, Monday, May 4, prices are $50 - $200.

I told you to save your pennies.

If your a local Rundgren fan, I suggest getting tickets the day they go on sale because the dedicated Rundgren community will travel for this show.

Singer Randy Crawford scheduled to appear with pianist Joe Sample on Saturday May 2 at The Allen Theatre will not appear due to an unspecified illness.
Sample and the evening's headliner Saxophonist Dave Kos will still appear at the scheduled date.

Wednesday night, The University of Akron's E.J. Thomas Hall will play host to a couple of up and coming bands for whom the adjective "emo" is probably not an insult.
Singer/songwriter Secondhand Serenade aka John Vesely will perform along with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Vesely is touring behind his sophomore album A Twist In My Story, a collection of umm..emotional songs featuring the kind of high keening vocals, emotional, vulnerable lyrics and big, hooky choruses that made Dashboard Confessional so darn popular a few years ago.

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus's latest album is quite a bit more electric and eclectic with the band who had a hit with Face Down from their double platinum selling debut Don't You Fake It. The band still holds down some basic tenets of the commercialized emo sound, namely singer Ronnie Winter melodramatic (and yes) keening vocals and arena-rafter reaching hooks. But they also add a bit of classic rock to them mix which almost makes them interesting.

What: Secondhand Serenade & The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
When: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 22
Where: E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill Street
Tickets: $15 students, $25 everyone else.

And, no, there is no senior discount.

Hello, Spuds. Give the new Devo single "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)," from the band's upcoming and unnamed album, a listen:

"DON'T SHOOT" - DEVO from DEVO Channel on Vimeo.

"Don't, tase me Bro!"

Apparently, indie rock bands don't die, they just break up/shed members and do their own thing until the inevitable reunion show/tour where they can make more money in a few months of nostalgia fueled touring than in their initial incarnation (see, Pixies).
The original Dinosaur Jr. lineup didn't break up, they just shed original bassist Lou Barlow who did alright for himself in Sebadoh and wrote one of the one of the best kiss-off songs ever in The Freed Pig .

Wednesday night at Musica, the reconstituted trio of indie rock graybeards took a pleasant and highly amplified trip through their back catalog and songs from their 2007 reunion album Beyond.

Since this is a blog that only about seven people actually read (thanks, folks) I'll be honest and admit I'm pretty bad with song titles, particularly the titles of songs I haven't listened to in 15 years. Consequently, I can't offer a full set list (unless you want "titles" such as "the slow song that goes arpeggioX5-doon-doon-doon from Without A Sound.)

Nevertheless, the trio played several recognizable "hits" including Freak Scene and Out There and a few new tunes from the much-better-than-most-folks expected Beyond, such as Lou Barlow's Back To Your Heart and the catchy start-stop rocker Been There All The Time.

The band also dropped in a few post Barlow tracks such as Feel The Pain (the song referred to in the above ersatz title, btw). Besides seeing about 2/3 of the people I know in this town (good to see ya, Juice!), the sold out crowd was a mix of youngsters and thirty and forty-somethings.
Mascis one of indie rock's few acknowledged guitar gods didn't say much to the audeince, instead he stood in front of his Marshall stack and did the bulk of his talking through his guitar and stompboxes, making his guitar wail, cry and moan.

One thing is for sure, the band are better musicians than they were "back in the day" and the set was played for the most part with workman-like precision though slick-headed drummer Murph screwed up Been There All The Time, drawing a joke from Barlow and a quick, humorless look of disapproval from Mascis.

The guitarist's signature disaffected, bored-sounding vocal drawl once considered the vocal encapsulation of Gen-X apathy (at least before Kurt Cobain moaned "oh well, whatever, nevermind" to the masses), actually sounds better these days as Mascis cares enough and is able to stay in key.

Unfortunately, I missed most of the opening act Awesome Color due to dog vomit and hunger.
Wait, that sounds gross.
Let me be specific.
First, the dog vomited (apparently Slim Jim wrappers aren't as digestible as Slim Jims) and then I went somewhere else to eat dinner.

But, I digress.

Since Musica is quite serious about starting on time, I only caught the Michigan band's last few songs which were marred by muddy a subpar mix. The songs I heard seemed indebted to the band's Michigan roots playing a mix of Stooges and MC5 influenced riff rock, minus the former's psychosis and the latter's righteous radicalism.