Todd Rundgren, famous for technological innovations, combining music, video and the Internet, showed up Friday on the Miller Oasis stage at Summerfest with a three-piece band heavy on the bass and long on guitar solos.
A long way from his '70s heyday, Rundgren didn't disappoint fans, who remained on their feet throughout the show, arthritic hips and all. Rundgren may be best known for producing other bands' records (he made Grand Funk Railroad an "American Band," after all) and for his "Bang the Drum," which sets Packers fans' and afternoon commuters' pulses racing.
This being Wisconsin, of course, calls for "Bang the Drum" began almost as soon as he walked out on stage. But he's also notorious for a biting sense of humor, and Rundgren, who lives in Hawaii, played a joke of sorts on the crowd by playing "Bang the Drum" on a ukulele as a Hawaiian war chant.
He took time out between songs to blast pop icons Christine Aguilera and Michael Jackson and to pay homage to his "good friend" Ringo Starr. (Aguilera and Starr were to perform at the festival Saturday.) But the emphasis was on his collection of work, including one tune currently available on the Internet, providing a good time for those in attendance.
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