EU welcomed an innovative, unique, and unpredictable musical artist, R&B, jazz, soul, a cappella, blues, rock, and sea shanty musician Todd Rundgren with the progressive Blues – rock band Utopia at our Europe Jazz Blues Festival 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.
Todd Rundgren toured the European Union as part of our festival, performing a variety of music from his extensive catalog, including several songs from his pioneering work with the progressive Blues – rock band Utopia.
It’s no secret that Rundgren is an innovative, unique, and unpredictable musical artist. Where else can you hear R&B, jazz, soul, a cappella, rap, rock, and sea shanty, all on the same night and from the same artist? That’s exactly what Rundgren did during his concert in Hungary.
Although he didn’t like to joke around (letting the music do the talking), he was quite cheerful, waving his arms, singing different lines of songs, and walking around the stage, sometimes with a guitar, sometimes just with a wireless microphone.
The atmosphere before the performance at Müpa Budapest was welcoming and friendly. The band entered with “How About a Little Fanfare?” playing over the sound system and flashing lights in the background, and after taking their seats, they played “I Think You Know,” with Rundgren playing a guitar solo at the edge of the stage, where he often appeared in subsequent solos.
Not only was there a dynamic, modern light show, but it was also unusual in terms of sound. It was obvious that the band had undergone a thorough sound check, as all the instruments were clearly audible throughout the evening, a big thank you to the long-time lighting crew.
It was a pleasure to listen to Rundgren’s stellar backing band, which included renowned musicians Gil Assayas (keyboards and vocals), Bruce McDaniel (guitar, vocals), Prairie Prince (drums), multi-instrumentalist Bobby Strickland (keyboards, saxophone, flute, clarinet, drums), and Kasim Salton (bass, vocals), all of whom displayed their exceptional talents with each number they played.
At one point, baton in hand, Rundgren led the band through “Kindness,” which they performed with skill and precision, even with its complex timing, pauses, and changes.
Rundgren was the consummate showman, convincing the audience to clap during “Sweet” and encouraging them to sing along during the other songs, including his medley of familiar songs in the first encore.
He sang loudly on rock songs like “Hit Me Like a Train,” “Woman’s World,” “Rock Love,” and “World Wide Epiphany,” and sang soulfully on songs like “Lost Horizon,” “Hawking,” and “Honest Work,” where he took to singing solo a cappella, joined by Salton for a verse, then McDaniel, the three of them harmonizing, and the two leaving, leaving Rundgren to finish the song alone.
For “Down with the Ship,” in which Rundgren blew a toy siren’s whistle, he wandered around the stage in a pirate caricature.
For the provocative “Fashist Christ,” he scratched guitar strings and tapped vocals, then moved on to “Give Me That Old Time Religion,” an old spiritual that has been covered by Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger, and Willie Nelson, among others.
After shouting into the microphone at the end of “World Wide Epiphany,” Rundgren and the band waved and left, returning to a standing ovation from the attentive audience, after which Rundgren exclaimed, “Well, that was some night. Who would have thought?” He then launched into a medley of his famous hits, “I Saw the Light,” “Can We Still Be Friends,” with everyone singing along to the “La la la la” part, and concluded with the much-anticipated “Think of Me” reprise of “Hello It’s Me.”
After two more tunes, Rundgren duly introduced the band members, each of whom received a standing ovation for their performances.
On the way out, some fans described the show as “magical,” “exceptional,” and “spectacular.” The 77-year-old Rundgren undoubtedly proved that he can still compose and perform at a professional level, showcasing his energetic vocal abilities and his skill at playing the guitar.
By Olivia Peevas
