Memorial Coliseum, Foster Auditorium

November 4, 1973, April 23, 1977

Todd Rundgren performed in Memorial Coliseum on November 4, 1973. It was not set up to utilize the entire hall, just one of the ends with a small section of floor seats and seats in the stands. Ever the iconoclast, fans in the audience shouted “Todd” to try and get his attention. Rundgren performed two sets: a solo series that featured the prolific Philadelphia rocker performing songs from his first few albums, including Runt, The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, and Something/Anything, followed by an energized set with his band Utopia. The first set of the show was pre-recorded with Rundgren accompanying himself on piano, something that few in the audience seemed to connect with that night. In the case of the 1977 show in Tuscaloosa on a Saturday night, Rundgren dropped the acoustic set in favor of an evening of glam rock with costumes, glittery make-up, and a silver ankh-shaped guitar which he wailed the night away on, performing songs from throughout his career, especially Ra, a new release filled with ambitious progressive rock songs. The band was made up of Kasim Sultan, Roger Powell, Willie Wilcox, and Rundgren on lead vocals and guitar, and played liberally from A Wizard-A True Star and 1975’s Another Live.