Photo of Todd Rundgren by Mindy Hertzon.
Today was a strange day for me and although my intentions were there I never got to accomplish what my goals for the day were. Between having my monthly menace and small but thought inducing issues that came up I was distracted to the point that here it is 5:53 and the best I can claim to have done today was go grocery shopping and feed my daughter and animals. Oh well. One thought I had (and I will relate it to art I promise) was a idea presented to me by someone near and dear to me to travel to Hawaii to celebrate Todd Rundgren's 60th birthday with him at his house. I have been listening to Todd since 1977 so this is basically a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to have Todd and family open their house to their fans to host a week long party. They live on the beautiful island of Kauai on 5 acres and approximately 100 other Todd fans will be camping along side of each other, eating, drinking and making merriment at one of the most beautiful sites on the world. So where's the hesitation come from? Having been a Todd fan for so long the most contact I have had is him on stage, me in the audience and a few times that I got to go backstage and say "Hi". How will it feel to see him day and night, see him as a real person with his flaws and imperfections after so many years of idolization? Because of the isolation artist need to create (and most desire) we never really get to see them with their hands down after all what would Jackson Pollack smell like after a week-long bender or would it be so romantic to see Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in one of their throw things at each other fight? Whatever I decide I will always hold a special place in my heart for Todd Rundgren as his words and music have guided me through times both troubled and good. As all good artists do he crafted his words and music to reflect a universal truth that I could relate to even though we have never met and live worlds away. To quote one of his songs from "Initiation"
"You can say what you will about me
Talk is cheap and I don't mind
When you lay your life down in those grooves
You know you're bound to get scratched up sometime
It's only just a song pay me no mind"
Todd Rundgren
