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Promotional poster for the concerts.

A combination of factors served to intensify my interest in Todd in 1978.

Following 1977's RA tour, I was inspired to quickly purchase and absorb every one of Todd's then commercially available elpees, including the two by an earlier incarnation of Utopia [TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA and ANOTHER LIVE]. I became a regular at a local used records store and have remained friends with the owner, even after obtaining my first copies of the three original Nazz releases, RUNT, and RUNT. THE BALLAD OF TODD RUNDGREN. Due to negative reviews of A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR, I waited until the end to buy it. Ironically, it remains one of my favorites and contains TR's version of "Never Never Land," from PETER PAN.

The three then new recordings that were almost constantly found on my turntable were Utopia's OOPS! WRONG PLANET, Todd's HERMIT OF MINK HOLLOW, and his then most recent, the two-disc live set BACK TO THE BARS. While reading the variety of articles and interviews that followed in the wake of those new releases, I enthusiastically delved into the musical, lyrical, and conceptual realms that comprise Todd's music. I began researching, listening to, and reading some of Todd's admitted influences, such as Alice A. Bailey's works and Thomas More's UTOPIA.

As soon as I learned that Todd and Utopia were coming back to play Austin again, in both an "early" and a "late" show each night on Friday August 11 and Saturday August 12, 1978, I quickly got the details and drove to Austin to buy tickets for all four performances. While there, I located the venue, Armadillo World Headquarters [a.k.a. "The 'Dillo"], and briefly stopped to make my room reservation at the nearby Sheraton Crest Hotel, now the Radisson Austin Hotel. I returned home and further inundated my senses with Todd's tunes.

For those interested in trivia, the Sheraton Crest Hotel was featured in The Clash's video for "Rock the Casbah."

I was so excited that I was barely able to sleep on Thursday night. Having arranged for an early hotel check-in, I arrived in Austin about 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning. Before going to the hotel, I drove past the 'Dillo. The parking lot had only one car and there was still no sign of Utopia or fellow fans. Since the shows were all listed as "General Admission," I knew I would have to get back to the 'Dillo relatively early, since I wanted to ensure that I would be close to the stage to get the best possible pictures with my new 35mm SLR camera.

Following check-in, I parked my car on the fourth floor of the parking garage adjacent to the hotel and used the cross-over bridge to directly enter the Sheraton Crest's fourth floor, where my room was located near the elevator bay. After unpacking, I went in search of some ice and sodas. The nearest working ice machine was located on the fifth floor.

On my return, as I was walking the short distance through the hallway from the elevator to my room, I looked towards the parking garage's door when it squeaked open. Still in conversation with a male companion behind him, Kasim Sulton entered the hall.

As much as I wanted to meet this man and his band mates, I was struck with a sudden case of shyness, so I nervously fumbled with the key and rushed into my room. Upon shutting the door, I immediately peered through the peephole and watched Kasim, Roger, "Willie," and Todd walk past. I cannot recall what they were discussing, but the four were in obvious good spirits as they continued down the corridor to their rooms. I cracked my door open just enough to peer out and watched as Todd unlocked the door to the room next to mine.

Utopia's merchandiser Danny O'Connor © Wendy L. Carson.

My friends arrived and were as elated as I was, when I shared my news with them. We stopped to have lunch and then drove to the 'Dillo. A recreational vehicle with a Bearsville logo sign in the front window was parked near the entrance and a dozen fans were already in line. Above is the pic I took of Utopia's merchandiser Danny O'Connor, as he left the RV to return to the 'Dillo.

The fans waiting in line quickly grew in numbers and enjoyed conversation and Todd's music, which blared from several portable stereos. We were eventually rewarded for our early arrival when the members of Utopia stepped out of the white stretch limousine that parked between the 'Dillo and the RV. We could hear bits of familiar songs from inside, as Utopia performed their sound check. About thirty minutes later, the music inside ended and Todd was soon spotted at the gated entrance to the beer garden, munching on some nachos while chatting with a couple of fans at the front of the line. Eventually, the band returned to the limo and left.

Todd and Kasim © Wendy L. Carson.

We didn't have to wait too much longer until the gate was opened and we were allowed inside. For three of the four shows, I was able to stand right against the chest-high stage, between Todd and Kasim, but chose to view most of Friday's "late" show from the rear of the building. Each of the four shows began later than scheduled, but seeing Todd again made it all worthwhile.

Todd © Wendy L. Carson.

Unlike the themed garb worn during the RA tour, Utopia's members appeared onstage, for Friday's "early" show, dressed in jeans. While the others wore short-sleeved teeshirts, Kasim wore a long-sleeved casual Oxford shirt. They soon realized their mistake.

Armadillo World Headquarters had large ventilation fans, but no central air conditioning to ease the evening's still-scorching south Texas 100°+ August heat. The body heat generated by sweating fans packed within the sold-out venue exacerbated the problem. By mid-show, Todd and Kasim had both removed their shirts. Jeans became cut-off shorts by the "late" show.

Kasim © Wendy L. Carson.

Despite this, they maintained a great sense of humor about the situation. During one of the performances, while joking with the audience about using the power of positive thinking, Todd launched into an a cappella version of the wintertime classic "Let It Snow." At another point, Todd flung chilled water from a filled glass, splashing refreshing droplets across grateful audience members.

Unless otherwise noted, ALL text, photographs, and images used on these pages are © Wendy L. Carson.

They may not be reproduced in any manner or used for any purpose without Wendy's written permission.

Promotional poster courtesy of Armadillo World Headquarters and © to owner.