August 19, 2002

Saturday night at Wilmington's Kahunaville, two Philadelphia musical institutions did what they do best.

Pop enigma Todd Rundgren gave the crowd everything except what it wanted, which was to hear his hits as they remembered them. Daryl Hall and John Oates played blue-eyed soul jukebox, serving up a bounty of their '70s and '80s smashes.

Much like his prolific career, Rundgren's opening 45-minute set was both a satisfying and frustrating experience. For the Todd purists sprinkled throughout the riverfront venue, it was nothing short of heavenly to hear the Upper Darby-born singer trot out obscurities such as the proto-disco of Utopia's "Rock Love" and soulful, vulnerable-guy ballads such as "Parallel Lines."

To the Hawaiian-shirted weekend warriors aiming to hoist their Coors Light in the air during "Bang the Drum All Day," and slow dance with their ladies to "Hello It's Me," it must have been a major buzzkill to hear Rundgren lazily scrub out the former in mock-reggae fashion on acoustic guitar, and play the latter like a cheesy Broadway review of Philly soul.

Sharing the same backing band, the pop-soul link between Hall and Oates and Rundgren (who produced the duo in the mid-'70s) resonated through finely aged classics such as "One on One" and "Sara Smile." Both showcased Hall's still elastic vocal range and the ensemble's mellifluous street-corner harmonizing.

Like Rundgren, Hall and Oates made a few questionable decisions in the set list, most notably a song from Oates' new solo album, which is titled Phunk Shui. 'Nuff said.

All was forgiven during the encore, when both camps teamed for a handful of classics: "Can We Still Be Friends," "Rich Girl," "I Saw the Light," and "Kiss on My List." These sounds of Philadelphia remain sweet.