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Yellow Cab Sometimes Love Is A Dangerous Thing This Must Be Love There Goes My Inspiration Libertine Cliché I Don’t Mind At All Before She Was Gone Back On The Street Drive The Up Sacrifice Watching The World Go By The One Sure Thing One World Somebody Loves You 
Review by RMAC:
By chance, my table was situated up front slightly left of the stage with a perfect view of the stage. This gave one an opportunity for good picture taking. My camcorder that night was red hot. Johnny D's is a laid back, intimate atmosphere with a bar in the back and a sunken dining area and stage which made for a cool venue for tonight's show.
 After the opening act (Electric Farm) performed for 30 minutes, Grady went on stage and introduced The Kasim Sulton Band. Before the show began, Grady mentioned that the membership card everyone received tonight entitled one the privilege of telling anybody who was annoying during the show to shut up! This turned out to be unnecessary since pretty much everyone in the room came to see Kasim. No doubt Kasim had everyone's full attention. Kasim began with "Are You Happy Now?", "Cliche", "Sometimes Love Is a Dangerous Thing", "Up on the Up", "Before She Was Gone" for starters. Kasim spoke of his Utopia days and paid the usual homage to Todd Rundgren. Then Kasim spoke about a few celebrities he met in passing for example Joan Rivers - Can we talk? - Not! Little did anyone realize, Kasim threw in a surprise. In speaking about his prior association with The New Cars, Kasim had Greg Hawkes (member of The New Cars) come on stage to join the band as he sang "Drive". This particularly was a special thrill because the last time I saw Kasim and Greg perform together was with The New Cars at The Borgata a few years back. For those fortunate few who were able to catch the show, it was amazing. After "Drive", Kasim sang "Sacrifice". Midway through the song, Kasim stopped and expressed his appreciation to everyone for their support. Kasim said that his Mother would be so proud of him by the display of love in the room. Then Kasim continued on with "Sacrifice" followed by "Watching The World Go By" plus a few more songs. Finally Kasim wrapped up with "One World" in which Kasim broke another guitar string. At the end, Grady appeared again on stage and said that Kasim forgot to bring the CD's but for those wanting a CD, they would be taken care of. Then Kasim performed an encore (Somebody Loves You). Overall, tonight's meeting for the Secret Society was a full quorum. All were saddened that the meeting was adjourned so soon, but Kasim did mention that he would try and do more shows again especially in the Boston area. To me, this was a reunion of familiar faces from prior shows. May these reunions continue. Meeting adjourned until next time - whenever that is. Who knows?
Review by MikeB:
The opening act, The Electric Farm (actually Joey Mutis and Adam Winokur on guitar and bass, less the band’s usual keyboards and drums), warmed up the audience with their story-telling songs and received some well-deserved applause. Check our their music at TheElectricFarm.com.
 During a short break after the opening act, concert organizer Grady Moates warned the audience about undue and unnecessary talking during Kas’s set. It was mostly successful, as I only heard one woman, sitting with a man with his back to the stage, about 15 feet behind me who was talking all the time they sat there. During the break everyone noticed a white-haired guy near the bar – none other than The Cars (and The New Cars) keyboard/synthesizer player Greg Hawkes. It was a happy surprise that joining Kas on stage were guitarists Doug Kennedy (Kas’s perpetual bandmate for solo tours) and Jesse Gress. The combined triple guitars started the show strongly, with 3 songs from Kasim’s most-recent CD release, ‘All Sides Now’, followed by some older solo tunes and then some Utopia songs which the partisan audience cheered for strongly. In between songs, Kas’s friendly banter kept the people laughing. As usual, he told the story of how he was invited to play bass for The New Cars as an introduction to the song ‘Drive’ – but then he announced a surprise guest up on stage, none other than Greg Hawkes, who joined in on a ukulele. As Kas said after the song, "That alone was worth the price of admission!" The final song in the almost-90 minute set was the Utopia classic ‘One World’, dedicated, as always, to Shelle, a long-time fan who lost her battle with cancer earlier this year. The cheering audience brought Kas back for one encore song, just him on guitar. After one more solo show in New York state, Kasim is off to head up the latest Meat Loaf band for rehearsals and the start of another European tour, but he did hint at another possible mini-tour later this year ….
Review by SueW:
Johnny D’s was a lovely restaurant and music club in which to hear live music and the staff were all very friendly and helpful so it was a lovely atmosphere in there. The opening act were two brothers(?) called Electric Farm who had driven up from Philadelphia for this gig. They played for about 40 minutes with Joey singing and playing guitar and Adam playing bass. Their songs fitted the atmosphere really well and all had a story behind them. There were a couple of audience participation songs too in their set. Kathy Sands-Boehmer had recommended and introduced them tonight so it was good to put a face to a name that I’ve seen online for 10 years!
The sound at this gig was almost perfect. At the Woodstock gig last weekend Kasim’s voice was a lot louder than the instruments but tonight it was mixed perfectly. I was told later that the sound guy here had been doing the sound for over 10 years so knew how to pitch it perfectly and it really showed! My only complaint was that the lighting was too dark for me to take photos from where I was sitting (I think I need a better camera!) but at least before the set they did deliberately angle two of the stage lights to illuminate Kasim better. Kasim was wearing a black top (with a coloured fringe) and black trousers and for some reason he kept his glasses on all the set until the encore. Doug was in his usual all black and tonight Jesse actually didn’t wear his bright orange trousers!
 They came on stage at about 9.30pm and played for a good 85 minutes or so. Tonight Kasim had dropped the running joke of only playing one Utopia song and instead the theme seemed to be that he was constantly name-dropping! I don’t think the theme was intentional until he was about halfway through the set but it’s amazing the number of names that he mentioned! After saying hello, as usual Kasim started with the three songs Are You Happy Now, Yellow Cab and Sometimes Love Is A Dangerous Thing. Near the end of the last song, Kasim stopped to cough a bit which lead into him telling us that he had tried to give up smoking a couple of weeks ago. After the song he told us about the thing he was using called something like Chandos and how it was affecting him (basically that he wanted to kill his dog and burn his house down!). Kasim then spoke about his first manager called Dan Cavangh who lived in the Boston area. This neatly lead into one of the first songs that he’d played for him which was This Must Be Love. The song tonight had a new twist though as instead of "a girl from Queen’s" Kasim sang "a girl from Somerville". Kasim then spoke about being in Utopia and sang There Goes My Inspiration straight into Libertine. Kasim followed this by speaking very fondly of Todd and how much he learnt from him regarding songwriting and record production. He then joked that as Todd hates shows of appreciation, Kasim goes out of his way to show his thanks and affection for him! Before they started Cliché Kasim said that Jesse had told him in the dressing room that Kasim always gets the first line of the song wrong (chance before game) but tonight he sang it the correct way round! Kasim then name-dropped the names Shelly Winters, Joan Rivers, Red Fox and Michael Urbano (all within his chat!) before singing Bourgeois Tagge’s great I Don’t Mind At All and going straight into Before She Was Gone. Back On The Street was next. That song has some amazing guitar playing in the middle of it. Next Kasim spoke about some US television shows which went totally over my head! He then spoke really fondly about playing as part of The New Cars. It’s so obvious that he really wanted that reunion to succeed. Tonight Kasim explained how his involvement came about as a couple of different versions have been posted on the Internet. Kasim explained that originally he was asked if he’d like to audition for the part and then it was about 6 months later that Todd was involved which is when Kasim actually got the gig. Tonight Kasim brought Greg Hawkes up on stage (as he’s a Bostonian) to play the ukulele on Drive which sounded good. (Greg always looks so happy on stage too!)
 Kasim told us the story about his house party gig in Houston in March before playing The Up (with Jesse singing the chorus with him). Sacrifice was next and tonight Kasim explained that the song was about sacrificing something important for something that was as important. (That’s another song with some great guitar playing in it.) Tonight Kasim stopped near the end to thank us all for coming to the gig tonight and to say how much it meant to him for us to be there, plus how proud his mother would have been to see everyone there before they completed the song! Kasim then told us that he only had a couple more songs that he could play and reminisced that when he played in bar bands when he was first starting out that they would run out of songs at about 1.30am and would just have to start the set again! They then played Watching The World Go By. Kasim explained that he wrote the song basically about people watching. My absolute favourite song The One Sure Thing was next and it was beautiful to hear! I think the words of that song are just beautiful and that melody suits Kasim’s voice perfectly. I remember the first time that I ever heard that song back in 2001 and I immediately thought it was so beautiful just as I do now. A funny anecdote about that was that the next day I was driving to the city where Kasim was playing his next gig and I pulled off the road for a break and decided to listen to my recording of it. So that I could concentrate on the words, I closed my eyes to fully listen and when I opened them after the song, a horse was starring at me through the windscreen of the car which was really surreal! I think Jesse needs to correct Kasim about that song too as tonight we again had part of the first verse repeated in the second verse but it was still brilliant to hear. As always Kasim’s set ended with One World. There were several friends of Michelle (Shelle) in the audience so they called out for the song to be for her so Kasim said that every time he sings it on stage that It’s for Michelle. Of course tonight Somerville was mentioned in it! Most people there automatically joined in the clapping which is always great to see. Even though Kasim broke a guitar string in the song, he still played it faultlessly! After a standing ovation, Doug and Jesse then left the stage and Grady "persuaded" Kasim to play another song. Tonight someone called out for Eternal Love so Kasim sang a few bars of it but said that was all he remembered! Instead he chose Nik Kershaw’s Somebody Loves You. Kasim explained that the reason he likes the song so much was because it was about us, his audience. I’d often wondered why he chooses that song to sing (other than it being a great song) and I’d thought that part could be biographical for Kasim so that was interesting to hear. Then, all too soon for me and everyone else there, it was all, over! Afterwards I spoke to about 20 people there and they all were so enthusiastic about how great the show was tonight! I certainly thought it was one of the best, partly because of the great venue and also because it was wonderful to see Kasim play in a room full of people who were there to just enjoy Kasim’s music. Absolutely massive thanks to Grady Moates for arranging the gig and for organising everything so well. Roll on Kasim’s next solo gig!
Review by Carrie Knife:
I arrived at Johnny D’s a bit early to set up the merchandise table that Grady had asked me to run for the show. You all know I would do anything for Kasim, so I graciously accepted the offer and packed up all my Kasim Groupie Gear! The room started filling up steadily with all of the folks that had made dinner reservations. Johnny D’s is a great club with dinner / show seating and plenty of additional room at the bar area for more fans. I began running into many people I knew or had met through MySpace and not yet met in person. Everyone was great!
Ok, ok, the show……
The opening act was from Pennsylvania, The Electric Farm, brothers Joey on guitar and vocals and Andy on bass. They were quite good and threw in a few audience participation songs which were fun! They played about half an hour, check them out on MySpace and befriend them!
Then our host Grady Moates took the stage to go over a few rules of the "Secret Society" which included permission to kick someone’s A** if they were being disrespectful to the band during the show by talking and carrying on! That got one heck of a large applause from the crowd as we were all very angry about the rude SOB’s at the bar at The Bitter End in NY in March! Then just what we were all waiting for, Grady introduced The Kasim Sulton Band!
Kasim, Doug and Jesse took the stage and opened with Are You Happy Now continuing right into Yellow Cab then Sometimes Love is a Dangerous Thing. As always there was plenty of crowd interaction and wonderful stories from Kasim, he makes us all feel so welcome at every show! He discussed his Utopia days and some of the other gigs he had played earlier in this solo tour. In particular he mentioned that he and Jesse played a private party in Houston and Doug was not able to attend because he was busy doing Kasim’s laundry! I am sure that comment was just for Cruiser Mel!
Kasim and the guys sounded amazing! The sound in the club was mixed nicely and the credit there goes to the talents of our sound man of the evening, Dana. After a few Utopia tunes and Kasim’s beautiful rendition of Todd Rundgren’s Cliché, he continued with Bourgeois Tagg’s I Don’t Mind At All, first mentioning their upcoming gig in Sacramento, CA. Then he played Before She was Gone and one of my favorite Utopia somgs, Back on the Street!
He then started talking about he and Todd’s involvement with The New Cars and then came one of the best surprises of the evening! Greg Hawkes, the keyboardist of The Cars and The New Cars, a resident of the Boston area, was in the house to see Kasim’s show! He was invited on stage to play Drive with the band. Greg had brought his ukulele with him to the show. It was a pleasure to see him play with Kasim and the guys and the ukulele really added a nice touch to the song! I had an opportunity to speak with Greg after the show and learned he is doing an upcoming tour with The Turtles!
After an always uplifting version of The Up, Kasim played Sacrifice, which he stopped during the song to thank everyone for coming and for their continuing love and support. He then played his newest song, Watching the World Go By, which can be heard on his MySpace page as it is yet unreleased.
It was finally time for my personal favorite song, The One Sure Thing. He dedicated this song to Sue as it is her favorite as well. Those of you who know me well enough know that I recently had the first four measures of the chorus of this song tattooed on my lower back! I chose the "I’ll be your everything, I will be your heart and soul" lines.
The setlist concluded with One World. The audience had been so incredible throughout the entire show, but this song was the one in which you could really feel the love and energy of the fans! I don’t believe there was one person in the room not clapping and singing along! It was great!
Grady took the stage to thank everyone and announce that Kasim did not bring CD’s with him but if anyone needed one they could leave me their contact information and I would get them a copy. I ended up with several inquiries. There are a VERY limited amount of the CD’s left.
Kasim returned to the stage for his encore and someone shouted out Eternal Love, did I hear that correctly? OMG! He sang a few lines which sounded more incredible than any recording I had EVER heard of that song, it truly weakened my knees! Sigh…. Kasim’s voice has never been better. After the "teaser" of Eternal Love, he said that was all he could remember of the song, which I vote he "remembers" an adds it to his next CD! J
The evening concluded with Nik Kershaw’s Somebody Loves You. This is the most appropriate encore song as the words so perfectly describe a fan’s love and adoration for an artist. A standing ovation from the crowd and an end to a perfect show!
Kasim and the guys came out and graciously greeted all of the fans. I saw memorabilia being signed including a mint copy of Kasim’s first solo album from 1982! I would like to thank everyone who made the show possible, Grady Moates who did an incredible job! Dana and the fine folks at Johnny D’s! The Electric Farm for getting the evening started on a great note!
Also a very special thank you to my groupie girls Ajiah and Nina who were wonderful Boston area guides. Thanks to Bob Smith and Jennifer Salye for your friendship and for sharing your amazing photos with me!
Of course a huge thank you to Kasim, Jesse Gress and Doug Kennedy for another unforgettable evening of music!
The final thank you is the most important but a personal one. Thank you to my INCREDIBLE husband who introduced me to Utopia, Todd and of course Kasim’s music! Without him I may not have ever known great music and met so many incredible people! I certainly wouldn’t have ended up in Boston! Thank you darling it was the best birthday gift EVER! I love you!
Review by Eddie G. aka Brontis:
The ever-youthful and charming singer, musician, and songwriter was in top form as he breezed through a well-paced set spanning his illustrious career.
Backing him were the incredible Jesse Gress (Todd Rundgren, Tony Levin Band) and the equally amazing Doug Kennedy (Isle Of Q) on scorching guitars.
Kasim kept the show moving along briskly all evening, pausing occasionally to treat the crowd of mostly Rundgren, Utopia, and Meat Loaf fans to his usual array of jokes, humorous anecdotes, and marvelous wit.
Sulton's delightful voice has held up remarkably well through the years despite his lament on the effect that smoking cigarettes has had on his falsetto.
A few sips of water provided by the promoter, however, and the man was hitting those high notes with little effort to much applause.
From his impersonations of Joan Rivers and Redd Fox through his funny quips and stories on subjects ranging from working with Todd, to poor management, reality tv, rude audiences, and even Flavor Fav, Kasim had the audience eating out of his hand at the popular restaurant and bar during the entire set.
Surprising the local and loyal diehards with a special guest, fellow New Cars bandmate, Greg Hawkes, the band did a serene and moving rendition of The Cars hit, "Drive" with Hawkes on Ukelele.
The entire proceeding felt much like a party, giving all who attended a warm sense and feeling of family and community helped by the intimate setting of the quaint venue.
The only minor disappointments were that Kasim did not treat the audience to his astounding bass playing chops, and that the show was not longer due to having an opening act, "The Electric Farm" from Philadelphia, who were actually quite good and well-received.
All in all, it was a fabulous performance; memorable and satisfying for this long-term afficionado of Kasim's work.
Click here to view some great photos by Eddie G. of this gig.
Comments posted by fans on mailing lists and messageboards include:
"As Kasim started singing the first song, I felt... good. I just felt good. It's hard to describe why. But towards the end of the show, it sort of hit me why: hearing Kaz sing is like hearing an old friend's voice."
"I thought the sound was very good. One PA speaker was beaming a mono mix toward us, and I thought they balanced the three guitars very well. Kasim's guitar was kind of bassy and muddy on its own, but with the other two brighter guitars, it made for a nice, full sound."
"What was neat was you could actually hear the ukelele in the mix along with 3 guitars and Kaz's vocal."
"It was a GREAT show! Thanks so much to Kasim for coming back to Boston! Let's hope it isn't 6 years before he comes back again! And what a great surprise to have Greg Hawkes show up and sit in with the band for "Drive"."
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Pre-show page on KasimInfo.com:
Many thanks to RMAC and Mike B for the photos on this page and to Eddie G. aka Brontis for photos on the associated page.
The venue (taken from the KasimInfo.com Blog that day):
Click here to view the venue website and here for more info about the gig. The address is 17 Holland Street, Davis Square, Sommerville, MA, 02144 and it is almost directly opposite The Somerville Theater. Davis Square is a really vibrant area with several places to go for music and dinner so is ideal for passing trade. (Tickets are available on the door if you do not wish to have dinner at the venue.)
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Tonight Kasim Sulton plays his 7th public solo gig of 2008! The gig is at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA (Boston).