So a few weeks ago I get an e-mail from Kasim Sulton, bass player for the now-defunct band Utopia, formed by Todd Rundgren. (If any of you know me even slightly, you know how big of a Todd fan I am.) I had signed up for Kasim’s e-mail list, and I get frequent e-mails about what he’s up to.

Anyway, his e-mail asks any Southern CA residents to drop him a line for a “one time only offer.” So I do, eagerly expecting to be offered a timeshare or weight loss supplement for $19.95 plus shipping & handling. (Overexposure to late night TV will condition you to think like that.) But instead, he responds with a time and address for an event. Cool, I think. Perhaps a solo gig between bigger projects. So I ask to be put on the list.

It doesn’t occur to me until days later, as I’m driving down to the event in Burbank, that it might be Kaz’ bigger project. All the clues in the e-mails point to that being the case. I arrive at the address—a large lot with various soundstage studios. I sign in and get led with a group to a studio in the back. There’s a scruffy guy who looks like Weird Al Yankovic. But I get a closer look and decide it probably isn’t. Bummer. I like Al.

The soundstage itself is small and cozy. There are perhaps 100 people inside, if that. The stage takes up a third of the room, set up for a 5-piece band. It must be for Kaz’ bigger project. Sure enough, the band comes out, and there’s Todd, front and center. The show begins…

For those of you who haven’t heard, The Cars decided to re-group, and Todd and Kaz joined them, replacing Ric Ocasek and Ben Orr, respectively. For an hour, the crowd was treated to The Cars’ classics with Todd on vocals, except “Drive,” sung by Kaz. Todd snuck in two of his older tunes, "Hello It’s Me" and "Open My Eyes," and although I thought one song was a Cars oldie, people kept referring to it as the “new song.” Still, "Not Tonight" sounded like old school Cars all the way. Here’s the set list.

The show itself went pretty smoothly. There were the usual glitches—a broken string, a forgotten verse, a disconnected drum mic—but overall the performance was great. Todd was a great front man (as always, but of course, I’m biased), and the remaining original Cars members, Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes, handled their performances well. Elliott performed the guitar solos and kept the crowd on his side of the stage blissfully entertained. Greg was kept farther back with an array of keyboards, bobbing up and down to the music, looking like a cross between Andy Warhol and Paul Shaffer as he cranked out the songs’ signature keyboard hooks. Kaz kept under the radar with his solid bass and harmony vocals (except when he sang lead on "Drive"), and his side of the stage was teeming with swooning women of all ages—most Utopia fans refer to him as “the cute one.” An added bonus was having Prairie Prince on drums. I’d been a big fan when he played with The Tubes, and I’ve seen him perform with Todd several times.

After the show was over, it only got better. The guy I thought might have been Weird Al actually was, and he was incredibly down-to-earth. And he really wasn’t as psychotic as he looked as he posed with me for a picture. Prairie came out, and he could not have been nicer, seeming truly flattered by my rambling praise, and he also posed with me for a pic. “Met Prairie Prince” is one more thing I can check off my list of Things To Do Before Dying. Kaz came out and although everyone wanted his attention, he took a quick sec to shake my hand and pose for a pic. He could easily get snotty and selective (you’d think he might with so many people vying for his attention), but he was incredibly accommodating. I even got to quickly shake hands with Elliot and Greg, although I refrained from taking pictures because they were surrounded by true Cars fans and I wasn’t a big enough admirer to wait my turn. (Of course, as soon as I left for home, I regretted not getting photos.)

Todd was nowhere to be seen, and the soundstage was closing up. Luckily, no uptight security was present, and people were free to meander. So I meandered into the Green Room (or equivalent) where most band members ended up hanging out anyway. Sure enough, Todd was there, talking to several fans as well as friends who live in the LA area. I waited my turn, asked a few questions, and got a photo with Todd. (I don’t know why I look the way I do. I think I thought Todd was looking kookier than he really was and tried to match the moment. I was way wrong, and I ended up looking constipated. Nice.) Despite being ambushed by people, Todd was still polite and friendly as always.

Only on my way out did I realize that the guy who took most of these pictures for me was Lyle Workman, also an idol of mine, and while I thought he looked familiar, I didn’t catch on who he was until someone said his name. Didn’t get a picture with him, but I got to say hello and shake his hand.

So I got to meet some famous people, especially famous people I like (who didn’t and was one of a select few invited to see a fun show, and it was free as well. A big “thanks” goes to Kaz for the invite. It was really a fantastic opportunity and a really fun time.

So, the big question: Will The New Cars work? Honestly, I don’t know. I know there’s been a lot of complaining among The Cars and Utopia purists arguing that this is a big disappointment and a waste of time. Granted, being a big Todd fan, it’s weird for me to have him singing these overly-poppy tunes when his own songs are a little bit deeper and less light-and-fluffy. But the truth is, most things Todd has done have never been subject to high praise and immediate approval, and the true die-hard Todd fans will support whatever he does. (This is certainly true of the die-hard Kaz/Utopia/Cars fans, I’m sure.) And if Kaz and Prairie are there, all the better. But the show I saw was fun and entertaining, and the rest of the crowd seemed to agree. Even the Cars fans I spoke with enjoyed the new line-up. From what I could tell, most fans that night were looking forward to tour dates. So good luck, New Cars! And thanks for the great show!