POP REVIEWS : An Interactive Rundgren Rave

Is MC Todd Rundgren the new master blaster? The veteran pop figure landed Saturday at the Fairfax High School gym on a one-man stage that was equal parts deejay booth, fun house and holy shrine to this maker of cult hits and uneven pop experiments, now deep in a funk of wild computer-ese.

Tossing confetti, condoms and inflatable toys to the crowd, Rundgren led his own personal rave, as promised: truly interactive , with some of the faithful even invited on stage to dance and play drums. He otherwise performed solo his new, quirky mix of techno and amazingly convincing hip-hop.

Much of the night’s material was culled from Rundgren’s “No World Order” album, which trades heavily in computer-generated sound (and has also been released on an interactive CD). The embracing pop melodies of his early work emerged among the samples and bits, although they were too often buried under an oppressive disco beat.

Computer crashes occasionally turned the show into “Todd Unplugged,” forcing the party master to strum some warm folk-rock on a 12-string guitar. After the encore of “Bang the Drum,” his rousing ode to primal leisure, Rundgren’s computer failed him once again.

“That was the last crash,” he promised, noting that this was the tour’s final stop. He then kicked the thing over, picked it up and smashed it, Pete Townshend-style. A final victory of man over machine.