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The "almost" official blog for everything Todd Rundgren Related........................................................................................................................................................................... Please visit the sister facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Ma4utopia?ref=hl
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Interview WABC 77 am
For those of you who could not listen live here is the web address for the interview Todd gave to Mark Simone on his show Sat. 4/17/10 on WABC AM in NYC: http://www.wabcradio.com/sectional.asp?id=33449.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Article: Daily herald Cubby Bear Show
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=372848
Todd Rundgren at Cubby Bear North
By Ted Cox | Daily Herald Staff Contact writer Published: 4/16/2010 12:03 AM
Hello, it's Todd
Todd Rundgren, the '70s pop performer and producer probably best known for "Hello It's Me," comes to the Cubby Bear North this weekend, touring behind his new album interpreting the delta blues of Robert Johnson. It should provide a little grit to complement his usual pop sheen.
8:30 p.m. today at the Cubby Bear North, 21661 N. Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire. General-admission tickets are $40 with doors opening at 7:30 p.m.; VIP tickets are $60 and include dinner entree and a shared appetizer, with a 6 p.m. entry. Call (847) 541-4700 or visit tix.com.
Todd Rundgren at Cubby Bear North
By Ted Cox | Daily Herald Staff Contact writer Published: 4/16/2010 12:03 AM
Hello, it's Todd
Todd Rundgren, the '70s pop performer and producer probably best known for "Hello It's Me," comes to the Cubby Bear North this weekend, touring behind his new album interpreting the delta blues of Robert Johnson. It should provide a little grit to complement his usual pop sheen.
8:30 p.m. today at the Cubby Bear North, 21661 N. Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire. General-admission tickets are $40 with doors opening at 7:30 p.m.; VIP tickets are $60 and include dinner entree and a shared appetizer, with a 6 p.m. entry. Call (847) 541-4700 or visit tix.com.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
RundgrenRadio announcement
Just in case you haven't heard, we announced the World Premier of the Toddstock DVD which will be held in Muskegon on 9/7 at a venue TBD -- we are hoping for a movie theater but either way we will have a big screen somewhere. Todd will be in attendance! There is also a contest going on for the cover design.
We also announced that on 9/13 in the Glenside/Philly area at a place TBD, Todd will be interviewed in front of a live audience by 7 time Emmy Award Winner Roy Firestone! More info at www.royfirestone.com and here's a clip from when he was in the movie Jerry Maguire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cim0_0XuxBw. Roy happens to be a long time Todd fan and was at the LA AWATS gig.
We also announced that on 9/13 in the Glenside/Philly area at a place TBD, Todd will be interviewed in front of a live audience by 7 time Emmy Award Winner Roy Firestone! More info at www.royfirestone.com and here's a clip from when he was in the movie Jerry Maguire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cim0_0XuxBw. Roy happens to be a long time Todd fan and was at the LA AWATS gig.
Memphis news Back to the blues
Back to the Blues
Prog and power-pop pioneer Todd Rundgren takes an unexpected detour.
by J.D. Reager
Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren has achieved just about all that anyone could imagine in more than 40 years in the music industry. As a musician and songwriter, he's regarded as a pioneer of the power-pop and progressive rock genres and has achieved chart success with numerous singles, including "Hello It's Me," "I Saw the Light," and "Bang the Drum All Day." As a producer/engineer, he's helmed classic albums by the Band, Meat Loaf, XTC, and the New York Dolls, just to name a few. And he's also lauded as a technological innovator in the fields of digital audio recording, videography, and computer-based animation.
Yet, in 2008, when Rundgren was set to unveil his newest collection of songs, the riff-heavy and (eventually) critically acclaimed Arena, the musician found it difficult to secure distribution. And in what became a strange twist of music-business fate, it was this unfortunate, if somewhat unfathomable, situation that ultimately became the impetus behind Rundgren's newest project, an album and live show based around the work of blues singer Robert Johnson cheekily titled Todd Rundgren's Johnson.
"I'm not sure inspiration is quite the word," Rundgren says. "I had some knowledge of Robert Johnson, of course, but he was never a big influence for me directly. Basically, I needed distribution for Arena, and the company I found to do it also administers the publishing for Robert Johnson's catalog but didn't own any of the actual recordings. So they made it a condition of the deal for Arena that I record a collection of Robert Johnson's songs, and that's how it started."
After the success of Arena (Rolling Stone's David Fricke called it "a bright, bullish return to Rundgren's specialties — paisley-mod punch, Who-ish guitar fireworks, and white-soul-boy woe"), Rundgren double-checked with the label to make sure a Robert Johnson covers album was still what it wanted. It was. But Rundgren still wasn't quite convinced:
"I was a bit apprehensive of any comparisons to Eric Clapton, who's made a second career of reworking blues songs and is known for Johnson's material in particular."
Even so, Rundgren eventually set about the task of researching Johnson's career and catalog, in an attempt to find a suitable approach for the project. This search eventually led him back to English blues revivalists, such as Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Jeff Beck, contemporaries of Rundgren's in the late '60s who had served as personal inspiration for him at the time, and more modern blues artists, such as Buddy Guy, Albert King, and Paul Butterfield.
"I just felt that instead of emulating Robert Johnson directly, it would be better for me to focus on more second-hand, indirect influences that were more meaningful to me," Rundgren says. "Which essentially means more recently living, latter-day artists."
The album version of Todd Rundgren's Johnson is slated for release next month, but a three-song preview, Short Johnson, is already available for download on iTunes, Amazon.com, etc.
For the live show, Rundgren also combed through his own vast catalog, selecting old and new songs with a strong blues influence to go with the Johnson material.
"It actually turned out to not be so bizarre," Rundgren says. "If I'd been a strict stylist in my career, it might have been more difficult, but there's a strange plausibility to me doing a blues-themed show. My first real working gig in music was in a blues band [Woody's Truck Stop], so it makes sense."
After the touring and promotion for Todd Rundgren's Johnson is completed, Rundgren will turn his attention back to performing classic material of his own, a project he began late last year with a series of ambitious live re-creations of the influential 1973 psychedelic album A Wizard, A True Star in Europe and the U.S. As decided by a fan vote, Rundgren will stage full live versions of the albums Todd (1974) and Healing (1981) this fall.
"These shows are proposed and promoted by the fans," Rundgren says. "I'm lucky to have a very loyal audience. It seems like some of them will come out for just about anything. But because the album re-creation shows are a much bigger production with a bigger band and more expenses, I can't afford to do them all the time."
That said, don't expect a dull or drab set from Rundgren, a consummate performer who, at age 61, shows no signs of slowing down. He returns to Memphis this week.
"If I didn't feel like the show or my playing was up to a certain level, I wouldn't do it," Rundgren says. "I don't really focus on my level of popularity or success anymore. I'm more focused on maintaining a level of quality, for myself and the fans."
Prog and power-pop pioneer Todd Rundgren takes an unexpected detour.
by J.D. Reager
Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren has achieved just about all that anyone could imagine in more than 40 years in the music industry. As a musician and songwriter, he's regarded as a pioneer of the power-pop and progressive rock genres and has achieved chart success with numerous singles, including "Hello It's Me," "I Saw the Light," and "Bang the Drum All Day." As a producer/engineer, he's helmed classic albums by the Band, Meat Loaf, XTC, and the New York Dolls, just to name a few. And he's also lauded as a technological innovator in the fields of digital audio recording, videography, and computer-based animation.
Yet, in 2008, when Rundgren was set to unveil his newest collection of songs, the riff-heavy and (eventually) critically acclaimed Arena, the musician found it difficult to secure distribution. And in what became a strange twist of music-business fate, it was this unfortunate, if somewhat unfathomable, situation that ultimately became the impetus behind Rundgren's newest project, an album and live show based around the work of blues singer Robert Johnson cheekily titled Todd Rundgren's Johnson.
"I'm not sure inspiration is quite the word," Rundgren says. "I had some knowledge of Robert Johnson, of course, but he was never a big influence for me directly. Basically, I needed distribution for Arena, and the company I found to do it also administers the publishing for Robert Johnson's catalog but didn't own any of the actual recordings. So they made it a condition of the deal for Arena that I record a collection of Robert Johnson's songs, and that's how it started."
After the success of Arena (Rolling Stone's David Fricke called it "a bright, bullish return to Rundgren's specialties — paisley-mod punch, Who-ish guitar fireworks, and white-soul-boy woe"), Rundgren double-checked with the label to make sure a Robert Johnson covers album was still what it wanted. It was. But Rundgren still wasn't quite convinced:
"I was a bit apprehensive of any comparisons to Eric Clapton, who's made a second career of reworking blues songs and is known for Johnson's material in particular."
Even so, Rundgren eventually set about the task of researching Johnson's career and catalog, in an attempt to find a suitable approach for the project. This search eventually led him back to English blues revivalists, such as Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Jeff Beck, contemporaries of Rundgren's in the late '60s who had served as personal inspiration for him at the time, and more modern blues artists, such as Buddy Guy, Albert King, and Paul Butterfield.
"I just felt that instead of emulating Robert Johnson directly, it would be better for me to focus on more second-hand, indirect influences that were more meaningful to me," Rundgren says. "Which essentially means more recently living, latter-day artists."
The album version of Todd Rundgren's Johnson is slated for release next month, but a three-song preview, Short Johnson, is already available for download on iTunes, Amazon.com, etc.
For the live show, Rundgren also combed through his own vast catalog, selecting old and new songs with a strong blues influence to go with the Johnson material.
"It actually turned out to not be so bizarre," Rundgren says. "If I'd been a strict stylist in my career, it might have been more difficult, but there's a strange plausibility to me doing a blues-themed show. My first real working gig in music was in a blues band [Woody's Truck Stop], so it makes sense."
After the touring and promotion for Todd Rundgren's Johnson is completed, Rundgren will turn his attention back to performing classic material of his own, a project he began late last year with a series of ambitious live re-creations of the influential 1973 psychedelic album A Wizard, A True Star in Europe and the U.S. As decided by a fan vote, Rundgren will stage full live versions of the albums Todd (1974) and Healing (1981) this fall.
"These shows are proposed and promoted by the fans," Rundgren says. "I'm lucky to have a very loyal audience. It seems like some of them will come out for just about anything. But because the album re-creation shows are a much bigger production with a bigger band and more expenses, I can't afford to do them all the time."
That said, don't expect a dull or drab set from Rundgren, a consummate performer who, at age 61, shows no signs of slowing down. He returns to Memphis this week.
"If I didn't feel like the show or my playing was up to a certain level, I wouldn't do it," Rundgren says. "I don't really focus on my level of popularity or success anymore. I'm more focused on maintaining a level of quality, for myself and the fans."
More heavenly Rundgren in store
http://www.ohio.com/entertainment/90912469.html
More heavenly Rundgren in store
Singer to reach back to '74, '81 in Civic set. B.E. Mann to celebrate with CD release party
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
Published on Thursday, Apr 15, 2010
If you're a Todd Rundgren fan you probably already know that he will be returning to Akron to perform not one, but TWO of his albums — Todd and Healing, in their entirety on Sept. 5.
Last year, Rundgren premiered his theatricalization of A Wizard, a True Star at the Akron Civic Theatre, and according to the RundgrenRadio.com folks, the show's promoters and the folks who helped convince Todd, fans who came from ''across the world'' to the sold-out AWATS shows enjoyed their time in Akron and Rundgren loved the Civic.
I'm guessing with two albums to perform in one night, Rundgren won't bother with ''theatricalization,'' but since they are among fan faves, I'm sure the music and the man will carry the evening. Neither album was hit-filled, but they both contain long-time set list staples.
1974's Todd has The Last Ride, Don't You Ever Learn? and the pretty ballad A Dream Goes on Forever.
The synthesizer-heavy Healing, from 1981, contains Tiny Demons, Compassion and the R&B-flavored early MTV hit Time Heals. It was a ''hit'' in part because the nascent channel's library in 1981 was pretty darned small.
Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing the rockin' riffs of Everybody's Going to Heaven/King Kong Reggae in concert and the three-part Healing suite, which I haven't listened to in years, but I'll be blowing the dust off the vinyl and putting on the old analog Victrola real soon.
Tickets for the show go on sale at 11 a.m. April 28 at http://www.tix.com.
More heavenly Rundgren in store
Singer to reach back to '74, '81 in Civic set. B.E. Mann to celebrate with CD release party
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
Published on Thursday, Apr 15, 2010
If you're a Todd Rundgren fan you probably already know that he will be returning to Akron to perform not one, but TWO of his albums — Todd and Healing, in their entirety on Sept. 5.
Last year, Rundgren premiered his theatricalization of A Wizard, a True Star at the Akron Civic Theatre, and according to the RundgrenRadio.com folks, the show's promoters and the folks who helped convince Todd, fans who came from ''across the world'' to the sold-out AWATS shows enjoyed their time in Akron and Rundgren loved the Civic.
I'm guessing with two albums to perform in one night, Rundgren won't bother with ''theatricalization,'' but since they are among fan faves, I'm sure the music and the man will carry the evening. Neither album was hit-filled, but they both contain long-time set list staples.
1974's Todd has The Last Ride, Don't You Ever Learn? and the pretty ballad A Dream Goes on Forever.
The synthesizer-heavy Healing, from 1981, contains Tiny Demons, Compassion and the R&B-flavored early MTV hit Time Heals. It was a ''hit'' in part because the nascent channel's library in 1981 was pretty darned small.
Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing the rockin' riffs of Everybody's Going to Heaven/King Kong Reggae in concert and the three-part Healing suite, which I haven't listened to in years, but I'll be blowing the dust off the vinyl and putting on the old analog Victrola real soon.
Tickets for the show go on sale at 11 a.m. April 28 at http://www.tix.com.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Another chance at being part of TODDSTOCK history
Repost from Ed Vigdor...
---------
Gang,
As mentioned last night on Rundgren Radio, the Toddstock Movie is nearing completion and a premier of the movie is being held on September 7th in Michigan, the evening before the "Healing/Todd" show. Todd will be attending the event, hoping as many people as possible can attend as it will be the only opportunity to see this on a large screen.
Additionally, with all the talented people among us, we would like people to submit design ideas for the DVD case and disc. So all of you graphic artists out there, fire up your Photoshop.
If you go to my facebook page, in my profile pictures, you can see a still frame from the main title animation for the movie. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=682731&id=1613746948
However, you should in no way feel limited to this idea. Toddstock, in retrospect was more about the fans and the Utopian community we put together than it was about Todd, while of course he was the central figure. This movie was about all us fans that were there, even those who were not able to attend. So it is fitting that a fan design the cover.
Any design would have to conform to a standard template for a DVD cover and disc, and would need to be submitted ready to print. I am working on getting those specs and will send to anyone who is interested.
Have to discuss and confirm this with Todd and Michele, but the person whose design is used, will be sent an autographed framed copy.
Any question, contact me on Facebook or at digitiki@dslextreme.com
---------
Gang,
As mentioned last night on Rundgren Radio, the Toddstock Movie is nearing completion and a premier of the movie is being held on September 7th in Michigan, the evening before the "Healing/Todd" show. Todd will be attending the event, hoping as many people as possible can attend as it will be the only opportunity to see this on a large screen.
Additionally, with all the talented people among us, we would like people to submit design ideas for the DVD case and disc. So all of you graphic artists out there, fire up your Photoshop.
If you go to my facebook page, in my profile pictures, you can see a still frame from the main title animation for the movie. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=682731&id=1613746948
However, you should in no way feel limited to this idea. Toddstock, in retrospect was more about the fans and the Utopian community we put together than it was about Todd, while of course he was the central figure. This movie was about all us fans that were there, even those who were not able to attend. So it is fitting that a fan design the cover.
Any design would have to conform to a standard template for a DVD cover and disc, and would need to be submitted ready to print. I am working on getting those specs and will send to anyone who is interested.
Have to discuss and confirm this with Todd and Michele, but the person whose design is used, will be sent an autographed framed copy.
Any question, contact me on Facebook or at digitiki@dslextreme.com
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
RundgrenRadio tonight Interview from 4/1 UKBOB and special toddstock dvd announcement
We will be airing the interview UKBOB did with Todd on 4/1 and giving lots of updates about RR gigs and there will be a special announcement about the Toddstock DVD!
www.RundgrenRadio.com - show starts at 8:30pm ET
www.RundgrenRadio.com - show starts at 8:30pm ET
Monday, April 12, 2010
PHOTOS mohegan sun show by mike b
travel over to mike b's photobucket site to see some great shots from te mohegan sun show CT.
http://tinyurl.com/ybdud8b
http://tinyurl.com/ybdud8b
Sunday, April 11, 2010
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