they are a beautiful thing.. this is going to be another amazing rundgrenradio presentation.
The "almost" official blog for everything Todd Rundgren Related........................................................................................................................................................................... Please visit the sister facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Ma4utopia?ref=hl
Saturday, March 3, 2012
photo of tix to symphony show.
they are a beautiful thing.. this is going to be another amazing rundgrenradio presentation.
Set list from last night show at The City Winery
taken from Bill Brickers tweets druing the show.. Thanks so much Bill
rebbeca blacks "friday"
lysistrata
thee weekend
i dont want to tie you down
black and white
cliche
96 tears
compassion ( jesse on guitar)
to far gone
it wouldnt have made any difference
endless love
lorne green
im a gun
Determination (guitar)
Born to synth (jazz verson)
seaque Touch me (the doors)
Jetson
Bosa Nova; I Saw The Light
love of the common man
encore 1 Hello its me piano
encore 2 the wheel
encore 3 Past on piano
encore 4 Reprise of "FRIDAY"
rebbeca blacks "friday"
lysistrata
thee weekend
i dont want to tie you down
black and white
cliche
96 tears
compassion ( jesse on guitar)
to far gone
it wouldnt have made any difference
endless love
lorne green
im a gun
Determination (guitar)
Born to synth (jazz verson)
seaque Touch me (the doors)
Jetson
Bosa Nova; I Saw The Light
love of the common man
encore 1 Hello its me piano
encore 2 the wheel
encore 3 Past on piano
encore 4 Reprise of "FRIDAY"
Friday, March 2, 2012
Tickets on sale tomorrow for Todd Rundgren & The Rockford Symphony Orchestra!
Tickets on sale tomorrow for Todd Rundgren & The Rockford Symphony Orchestra!
http://www.coronadopac.org/events/other/rundgren.asp
Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2, 2012 8:00 PM
Tickets on sale Saturday, March 3rd at Noon.
Ticket prices range from $17 - $77
http://www.coronadopac.org/events/other/rundgren.asp
Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2, 2012 8:00 PM
Tickets on sale Saturday, March 3rd at Noon.
Ticket prices range from $17 - $77
 | Todd Rundgren & The Rockford Symphony Orchestra
Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2, 2012 8:00 PM Ticket prices range from $17 up |
Dont miss "The Hermits of Mink Halloween" Tribute band NYC shsow
http://www.rbarnyc.com/events/event/rundgred-radio-presents-click-for-details/
7:30pm The Hermits of Mink Halloween
A Todd Rundgren / Utopia Tribute band
with Heartsville
Sat Mar 3
Rundgren Radio Presents – click for details
Rundgren Radio presents:7:30pm The Hermits of Mink Halloween
A Todd Rundgren / Utopia Tribute band
with Heartsville
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Video: Todd Rundgren City Winery 2/27/12 Patches
Todd singing what seems like an impromptu song "Patches" by Clarence Carter.
Download: 5/26/80 "SECOND SET" FRESNO CALIFORNIA
5/26/80 "SECOND SET" FRESNO CALIFORNIA
1.1 Bolero 12:51
1.2 Rock Love 4:45
1.3 Sands Of Arrakis 2:50
1.4 Emergency Splashdown 3:59
1.5 Love Alone 4:11
1.6 Baby Don't Hold Me Back 2:12
1.7 Something's Coming 5:38
1.8 Todd medley 5:39
1.9 Bag Lady 3:57
1.10 Cliché 5:26
1.11 Utopia medley 21:00
1.12 Love Is The Answer 4:19
http://www.mediafire.com/?zpsbkd91d3gps
1.1 Bolero 12:51
1.2 Rock Love 4:45
1.3 Sands Of Arrakis 2:50
1.4 Emergency Splashdown 3:59
1.5 Love Alone 4:11
1.6 Baby Don't Hold Me Back 2:12
1.7 Something's Coming 5:38
1.8 Todd medley 5:39
1.9 Bag Lady 3:57
1.10 Cliché 5:26
1.11 Utopia medley 21:00
1.12 Love Is The Answer 4:19
http://www.mediafire.com/?zpsbkd91d3gps
RungrenRadio updates
Plenty of updates today!
Please don’t forget the Hermits Of Mink Halloween concert this Saturday night if you happen to by in NYC. It’s at the R-Bar and is only $20 in advance and $25 at the door. This Todd Rundgren/Utopia tribute band will have you singing along with them in no time flat! FUN TIMES for sure! Tickets can be purchased at …
https://rundgrenradio.tix.com
Check out this promo video for the HOMH gig that Dan Styklunas put together …
If you somehow missed the big announcement, Rundgren Radio will be presenting two concerts featuring Todd Rundgren, accompanied by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, on June 1st and 2nd, 2012 at the historic Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford, IL. These concerts will be Todd’s first-ever symphonic shows in North America and most likely the only ones this year due to his busy schedule with Ringo and Ethel and the “Best of” type tour. More info on some of those concerts can be found here …
http://www.rundgrenradio.com/toddtours.html Details on the Rockford concerts can be found here …
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9232998.htm
If you aren’t excited about this idea of Todd and an orchestra then you must not have listened to his show from Amsterdam with the Metropole Orchestra. Check it out here…
http://www.rundgrenradio.com/toddtours.html
FYI, we are encouraging fans that attend the first concert on June 1 to dress up semi-formal to formal. This is optional of course.
The night before the first TR and RSO concert in Rockford we will be hosting a Rundgren Radio Family Reunion! Family meaning Todd fans of course. Don't be concerned if you don't know any of the family that will be there - you will be welcomed in and we'll be glad to have you! Like always, we will have food, entertainment, and cake at the party! Tickets are available now for only $20 at https://rundgrenradio.tix.com.
We have some group rates available for travelers for the party and/or concerts in Rockford. You can get the details and keep up with any announcements by visiting this page …
http://www.rundgrenradio.com/orchestra.html
The Rockford airport has a very limited number of flights so it’s best to get a flight into Chicago or Madison, WI. Both Chicago airports have shuttle buses that go to Rockford. We don’t have info on Midway’s shuttle but the one from O’Hare is only $20 and runs on the hour! Details are available on the page mentioned above.
Do you remember the Todd-Healing tour that RundgrenRadio.com presented in 2010/2011? Well, one of them was filmed for a DVD and is available now at Toddstore.com. The DVD is only the Todd album portion and Healing will be available at a later date. The DVD also has the first half of the interview that Todd did with Grammy award winning interviewer Roy Firestone that was also presented by your friends at RR. We don’t have any information on when AWATS Live DVD will be available but we do know Ed Vigdor is hard at work editing it.
Roger Linder at TRconnection.com is having a "Todd" DVD Giveaway contest, sponsored by S'more Entertainment and The Todd Rundgren Connection. To enter, simply send an e-mail to ToddDVDGiveaway@TRConnection.com
Check out Mike Adrian’s Todd blog at RundgrenBlog.com. No one posts Todd’s happenings quicker than Mike!
A few more details about Todd’s Revival Camp can be found here …
http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2012/02/21/796949.aspx
If you are a Facebooker, please join the RR group if you like …
http://www.facebook.com/groups/17618438938/
And for you twitter folks, stay in touch with us at …
http://twitter.com/#!/rundgrenradio
See you on the road to Utopia!
Doug & Melinda
RundgrenRadio.com
Please don’t forget the Hermits Of Mink Halloween concert this Saturday night if you happen to by in NYC. It’s at the R-Bar and is only $20 in advance and $25 at the door. This Todd Rundgren/Utopia tribute band will have you singing along with them in no time flat! FUN TIMES for sure! Tickets can be purchased at …
https://rundgrenradio.tix.com
Check out this promo video for the HOMH gig that Dan Styklunas put together …
http://youtu.be/9TYKY2R6rIg
If you are going to the Todd Rundgren gig at the City Winery in NYC the night before please sport some RR gear if you own any. By the way, we have 2 table tickets left for sale for that SOLD OUT show, $50 each (face value).If you somehow missed the big announcement, Rundgren Radio will be presenting two concerts featuring Todd Rundgren, accompanied by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, on June 1st and 2nd, 2012 at the historic Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford, IL. These concerts will be Todd’s first-ever symphonic shows in North America and most likely the only ones this year due to his busy schedule with Ringo and Ethel and the “Best of” type tour. More info on some of those concerts can be found here …
http://www.rundgrenradio.com/toddtours.html Details on the Rockford concerts can be found here …
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9232998.htm
If you aren’t excited about this idea of Todd and an orchestra then you must not have listened to his show from Amsterdam with the Metropole Orchestra. Check it out here…
http://www.rundgrenradio.com/toddtours.html
FYI, we are encouraging fans that attend the first concert on June 1 to dress up semi-formal to formal. This is optional of course.
The night before the first TR and RSO concert in Rockford we will be hosting a Rundgren Radio Family Reunion! Family meaning Todd fans of course. Don't be concerned if you don't know any of the family that will be there - you will be welcomed in and we'll be glad to have you! Like always, we will have food, entertainment, and cake at the party! Tickets are available now for only $20 at https://rundgrenradio.tix.com.
We have some group rates available for travelers for the party and/or concerts in Rockford. You can get the details and keep up with any announcements by visiting this page …
http://www.rundgrenradio.com/orchestra.html
The Rockford airport has a very limited number of flights so it’s best to get a flight into Chicago or Madison, WI. Both Chicago airports have shuttle buses that go to Rockford. We don’t have info on Midway’s shuttle but the one from O’Hare is only $20 and runs on the hour! Details are available on the page mentioned above.
Do you remember the Todd-Healing tour that RundgrenRadio.com presented in 2010/2011? Well, one of them was filmed for a DVD and is available now at Toddstore.com. The DVD is only the Todd album portion and Healing will be available at a later date. The DVD also has the first half of the interview that Todd did with Grammy award winning interviewer Roy Firestone that was also presented by your friends at RR. We don’t have any information on when AWATS Live DVD will be available but we do know Ed Vigdor is hard at work editing it.
Roger Linder at TRconnection.com is having a "Todd" DVD Giveaway contest, sponsored by S'more Entertainment and The Todd Rundgren Connection. To enter, simply send an e-mail to ToddDVDGiveaway@TRConnection.com
Check out Mike Adrian’s Todd blog at RundgrenBlog.com. No one posts Todd’s happenings quicker than Mike!
A few more details about Todd’s Revival Camp can be found here …
http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2012/02/21/796949.aspx
If you are a Facebooker, please join the RR group if you like …
http://www.facebook.com/groups/17618438938/
And for you twitter folks, stay in touch with us at …
http://twitter.com/#!/rundgrenradio
See you on the road to Utopia!
Doug & Melinda
RundgrenRadio.com
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
download : Nearly Human Tour Rehearsals
http://www.mediafire.com/?mpitb2snjiwfn
Todd Rundgren
Hun Sound
San Rafael, CA
July 1989
Nearly Human Tour Rehearsals
01 The Want Of A Nail (aborted)
02 I Love My Life (partial)
03 Lost Horizon > Marvin Gaye Medley (up to Mercy Mercy Me)
04 Real Man
05 Unloved Children
06 Secret Society >
07 Something To Fall Back On
08 Hawking
09 The Want Of A Nail (cuts in slightly)
10 Hello It's Me
11 I Love My Life
Soundboard recording
This set came into circulation several years ago with the other
great soundboard recordings form the Nearly Human and Second
Wind tours. What we have here is the band working out arrangements
and running through songs for the upcoming Nearly Human tour.
Some of these tunes are incomplete as the band works through
specific sections of a song. There is some chatter from Todd
and other band members scattered through out. It's a very cool glimpse
behind the scenes as the band works to get the set ready to take out
on the road. Enjoy.
Todd Rundgren
Hun Sound
San Rafael, CA
July 1989
Nearly Human Tour Rehearsals
01 The Want Of A Nail (aborted)
02 I Love My Life (partial)
03 Lost Horizon > Marvin Gaye Medley (up to Mercy Mercy Me)
04 Real Man
05 Unloved Children
06 Secret Society >
07 Something To Fall Back On
08 Hawking
09 The Want Of A Nail (cuts in slightly)
10 Hello It's Me
11 I Love My Life
Soundboard recording
This set came into circulation several years ago with the other
great soundboard recordings form the Nearly Human and Second
Wind tours. What we have here is the band working out arrangements
and running through songs for the upcoming Nearly Human tour.
Some of these tunes are incomplete as the band works through
specific sections of a song. There is some chatter from Todd
and other band members scattered through out. It's a very cool glimpse
behind the scenes as the band works to get the set ready to take out
on the road. Enjoy.
"Todd" DVD Giveaway Contest
"Todd" DVD Giveaway Contest
It's your chance for a FREE DVD in the "Todd" DVD Giveaway contest, sponsored by S'more Entertainment and The Todd Rundgren Connection. Entries are limited to one per person and winners will be randomly drawn from all valid entries received. Attempts to violate the rules of the contest will result in the disqualification of the entrant. Five winners will be announced and notified after the deadline of March 30, 2012, the 38th anniversary of the release of "A Dream Goes On Forever." Winners will need to acknowledge with their mailing address (US Only). DVDs will be shipped directly from S'More Entertainment.
Should a winner fail to provide a valid mailing address within two weeks of the end of the contest, that DVD will be made available in a second chance drawing to be conducted at a later date.
To enter, simply send an e-mail to ToddDVDGiveaway@TRConnection.com
Can't wait, or not lucky? You can order the DVD from Amazon.com.
RR Family Reunion Party
RR Family Reunion Party
Come join us for the RundgrenRadio Family Reunion Party on May 31st, most probably at the Lexington Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort in Rockford, IL.
We will have a cash bar, appetizers, music and good ole "family" fun.
Rundgren Radio Family Reunion Party
Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 8:00 PM
Lexington Hotel @ Cliffbreakers Resort
Rockford, IL
Website: www.rundgrenradio.com/orchestra.html
E-Mail: doug@rundgrenradio.com
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Toddstore will be throwing a Party April 5th
Just a little heads up ..The Toddstore will be throwing a Party April 5th in Los Angeles ..it's gonna be a GOOOD time ..save the date..details coming soon !!
Toddstore update
NEW Spring Tour Dates and Unpredictable Webcast ! Yee Haw !! |
Howdy Folks !In case you missed it on Facebook .. Todd has some new Tour dates for March and April ! Joining him will be Kasim, Jesse , Prairie and John F. 3/20/12 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant 3/22/12 Tulsa, OK -Cain's Ballroom 3/23/12 New Braunfel's TX -Gruene Hall 3/25/12 Houston, TX - House Of Blues 3/26/12 Dallas , TX - House Of Blues 3/28/12 Austin, TX -La Zona Rosa 3/29/12 Longview, TX- Belcher PAC 3/31/12 Santa Fe, NM -Lensic PAC 4/1/12 Tucson, AZ- Rialto Theatre Apr 3 Anthology - San Diego, Calif. Apr 4 Canyon Club- Agoura Hills , Calif. Apr 6 Coach House -San Juan Capistrano, Calif AND..don't forget ..if you can't make it to any of the upcoming shows there will be a webcast on March 12 from one of the City Winery shows this week !! Here is the link : Unpredictable Todd Webcast Still trying to figure out your Summer Vacation ?? How about spending a few days with Todd in the Catskills ?? Todd Rundgren's Musical Revival Camp ! July 23-27 at the Full Moon Resort in upstate New York ! Still working out some of the details ..but register today ! It will be the most fun you have all Summer long !! Todd Rundgren Musical Revival camp 2012 Email with any questions ! Thanks ! The Toddstore Staff |
Monday, February 27, 2012
follow this blog on twitter at @ma4utopia
ill continue on twitter on my personal acct. @ www.twitter.com/ma4utopia
@ma4utopia
@ma4utopia
UPDATE: www.twitter.com/toddrundgren
Tomorrow i will hand back the Todd Rundgren Twitter acct. to his team. Years ago when Twitter was just starting up i thought it would be smart to "protect" the Todd Rundgren name by taking it before anyone else did. It remained dormant for some time until i started using it to promote Todd's Career. I have now close to 4000 followers and it grows about 6 new followers a day.
I am happy that it has finally ended up in the rightful hands. Its been fun posting to it and seeing it mature. Please continue to visit it on your own. I will no longer have it linked to this blog directly.
I will continue to post here as usual. I will also link on the facebook page associated with this blog.
It has been fun.
Michael aka ma4utopia
I am happy that it has finally ended up in the rightful hands. Its been fun posting to it and seeing it mature. Please continue to visit it on your own. I will no longer have it linked to this blog directly.
I will continue to post here as usual. I will also link on the facebook page associated with this blog.
It has been fun.
Michael aka ma4utopia
Todd with Mike on the loft SIRIUS Radio
Todd to once again share the mic with Mike on The Loft - Sirius XM 30 - Playing Records with Mike - Date TBA
Sunday, February 26, 2012
partial setlist of the unpredictable shows at city winery nyc
Too Far Gone, Cliche, IDWTTYD, B&W , born to Syn, compassion, 1 world and 96 tears,Lysistrata, I Saw The (twisted) Light, Endless Prairie(lorne green song) Encores: The Wheel and Hawking,
RundgrenRadio.com To Present Todd Rundgren's First Ever Symphonic Shows In North America This June
RundgrenRadio.com To Present Todd Rundgren's First Ever Symphonic Shows In North America This June
RundgrenRadio.com is proud to announce two concerts featuring Todd Rundgren, accompanied by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, on June 1st and 2nd, 2012 at the historic Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford, IL.
pRLog (Press Release) - Feb 26, 2012 - RundgrenRadio.com is proud to announce two concerts featuring Todd Rundgren, accompanied by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, on June 1st and 2nd, 2012 at the historic Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford, IL.
These will be Rundgren's first ever symphonic shows in North America; in September of last year, Todd performed two sold out concerts in the Netherlands backed by the Dutch Metropole Orchestra, and was smitten by the genre.
A Wizard, A True Star -- the title of Todd Rundgren's 1973 solo album aptly sums up the contributions of this multi-faceted artist to state-of-the-art music. As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, and interactive artist , Rundgren has made a lasting impact on both the form and content of popular music.
Among his myriad hits are "Hello It's Me","I Saw the Light", "Can We Still be Friends", "We Gotta Get You A Woman", "Open My Eyes", and "Bang the Drum ", the latter a mainstay on ESPN and in television commercials. Rundgren's prolific producer's discography includes such classics as Skylarking by XTC, We're an American Band by Grand Funk Railroad, War Babies by Hall & Oates, Wave by Patti Smith,and Meat Loaf's auspicious debut Bat Out of Hell, the fifth best selling album of all time (42 million).
Internationally acknowledged as the godfather of the marriage of music and multimedia, he is responsible for many pioneering "firsts" :
1978: The first interactive television concert, broadcast live over the Warner/QUBE system in Columbus, Ohio (the home audience chose each song.in real time during the concert by voting via QUBE's 2-way operating system)
1978: The first live nationally broadcast stereo radio concert (by microwave), linking 40 cities around the country
1979: The opening of Utopia Video Studios, a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art facility. The first project produced by Todd there is Gustav Holst's The Planets, commissioned by RCA SelectaVision as the first demonstration software for their new videodisc format.
1980: Creation of the first color graphics tablet, which was licensed to Apple and released as The Utopia Graphics Tablet
1981: Time Heals, the first music video to utilize state-of-the-art compositing of live action and computer graphics (produced and directed by Todd), becomes the eighth video to be played on MTV on launch day
1982: The first live national cablecast of a rock concert (on the USA Network), simulcast in stereo to over 120 radio stations
1982: The first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for "Best Short Form Video" the following year
1992: The release of "No World Order", the world's first interactive record album on CD-i. Also the first commercially available music downloads via CompuServe
1994: The release of "The Individualist", the world's first full-length Enhanced CD
1995: The world's first interactive concert tour
1998: Launches PatroNet, the world's first direct artist subscription service
The Rockford Symphony Orchestra is one of the leading cultural institutions in Northern Illinois, performing over twenty classical and pops concerts annually. The RSO was incorporated in 1943 after performing for the community for nine seasons under its first Music Director and Manager, Arthur Zack, who led the orchestra for twenty-seven years. In 1970, the Board of Directors appointed Crawford Gates its next music director, bringing renowned guest artists to perform with the orchestra including Van Cliburn (1972), Victor Borge (1973), Phyllis Diller (1974), and Benny Goodman (1975).
Upon the retirement of Crawford Gates, the RSO Board named Charles Bornstein as music director in 1986. Bornstein's intellectual and artistic vision were characteristics of his tenure.
In 1991, the Board named Steven Larsen as the RSO's fourth music director. Described as a "Renaissance musician," Larsen went to work and over the last seventeen years has expanded the orchestra's repertoire, attracting musicians of the highest caliber. Youth education and community outreach programs have expanded, increasing the RSO's presence in the lives of Rockford area residents. During his tenure, Larsen added a pops series, an outdoor summer performance series and a fully-staged opera to the Symphony's concert rosters. He has endeavored to bring the RSO's performances to wider audiences by performing in new and non-traditional venues. His accomplish-ments have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Illinois Council of Orchestras' 2006 Conductor of the Year and a 1999 Mayor's Arts Award for individual achievement.
Under Larsen's artistic leadership, the orchestra continues to develop the audiences of tomorrow through the RSO's Youth Concerts and KinderKonzert programs, and through a wide variety of other educational programs involving the entire Rockford community. Overall, the Rockford Symphony's mission is to enlighten, educate and entertain the people of Northern Illinois through symphonic music performance of the highest artistic excellence.
The Coronado opened on October 9, 1927 as an atmospheric style theatre and movie palace - complete with Spanish castles, Italian villas, oriental dragons, starlit skies and a Grande Barton Pipe Organ. Countless show business legends, including the Marx Brothers, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Gypsy Rose Lee have performed on the Coronado stage. .
The Coronado was the romantic setting for countless movie-going couples on their first date, and a Saturday outing for kids watching cartoons and movies through 1984. Over the years, the theatre has also played host to high school graduations, political rallies and community events.
After decades of use, the grand dame Coronado received a much needed facelift between 1999 and 2001, with the community-wide support of the city of Rockford, individuals and corporations. Spear-headed by the Friends of the Coronado, a non-profit organization formed in 1997, the theatre was reborn in January, 2001 in its original grand style as a state-of-the-art performance and entertainment facility after an $18.5 million restoration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVga4iMFTDk
RundgrenRadio.com is proud to announce two concerts featuring Todd Rundgren, accompanied by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, on June 1st and 2nd, 2012 at the historic Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford, IL.
pRLog (Press Release) - Feb 26, 2012 - RundgrenRadio.com is proud to announce two concerts featuring Todd Rundgren, accompanied by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, on June 1st and 2nd, 2012 at the historic Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford, IL.
These will be Rundgren's first ever symphonic shows in North America; in September of last year, Todd performed two sold out concerts in the Netherlands backed by the Dutch Metropole Orchestra, and was smitten by the genre.
A Wizard, A True Star -- the title of Todd Rundgren's 1973 solo album aptly sums up the contributions of this multi-faceted artist to state-of-the-art music. As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, and interactive artist , Rundgren has made a lasting impact on both the form and content of popular music.
Among his myriad hits are "Hello It's Me","I Saw the Light", "Can We Still be Friends", "We Gotta Get You A Woman", "Open My Eyes", and "Bang the Drum ", the latter a mainstay on ESPN and in television commercials. Rundgren's prolific producer's discography includes such classics as Skylarking by XTC, We're an American Band by Grand Funk Railroad, War Babies by Hall & Oates, Wave by Patti Smith,and Meat Loaf's auspicious debut Bat Out of Hell, the fifth best selling album of all time (42 million).
Internationally acknowledged as the godfather of the marriage of music and multimedia, he is responsible for many pioneering "firsts" :
1978: The first interactive television concert, broadcast live over the Warner/QUBE system in Columbus, Ohio (the home audience chose each song.in real time during the concert by voting via QUBE's 2-way operating system)
1978: The first live nationally broadcast stereo radio concert (by microwave), linking 40 cities around the country
1979: The opening of Utopia Video Studios, a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art facility. The first project produced by Todd there is Gustav Holst's The Planets, commissioned by RCA SelectaVision as the first demonstration software for their new videodisc format.
1980: Creation of the first color graphics tablet, which was licensed to Apple and released as The Utopia Graphics Tablet
1981: Time Heals, the first music video to utilize state-of-the-art compositing of live action and computer graphics (produced and directed by Todd), becomes the eighth video to be played on MTV on launch day
1982: The first live national cablecast of a rock concert (on the USA Network), simulcast in stereo to over 120 radio stations
1982: The first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for "Best Short Form Video" the following year
1992: The release of "No World Order", the world's first interactive record album on CD-i. Also the first commercially available music downloads via CompuServe
1994: The release of "The Individualist", the world's first full-length Enhanced CD
1995: The world's first interactive concert tour
1998: Launches PatroNet, the world's first direct artist subscription service
The Rockford Symphony Orchestra is one of the leading cultural institutions in Northern Illinois, performing over twenty classical and pops concerts annually. The RSO was incorporated in 1943 after performing for the community for nine seasons under its first Music Director and Manager, Arthur Zack, who led the orchestra for twenty-seven years. In 1970, the Board of Directors appointed Crawford Gates its next music director, bringing renowned guest artists to perform with the orchestra including Van Cliburn (1972), Victor Borge (1973), Phyllis Diller (1974), and Benny Goodman (1975).
Upon the retirement of Crawford Gates, the RSO Board named Charles Bornstein as music director in 1986. Bornstein's intellectual and artistic vision were characteristics of his tenure.
In 1991, the Board named Steven Larsen as the RSO's fourth music director. Described as a "Renaissance musician," Larsen went to work and over the last seventeen years has expanded the orchestra's repertoire, attracting musicians of the highest caliber. Youth education and community outreach programs have expanded, increasing the RSO's presence in the lives of Rockford area residents. During his tenure, Larsen added a pops series, an outdoor summer performance series and a fully-staged opera to the Symphony's concert rosters. He has endeavored to bring the RSO's performances to wider audiences by performing in new and non-traditional venues. His accomplish-ments have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Illinois Council of Orchestras' 2006 Conductor of the Year and a 1999 Mayor's Arts Award for individual achievement.
Under Larsen's artistic leadership, the orchestra continues to develop the audiences of tomorrow through the RSO's Youth Concerts and KinderKonzert programs, and through a wide variety of other educational programs involving the entire Rockford community. Overall, the Rockford Symphony's mission is to enlighten, educate and entertain the people of Northern Illinois through symphonic music performance of the highest artistic excellence.
The Coronado opened on October 9, 1927 as an atmospheric style theatre and movie palace - complete with Spanish castles, Italian villas, oriental dragons, starlit skies and a Grande Barton Pipe Organ. Countless show business legends, including the Marx Brothers, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Gypsy Rose Lee have performed on the Coronado stage. .
The Coronado was the romantic setting for countless movie-going couples on their first date, and a Saturday outing for kids watching cartoons and movies through 1984. Over the years, the theatre has also played host to high school graduations, political rallies and community events.
After decades of use, the grand dame Coronado received a much needed facelift between 1999 and 2001, with the community-wide support of the city of Rockford, individuals and corporations. Spear-headed by the Friends of the Coronado, a non-profit organization formed in 1997, the theatre was reborn in January, 2001 in its original grand style as a state-of-the-art performance and entertainment facility after an $18.5 million restoration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVga4iMFTDk
ToddFest/West 2012
Hello everyone--
The date and location have been set for ToddFest/West 2012! We're sending out this notice to give you plenty of time to mark your calendars and plan accordingly.
When -- Saturday, July 28 starting at 1pm
Where -- The Lafonds home in Campbell, CA
Dog alert -- There are sweet, furry critters in this household, so plan accordingly if you have allergies.
Note -- Campbell, CA is close to San Jose if you're considering airports. Let us know if you need recommendations for lodging.
RSVP -- Reply to RSVP2012@ToddFestWest.com by July 1 to have your TFW-12 laminate personalized with your name
For those of you who are new to TFW, it's an annual gathering of fans, friends and family to spend a day with like-minded Todd peeps. It's a casual event and a potluck -- and it's free. Every year we have both new and returning attendees. Lots of socializing and all sorts of goings-on such as sharing stories and memorabilia, watching videos, playing and singing TR tunes, and simply hanging out and talking and having a great day! You can find out more about past fests at
http://toddfestwest.com/2012
The Lafonds have previously transformed their garage into a jam room and that has been fun enough to redux! Steve's rocking band, Ded Ringer, will probably once again perform some TR tunes for us to enjoy and sing along to, and the space can be used throughout the day for all to play/jam in.
Based on comments from last year, I'd like to plan some pre-fest jam sessions and will send out a message to solicit interest on that. So if you want to jam or host a jam (no, you don't have to play or sing to be a host!) then respond to that message and we'll shoot for having sessions in March, April, May and June.
And a little story for those who are wondering why this date -- 1995 was the first fest at my home in Sacramento and one of the attendees was two year old Korie Lafond who has enthusiastically attended almost every fest since then. She's now in college and leaving for a year abroad in early August and didn't want to miss the fest. This is a true sign of the community that the fest has cultivated over the years and touched me deeply!
Lastly, but certainly not least, there are a number of TR shows on the horizon. The wonderful folks at Rundgren Radio are bringing the amazing orchestra shows to the US in Rockford, IL! RR party will be on 5/31/12 and shows on 6/1/12 and 6/2/12. Southern CA "best of" shows are scheduled for early April. Let's visualize those coming to the bay area! And a bay area date is already set for the Ringo All-Star tour. More details and all the best TR info can be found at
http://trconnection.com/tour/t2012
Look forward to seeing many of you soon! Let us know if you can make it, have questions or need other info.
Your TFW planners -- Roger Linder, Debbie Sommer, Kim, Steve and Korie Lafond
The date and location have been set for ToddFest/West 2012! We're sending out this notice to give you plenty of time to mark your calendars and plan accordingly.
When -- Saturday, July 28 starting at 1pm
Where -- The Lafonds home in Campbell, CA
Dog alert -- There are sweet, furry critters in this household, so plan accordingly if you have allergies.
Note -- Campbell, CA is close to San Jose if you're considering airports. Let us know if you need recommendations for lodging.
RSVP -- Reply to RSVP2012@ToddFestWest.com by July 1 to have your TFW-12 laminate personalized with your name
For those of you who are new to TFW, it's an annual gathering of fans, friends and family to spend a day with like-minded Todd peeps. It's a casual event and a potluck -- and it's free. Every year we have both new and returning attendees. Lots of socializing and all sorts of goings-on such as sharing stories and memorabilia, watching videos, playing and singing TR tunes, and simply hanging out and talking and having a great day! You can find out more about past fests at
http://toddfestwest.com/2012
The Lafonds have previously transformed their garage into a jam room and that has been fun enough to redux! Steve's rocking band, Ded Ringer, will probably once again perform some TR tunes for us to enjoy and sing along to, and the space can be used throughout the day for all to play/jam in.
Based on comments from last year, I'd like to plan some pre-fest jam sessions and will send out a message to solicit interest on that. So if you want to jam or host a jam (no, you don't have to play or sing to be a host!) then respond to that message and we'll shoot for having sessions in March, April, May and June.
And a little story for those who are wondering why this date -- 1995 was the first fest at my home in Sacramento and one of the attendees was two year old Korie Lafond who has enthusiastically attended almost every fest since then. She's now in college and leaving for a year abroad in early August and didn't want to miss the fest. This is a true sign of the community that the fest has cultivated over the years and touched me deeply!
Lastly, but certainly not least, there are a number of TR shows on the horizon. The wonderful folks at Rundgren Radio are bringing the amazing orchestra shows to the US in Rockford, IL! RR party will be on 5/31/12 and shows on 6/1/12 and 6/2/12. Southern CA "best of" shows are scheduled for early April. Let's visualize those coming to the bay area! And a bay area date is already set for the Ringo All-Star tour. More details and all the best TR info can be found at
http://trconnection.com/tour/t2012
Look forward to seeing many of you soon! Let us know if you can make it, have questions or need other info.
Your TFW planners -- Roger Linder, Debbie Sommer, Kim, Steve and Korie Lafond
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