The "almost" official blog for everything Todd Rundgren Related........................................................................................................................................................................... Please visit the sister facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Ma4utopia?ref=hl
Monday, December 23, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
upcoming Todd Camp
mythic pacific retreat
Cambria Pines Lodge, Cambria
August 18-22, 2014
As the pioneers made their way inexorably westward in search of new lands and adventures, so the Rundgren Nation must explore the nether regions of this vast continent.
Thus we encamp this August for our first Mythic Pacific Retreat at the Cambria Pines Lodge on the Middle Coast of California.
Our agenda is still in development, but do not hesitate to explore the site of our destination and consider joining us for what is sure to be an historic event.
Eureka!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Kasim message about broken ankle.
http://www.kasiminfo.com/Message.html
each month Kasim Sulton sends a message about what he has been doing and his future plans so here is his one for December 2013
And Then I....
Broke my leg.
Technically my leg but specifically my ankle.
Even more specifically my right Fibula.
The gory details are a hairline fracture spiraling from the front of the bone to the back. Like a candy cane if you will.
This all started with my back.
Now, I've never had back issues. I guess just the normal back aches associated with my age and my profession. Having a 6 - 7 pound guitar hanging on your shoulder hours on end, sitting on planes and bad hotel beds has had a cumulative effect on me.
When my back problem presented itself, the only relief I got was taking numerous hot baths. I was taking roughly five a night just so I could sleep for a few hours. During the course of a week, I was lucky to get 8 hours of real sleep.
I was so tired that after one of the baths, I slipped getting out of the tub and .... crack ... fell on my ankle and broke it.
I've been hobbling around for the past two weeks with a cast on.
The worst part was missing a private show in Las Vegas with Todd. The first missed show in 38 years. Hopefully the last.
This couldn't have happened at a worse time. The holidays.
I'm on the mend ... I've been to more Doctors in the past 3 weeks then I have in the past 10 years and I'm not happy about it.
I'll recover and treat this as a not so subtle indication that I need to be more conscious of taking care of myself.
I hope everyone has a great Christmas.
Kasim
each month Kasim Sulton sends a message about what he has been doing and his future plans so here is his one for December 2013
And Then I....Broke my leg.
Technically my leg but specifically my ankle.
Even more specifically my right Fibula.
The gory details are a hairline fracture spiraling from the front of the bone to the back. Like a candy cane if you will.
This all started with my back.
Now, I've never had back issues. I guess just the normal back aches associated with my age and my profession. Having a 6 - 7 pound guitar hanging on your shoulder hours on end, sitting on planes and bad hotel beds has had a cumulative effect on me.
When my back problem presented itself, the only relief I got was taking numerous hot baths. I was taking roughly five a night just so I could sleep for a few hours. During the course of a week, I was lucky to get 8 hours of real sleep.
I was so tired that after one of the baths, I slipped getting out of the tub and .... crack ... fell on my ankle and broke it.
I've been hobbling around for the past two weeks with a cast on.
The worst part was missing a private show in Las Vegas with Todd. The first missed show in 38 years. Hopefully the last.
This couldn't have happened at a worse time. The holidays.
I'm on the mend ... I've been to more Doctors in the past 3 weeks then I have in the past 10 years and I'm not happy about it.
I'll recover and treat this as a not so subtle indication that I need to be more conscious of taking care of myself.
I hope everyone has a great Christmas.
Kasim
Monday, December 2, 2013
Toddstore sale..
Good Morning and Welcome to Day 2 of December ! In the spirit of giving and the Holiday spirit .. With your purchase you will receive a Live Todd & Live Healing CD ..2 of our Holiday Postcards and 2 TR guitar picks ..FREE with your purchase of 30.00 or more !! Start your Holiday shopping NOW ! www.toddstore.com
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Strawberry Fields live Las Vegas on November 24, 2013
Strawberry Fields live at the Chuck's 50 event in Las Vegas on November 24, 2013. This performance features Todd Rundgren on lead vocals, Chuck Silber on bass and backing vocals, Marty Silber on keys, Randy Antlept on drums, and the fabulous Bella Strings.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Singer/Songwriter Kasim Sulton To Debut Four New Songs Live at Rundgren Radio Party In Orlando
Singer/Songwriter Kasim Sulton To Debut Four New Songs Live at Rundgren Radio Party In Orlando
Kasim Sulton will debut four new songs live from his upcoming album at a party in Orlando hosted by Rundgren Radio on December 30th for fans going to the Todd Rundgren with special guest Pat Travers Band concert the following night on New Year's Eve.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kasim Sulton
Sulton's new CD will be available in early 2014 and features some of his friends as guests on several of the songs including but not limited to Jason Scheff of the band Chicago and all of the members of the band Utopia - Todd Rundgren, Roger Powell, and Willie Wilcox. He's hosting CD release parties at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH on March 9th and Space in Evanston, IL on March 12th.
Brooklyn-born singer/songwriter Kasim Sulton began his career playing piano for David Bowie's publicist Cherry Vanilla, before joining Todd Rundgren's prog-rock group Utopia in 1976. Kasim played bass and sang vocals in the band for 10 years. During that time, they released six studio albums and Kasim took on more of the lead vocals of the group as well. Kasim also wrote their only Top Forty hit, *Set Me Free.*
Kasim was a part of Meat Loaf*s band from 1993 to 2009 and in 1998 became his Musical Director. Kasim also has the distinction of being the only musician, apart from Meat Loaf, who performs on each track of all three Bat Out Of Hell albums. In recent years, Kasim has also been making his name as a producer, having produced the Meat Loaf album StoryTellers in 1999, and Rick Reynolds' album Unstoppable in 2005.
Kasim released his solo album, *Quid Pro Quo,* in 2002 to critical acclaim by both critics and fans alike, and in 2003, it won the Kweevak.com Viewers* Choice Award. Kasim*s double compilation CD called *All Sides* which includes new tracks, live tracks and personal favorites from his other solo albums was released in 2007. His first ever solo DVD was released in December of 2008.
Kasim has appeared on well over 100 recordings. A renowned session artist and musician, Kasim is recognized and respected throughout the music industry for his work with artists such as Todd Rundgren and Utopia, Meat Loaf, Celine Dion, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Joan Jett, Hall and Oates, Patti Smith, Patty Smyth and Mick Jagger; and this is only a handful of the artists and performers he has worked with in his extraordinary multi-faceted musical career.
To learn more about Kasim Sulton, visit his Facebook page at http://www.KasimSulton.com.
https://www.youtube.com/
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
RundgrenRadio shows... Dont Miss !!
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Rundgren Radio To Host NYE Concert in
2013!
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Friday, November 15, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Holiday Toddstore is open..
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Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Guitar Player magazine Dec. 2013 .. thanks Jeff.."Weavil"
SEVEN pages (!) covering recent tour legs
Monday, November 11, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
RundgrenRadio presents Todd Rundgren's New Years Eve Show
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Rundgren Radio To Host NYE Concert in
2013!
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Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Venue announced for NYE show
Todd Rundgren with special guest the Pat Travers Band in Orlando, FL at BB Kings on December 31st 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
ToddStore and RundgrenRadio Updates: NYE with Todd and Pat Travers
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Sunday, October 13, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
New Years eve show in the works
OK, here we go. This is as much as we can tell you so please enjoy not having to wait until Tuesday for all of it .
As stated earlier, we are mostly holding back info because we do not have the info. This is an attempt to be nice and give you a head start in case you would like to attend.
And for the record, sorry to be so blunt but posting that you can't go or don't like the theme, etc does not help us. We're interested in info on who can go so we can be better prepared. We are sad about the people that can't go so don't take that the wrong way please....
1) RR will be hosting a Todd Rundgren gig on NYE. Setlist will be "guitar heavy"! There will be a support act, national act in fact.
2) We are speaking with 4 different venues right now. We plan to lock one in tomorrow hopefully. These are the top 2 cities and they are listed by priority. Orlando and Atlanta. SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please do not book flights or anything - we could end up somewhere totally different but we hope not. Orlando is top priority and we hope we can work it out.
3) Standing and sitting will be available if we get any of the venues that are on our radar.
4) Like any NYE gig/party worth anything the ticket prices will be pricey. It's impossible to say at this point without the venue locked in but assume $125-$175 range. Could be better but assume it's not. Hotel rooms $150-$200 most likely if you want to stay at the group rate hotel. Hey, get off me it's NYE people !
5) Band will be Kasim, Jesse, Ferenzik, and Greg Bendian (Prairie has a Tubes gig that night).
6) It has been 17 years since Todd did a public NYE gig. 2008 was "semi-private" and limited to 225 peeps. Tickets for that show were $125 by the way and it sold out.
As stated earlier, we are mostly holding back info because we do not have the info. This is an attempt to be nice and give you a head start in case you would like to attend.
And for the record, sorry to be so blunt but posting that you can't go or don't like the theme, etc does not help us. We're interested in info on who can go so we can be better prepared. We are sad about the people that can't go so don't take that the wrong way please....
1) RR will be hosting a Todd Rundgren gig on NYE. Setlist will be "guitar heavy"! There will be a support act, national act in fact.
2) We are speaking with 4 different venues right now. We plan to lock one in tomorrow hopefully. These are the top 2 cities and they are listed by priority. Orlando and Atlanta. SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please do not book flights or anything - we could end up somewhere totally different but we hope not. Orlando is top priority and we hope we can work it out.
3) Standing and sitting will be available if we get any of the venues that are on our radar.
4) Like any NYE gig/party worth anything the ticket prices will be pricey. It's impossible to say at this point without the venue locked in but assume $125-$175 range. Could be better but assume it's not. Hotel rooms $150-$200 most likely if you want to stay at the group rate hotel. Hey, get off me it's NYE people !
5) Band will be Kasim, Jesse, Ferenzik, and Greg Bendian (Prairie has a Tubes gig that night).
6) It has been 17 years since Todd did a public NYE gig. 2008 was "semi-private" and limited to 225 peeps. Tickets for that show were $125 by the way and it sold out.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
ALL 4 PARTS OF THE Todd Rundgren Documentary By JSK
TODD is a 4 hour documentary edited, produced & directed by musician and artist JSK (aka Jason Stuart Kamasz) chronicling the life of Todd Rundgren. The film is an entirely home-made project and is a non-profit work. The film is narrated by Todd himself having utilized audio from interviews spanning 40 years. I hope you enjoy it. Regards JSK
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Todd Rundgren Remixes Andy Bull
Premiere: Todd Rundgren Remixes Andy Bull
News posted Tuesday, September 24 2013 at 01:00 PM.
Related: Andy Bull.
When he wasn’t busy touring Australia, remixing Tame Impalaor jawing with Davey Lane, cult iconoclast Todd Rundgren found time to rework ‘Baby I Am Nobody Now’, the current single from Sydney’s keyboard-centred artist-producer Andy Bull.
In Rundgren’s hands, the clubby, claggy synth-pop of the originalbecomes unmoored, a ballad made squiggly and cosmic. The falsetto-licked chorus is preserved, but from there Rundgren stretches leisurely out with a synth-y, looping bridge that builds the anticipation for another chorus.
‘Baby I Am Nobody Now’ is Bull’s second self-produced single, following March’s ‘Keep On Running’and 2010’s instant-breakout debut EP The Phantom Pains, featuring the Lisa Mitchell duet ‘Dog’. The Sydneysider will release an album next year, having recently signed to Republic Records in the US.
You can download the remix free for the next two weeks here. Catch Bull on tour along the East Coast next month.
Thurs, Oct 10 – The Small Ballroom, Newcastle, NSW
Fri, Oct 11 – Heritage Hotel, Bulli, NSW
Sat, Oct 12 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Sat, Oct 19 – Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane, QLD
Sun, Oct 20 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, VIC [early show]
Tues, Oct 22 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, VIC
Fri, Oct 11 – Heritage Hotel, Bulli, NSW
Sat, Oct 12 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Sat, Oct 19 – Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane, QLD
Sun, Oct 20 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, VIC [early show]
Tues, Oct 22 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, VIC
Monday, September 23, 2013
Todd Rundgren to Receive the Les Paul Award at 29th Annual TEC Awards
Todd Rundgren to Receive the Les Paul Award at 29th Annual TEC Awards
September 23, 2013
Todd Rundgren
Carlsbad, CA (September 23, 2013) -- Legendary musician, groundbreaking record producer and electronic music revolutionary Todd Rundgren will be honored with the prestigious Les Paul Award at the 29th Annual Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards. The awards recognize outstanding achievement in professional audio technology and production and will be presented Friday, Jan. 24 at the Anaheim Hilton during the 2014 NAMM Show held in Anaheim, CA.
The Les Paul Award, named for the revolutionary inventor and esteemed musician, is presented annually to honor individuals or institutions that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of audio and music technology. Russ Paul, son of Les Paul, will make the presentation on behalf of the Les Paul Foundation, sponsor of the award. Instituted in 1991, the honor has been granted to such luminaries as Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and Peter Gabriel.
A personification of creative musical experimentation and mastery, Rundgren often performed multiple tasks on his solo albums - writing, playing, singing, engineering, producing and distributing - and has been a pioneer of interactive and online distribution. Between his solo work and his creative output with his progressive band, Utopia, Rundgren has released more than 25 critically acclaimed albums.
The TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio will also induct two new members to its Hall of Fame. Audio engineer and sound researcher John Meyer co-founded and is CEO of Berkeley’s Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc., bringing groundbreaking developments to the design and manufacture of the loudspeaker. He will be recognized for his cutting-edge contributions to sound reinforcement in the performing arts. Legendary session musician Hal Blaine of the Wrecking Crew played drums on more than 5,000 records, TV jingles and film scores. Career highlights include hits for Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys and dozens more.
The TEC Awards ceremony is expected to attract more than 1,000 global manufacturers of audio equipment and software, as well as top music producers, engineers, sound mixers and musical artists. The awards ceremony is now produced as part of the NAMM Foundation. It will be held on the second night of The NAMM Show, one of the world’s largest global music industry trade shows. As it approaches its third decade, the TEC Awards under the auspices of NAMM continues to grow both technically and artistically and has become established as one of the entertainment industry's most important annual events.
The Les Paul Award, named for the revolutionary inventor and esteemed musician, is presented annually to honor individuals or institutions that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of audio and music technology. Russ Paul, son of Les Paul, will make the presentation on behalf of the Les Paul Foundation, sponsor of the award. Instituted in 1991, the honor has been granted to such luminaries as Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and Peter Gabriel.
A personification of creative musical experimentation and mastery, Rundgren often performed multiple tasks on his solo albums - writing, playing, singing, engineering, producing and distributing - and has been a pioneer of interactive and online distribution. Between his solo work and his creative output with his progressive band, Utopia, Rundgren has released more than 25 critically acclaimed albums.
The TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio will also induct two new members to its Hall of Fame. Audio engineer and sound researcher John Meyer co-founded and is CEO of Berkeley’s Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc., bringing groundbreaking developments to the design and manufacture of the loudspeaker. He will be recognized for his cutting-edge contributions to sound reinforcement in the performing arts. Legendary session musician Hal Blaine of the Wrecking Crew played drums on more than 5,000 records, TV jingles and film scores. Career highlights include hits for Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys and dozens more.
The TEC Awards ceremony is expected to attract more than 1,000 global manufacturers of audio equipment and software, as well as top music producers, engineers, sound mixers and musical artists. The awards ceremony is now produced as part of the NAMM Foundation. It will be held on the second night of The NAMM Show, one of the world’s largest global music industry trade shows. As it approaches its third decade, the TEC Awards under the auspices of NAMM continues to grow both technically and artistically and has become established as one of the entertainment industry's most important annual events.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
RundgrenRadio show tonight Up Against It
RundgrenRadio.com 
8:30pm ET at RundgrenRadio.com
We will be playing the only-released-in-Japan "Up Against It" CD by Todd Rundgren. Rumor has it the Metropole Orchestra in Amsterdam may be performing this music with Todd next year!
Also, special guest Doug Katsaros will be calling in after we play the CD to discuss his role of orchestrating "Up Against It" for Todd! Doug is the piano player you can't miss seeing in this video lol ...
http://youtu.be/-28Gg9I2dJk
He has worked with plenty of famous musicians (Rod Stewart, Donny Osmond, Dee Snider, Marlo Thomas, and many more) and is a GRAMMY AWARD WINNER.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
interesting tech article on Todd
http://www.fohonline.com/current-issue/21-production-profile/9389-an-evening-with-todd-rundgren.html
If anything’s predictable about Todd Rundgren, it’s to expect the unexpected. A brilliant songwriter/guitarist/synthesist with talents both onstage and in the studio, Rundgren’s career (solo or with his band Utopia) has spanned just about every musical genre, ranging from rock to pop to smooth soul to edgy electronica and most recently, EDM. And even at 65, he shows no signs of slowing down, hopping from continent to continent to promote State — his 24th studio album, as well as a series of “An Evening with Todd Rundgren” shows to stay in touch with the legions of fans of his catalog standards such as “Hello, It’s Me” and “I Saw the Light.”
The Monitor Angle
The Mix Side
eptember 2013 Issue
Production ProfileAn Evening with Todd Rundgren
If anything’s predictable about Todd Rundgren, it’s to expect the unexpected. A brilliant songwriter/guitarist/synthesist with talents both onstage and in the studio, Rundgren’s career (solo or with his band Utopia) has spanned just about every musical genre, ranging from rock to pop to smooth soul to edgy electronica and most recently, EDM. And even at 65, he shows no signs of slowing down, hopping from continent to continent to promote State — his 24th studio album, as well as a series of “An Evening with Todd Rundgren” shows to stay in touch with the legions of fans of his catalog standards such as “Hello, It’s Me” and “I Saw the Light.”
Rundgren has also never shied away from technology, being one of the first supporters of the original Fairlight CMI (computer musical instrument) sampling keyboard, or presenting some of his early live shows in quadraphonic 4-channel surround, incorporating computer-based graphics into his productions (back as far as 1981) and being an early adopter of LED stage lighting, long before it was fashionable — or widely available. Perhaps of more interest to FRONT of HOUSE readers, Rundgren worked with Future Sonics founder Marty Garcia in 1985 co-developing prototypes of the first Ear Monitors® and even used Future Sonics products on his Utopia tour, the first “wedgeless stage” with all band members wearing Garcia’s Ear Monitors.
We recently chatted with Paul Froula, Rundgren’s long-time engineer who most recently has been mixing monitors and recording the artist’s live outings. Froula, who toured extensively back in the 1980s, put his tour jacket aside while he worked with companies such as Altec-Lansing and beyerdynamic, where he was involved with marketing, sales, and product development, using his practical road and studio experiences to work on the manufacturer side of things. More recently, Froula returned to the production side, to mix monitors for Joe Jackson and the Bigger Band world tour (also recording and archiving shows the entire time), again paired with Joe’s long-time FOH engineer, George Cowan. Just before press time, we caught up with Froula as he was wrapping up the domestic leg of Rundgren’s “An Evening with Todd Rundgren” shows.
Most of the Rundgren shows on this tour have been in smaller venues. “We’re only carrying our own desks, mics and backline — racks and stacks are provided, as per the rider,” says Froula. “It’s mostly been theaters, although we also did the Philly Folk Fest a few days ago and Canalside in Buffalo (about 10,000 people) and had nice rigs out front and on the stage for those.”
The Monitor Angle
“We’ve been using the Roland M-480 desk for three or four years now and on this last outing,” Froula explains. “Todd had a new record come out this year called State, which is essentially EDM — electronic dance music — and to perform it live, he has the usual complement of required electronic wizardry, but that tour is just him and two other players — Jesse Gress on guitar and Prairie Prince on electronic drums. The need arose to introduce personal monitoring to make it easier with that smaller crew. On this ‘An Evening with...’ — basically, a two-hour show with Todd and a full band doing kind of a greatest hits tour — we had the option of Roland’s M-48 personal mixing should the need arise, particularly during the special performance with the Akron Symphony over Labor Day.”
Despite his long history with IEMs, Rundgren’s monitor needs aren’t quite what you might expect. “Todd doesn’t use in-ears; he prefers sidefills, and Jesse Gress uses just a wedge, so we have a mix of IEMs and wedges on the stage,” notes Froula. “It’s kind of ironic, because the genesis of ear monitoring took place with Todd. That was way back [in 1985] when Utopia did the first tour with the
‘wedgeless stage’ — there were no monitors on the stage. Marty’s sound company was doing Todd’s shows at the time and they were experimenting with earbuds and dental gel and came up with the in-ear monitor concept. Todd has since moved on from this notion and doesn’t require much in the sidefills, either — it’s really mostly for his guitars, some keyboards and every now and then, a little drums. Most of what he needs, he gets from front of house — he hears it coming back. That also applies to his vocals — I generally don’t put any of his vocals in the sidefills. He’s very unique in that regard. It’s the same even in a large outdoor festival, like at the Philly Folk Fest.”
‘wedgeless stage’ — there were no monitors on the stage. Marty’s sound company was doing Todd’s shows at the time and they were experimenting with earbuds and dental gel and came up with the in-ear monitor concept. Todd has since moved on from this notion and doesn’t require much in the sidefills, either — it’s really mostly for his guitars, some keyboards and every now and then, a little drums. Most of what he needs, he gets from front of house — he hears it coming back. That also applies to his vocals — I generally don’t put any of his vocals in the sidefills. He’s very unique in that regard. It’s the same even in a large outdoor festival, like at the Philly Folk Fest.”
Mics, Mics, Mics
Given Froula’s 12-plus year career with beyerdynamic, it’s not too surprising to see a good selection of their gear on the tour. “I came along in 2000 with some beyerdynamic product and Todd gave me the liberty to find the appropriate mic for the appropriate application and he’s been implementing them since then. In fact, all the mics on the input list are beyer, except for a Sennheiser 602, which [FOH mixer] George Cowan wanted. He was right — the 602 was ideal for the big 26-inch kick drum in Prairie’s kit. George was also open to the use of all the beyer product, mainly because it gave him what he was looking for at FOH. He has the last word on what he needs in his world.”
The Mix Side
On this particular tour, FOH engineer George Cowan mixes on a Yamaha DM2000. “We also had a lot of success with the Roland M-series,” Froula explains. “Roland was at the forefront of providing the small format digital console that actually sounded good. We’ve had this relationship with Roland products for years, with the M-480 and now the R-1000 recording unit. Initially I used that same package for the Joe Jackson tour and it’s a great combination that allows us to record all the show, play multitracks for a virtual sound check, listen-backs for the band and then mix and post the shows.”
With a tight production pack, there’s little room for traditional outboard gear — whether for effects or a “money channel” processor. “For monitors, we’re using all on-board effects — dynamics processing, effects and EQ embedded in the M-480,” Froula adds. “With the Yamaha DM2000 at front of house, we’re using a combination of some external Universal Audio plug-ins and some onboard processing.”
One great element about the Rundgren band and crew is that they are all seasoned pros who have worked together for years and operate as a well-oiled machine. “Most of these guys have been doing this for a long time, so there’s not a lot of drama,” Froula notes, adding “sometimes when dealing with the house, we might schedule a sound check for 5:30. The question invariably comes up as to running right up until doors with the check. My response is usually: ‘Gosh, we hope not!’ I explain that sound checks are usually only one song, and sometimes we don’t even need to do a sound check. Or it might be the band tweaking for a while, and then Todd comes out and we do the appointed sound check song. If George [Cowan] is happy in the house, and I’m happy on monitors, then we’re done. If a sound check lasts more than four minutes and 36 seconds, then it’s only because we’re having a little more trouble out front or on stage than we usually do. We might have some issue because we’re using a different P.A. rig every day, but that’s all settled well before the band arrives. And we’re loving every minute out there when the tour meshes with the locals.”
So far, everything seems pretty simple, but isn’t Rundgren one of those “rah, rah, technology” guys, with a lot of complicated gear? “Todd does have a certain legacy and reputation for those kinds of things, but at the end of the day, it’s all about what works and what gets the job done. On one leg of the State [EDM] tour, he had some pretty complicated synchronization things going on and operated them all himself. I was only on a few of those dates, but it was quite the major technical undertaking that was probably lost on the audience — though certainly not lost on the crew! But on this tour, it’s pretty straightforward — two guitars, bass, drums and keys. There’s no wizardry here — it’s just taking care of the audience and delighting his fans night after night. Sometimes talent, vocals and songwriting are enough.”
An Evening with Todd Rundgren
BAND
Todd Rundgren: Guitar, Vocals
Jesse Gress: Guitar, Vocals
Kasim Sulton: Bass, Vocals
Prairie Prince: Drums
John Ferenzik: Keyboards, vocals
CREW
FOH Engineer: George Cowan
Monitors, RF and Recording Engineer: Paul Froula
Stage Manager, Drum Tech: Randy Brown
Backline Tech: Jim Gould
CHANNEL
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INPUT SOURCE
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MIC
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1
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Kick
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Sennheiser 602
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2
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Snare top
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beyer Opus 88
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3
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Snare bot
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beyer Opus 88
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4
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Hi-hat
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beyer MC 930
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5
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Tom 1
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beyer Opus 88
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6
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Floor tom 1
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beyer Opus 88
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7
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Floor tom 2
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beyer Opus 88
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8
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OH SR
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beyer MC 930
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9
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Ride
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beyer MC 930
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10
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OH SL
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beyer MC 930
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11
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Bass DI
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amp built-in DI
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12
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Bass mic
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beyer Opus 99
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13
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Jesse Gtr 1
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beyer TGX-47
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14
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Jesse Gtr 2
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beyer M160
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15
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Todd AC Gtr
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DI box
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16
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Todd Gtr L
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beyer Opus 87
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17
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Todd Gtr R
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beyer Opus 87
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18
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Vox Kassim
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beyer Opus 69
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19
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Vox Jessie
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beyer Opus 69
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20
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Vox John
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beyer Opus 69
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21
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Vox Todd
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beyer Opus 69
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22
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Vox wired spare
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beyer TGX 47
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23
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Keys PC2X L
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DI box
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24
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Keys PC2X R
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DI box
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25
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Keys P3 61 L
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DI box
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26
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Keys P3 61 R
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DI box
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