Todd Rundgren To Perform With The Akron Symphony Orchestra For Two Nights In Akron Ohio in September

The concerts are being held at the Akron Civic Theatre on September 5th and 6th of 2015 which is Labor Day weekend. Both concerts are being presented by RundgrenRadio.com.

 

 

Todd Rundgren photo by Jim Snyder

PRLog - May 28, 2015 - AKRON, Ohio -- The Todd Rundgren with the Akron Symphony Orchestra concerts in Akron will be Rundgren's fourth and fifth symphonic concerts in North America.  The concerts are being held on September 5th and 6th of 2015 at the Akron Civic Theatre in Akron, OH.  Tickets are currently available for a short time at https://rundgrenradio.tix.com and will be available soon at Ticketmaster.com.

The set lists will feature some of the songs Todd has performed with orchestras in the past and some new additions.  Fans that attend both concerts will get to see Todd perform a total of 14 songs he has never performed with an orchestra. A few of the songs from past orchestra concerts with Todd include hits like "Hello it's Me", "We Gotta Get You a Woman", and "Can We Still Be Friends" as well as fan favorites like "Fade Away, "Another Life", and "Second Wind".

Melinda Cain of Rundgren Radio said, "We don't want to be setlist spoilers so we're keeping the list of new songs a secret but I will share that the list is mixed with some more hits and classics and some songs Todd hasn't performed live in decades or ever.  There's also a few songs from Utopia on the list and Todd has never performed any Utopia songs with an orchestra in the past."  (Editor's note:  "Another Life" is a Todd Rundgren's Utopia song, not Utopia).

Special guest performers with Todd and the orchestra include Kevin Ellman of Todd Rundgren's Utopia (drums), Jesse Gress (guitar), Greg Hawkes of The Cars (keyboards), Kasim Sulton of Utopia (bass and background vocals), Michele Rundgren (background vocals), and Mary Lou Arnold (background vocals).

In June of 2012, Todd performed two concerts with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra in Rockford, IL.  In September of 2013, Todd performed a concert with the Akron Youth Symphony and Akron Symphony Orchestra in Akron, OH.  All of the Todd Rundgren symphonic concerts in North America were presented by RundgrenRadio.com.

The idea of Todd performing with a full orchestra was the brainchild of Netherlands radio DJ and music connoisseur Co de Kloet.  His idea came to life in September of 2011 when Todd performed two concerts in the Netherlands backed by the Dutch Metropole Orchestra.  Todd returned to Amsterdam in November of 2012 and performed again with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra in front of a sold out crowd at the famous Paradiso venue.

On February 19th of 2016, Todd will perform his album "Up Against It" as well as some additional songs with the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra in Groningen (The Netherlands).

TODD RUNDGREN

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Todd Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to front The Nazz, the quintessential 60s psychedelic pop group. In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut album “Runt”, but it was 1972's seminal “Something / Anything?” (on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer) that catapulted Todd into the limelight, prompting the media to dub him "Rock's New Wunderkind." This was followed by such landmark albums as “A Wizard, A True Star”, “Todd”, and “The Hermit Of Mink Hollow”. In 1974, Todd formed Utopia, who were on the cutting edge of progressive rock in the 70s, and developed into a very tidy power pop outfit in the 80s (as evidenced by such early MTV hits as "Set Me Free" and "Feet Don't Fail Me Now").

As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, and interactive artist, Todd Rundgren has made a lasting impact on both the form and content of popular music. Among his myriad of 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 with some 42 million sales). Sealing his reputation as rock's renaissance man, Rundgren composed all the music and lyrics for Joe Papp's 1989 Off- Broadway production of Joe Orton's “Up Against It” (the screenplay commissioned by The Beatles for what was meant to have been their third motion picture), as well as the score for “Dumb And Dumber” and a number of television series, including “Pee Wee's Playhouse” and “Crime Story”.  He is also internationally acknowledged as the Godfather of the marriage of music and multimedia.

Few artists have been as fearless and groundbreaking - nor possess such an expansive and exceptional body of work - as Todd Rundgren has throughout his career.

AKRON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Widely recognized for musical excellence and performance versatility, the Akron Symphony Orchestra is committed to enhancing the quality of life of their community through educational and musical excellence.

The Akron Symphony Orchestra is operated by the Greater Akron Musical Association (GAMA). GAMA’s vision is to be embraced and sustained as a community treasure that provides a welcoming environment for all people to experience great music. This vision is realized by operating the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Akron Youth Orchestras, Akron Symphony Chorus and the Gospel Meets Symphony Choir, along with numerous special outreach and educational programs.

AKRON CIVIC THEATRE

The Akron Civic Theatre has provided the Akron community with a venue for quality entertainment and live performances for over seventy years. During that time, hundreds of thousands of people have been thrilled by various theatrical presentations, both on stage and on screen.

Long recognized among the community’s cultural landmarks, the Akron Civic Theatre has a rich and spectacular history including the first ever Todd Rundgren "A Wizard, A True Star" album live concert as well as his "Todd + Healing" albums live concerts.

The theater was built in 1929 by Marcus Loew and designed by famed theater architect, John Eberson. The interior structure was fashioned after a Moorish castle featuring Mediterranean decor, including medieval carvings, authentic European antiques and Italian alabaster sculptures.

Among facilities of its size, the Civic is one of only five remaining atmospheric theaters in the country where patrons experience a twinkling star-lit sky and intermittent clouds moving across the horizon, all while sitting inside the auditorium.

RUNDGREN RADIO

Rundgren Radio is an online talk radio show for Todd Rundgren and music fans that was founded in 2007.  Since 2008, the hosts Doug and CruiserMel, have also promoted multiple fan parties and numerous Todd Rundgren concerts including several first-ever shows.