The "almost" official blog for everything Todd Rundgren Related........................................................................................................................................................................... Please visit the sister facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Ma4utopia?ref=hl
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Coming soon..."Arena" live DVD, CD and a special EP tribute to robert johnson
.” A live DVD will be culled from the July 14 show at the Boulder Theater (also being shot for an HDNet concert special), which will eventually be bundled with the brick and mortar release of Arena, along with a live CD and an EP consisting of a tribute to the late blues great, Robert Johnson.
Todd Rundgren prepares to blast Bearsville Theater with 'Arena' rock
By Steve Israel
Times Herald-Record
July 25, 2008
Todd Rundgren has one fear when he returns to the Town of Woodstock to play the Bearsville Theater:
"I just hope we don't get sued for deafening someone," he says with a laugh about his Monday show.
Rundgren, who lived near Bearsville from the '70s to the '90s, knows that the combination of his new music — high-octane, guitar-fueled rock from his new album "Arena" — and the tiny (250-seat) Bearsville Theater could be intense.
"This is hard rock," he says, "not some little piano minuet."
Which is why Rundgren called his new album, due in September, "Arena," as in arena rock.
Rundgren knows "Arena" is a departure from the music his devoted fans (Toddheads) might expect. For more than 30 years he's recorded tuneful, synthesized, electronic pop music, including hits like "Hello It's Me," "I Saw the Light" and "We Gotta Get You a Woman."
"This is the other end of the spectrum," he says. "This is in-your-face guitar rock of the old school."
Then, as if to soothe his shocked fans, he adds, "There are plenty of hooks, too, that will have you singing along by the end of the song."
Not only is Rundgren's new music a first, but also so is the gig in Woodstock.
He may have produced albums by acts as diverse as Meat Loaf, Patti Smith and Jesse Winchester in his home studio in Lake Hill and at Bearsville Studio (the studio was started by his old manager, the late Albert Grossman, who brought stars like Dylan and the Band to Woodstock). Rundgren may have engineered the Band's album, "Stage Fright," at the old Woodstock Playhouse. He even played UPAC in Kingston and the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie.
But he never played the wood-paneled Bearsville Theater — even though Grossman built it, even though Rundgren made music videos in the studio next door, Utopia Video.
"It's been a really long time coming," says Rundgren, 60, who now lives in Hawaii.
Still, Rundgren has kept his Woodstock connections. His personal assistant/tour director, Mary Lou Arnold, lives in Woodstock. Her husband, Jesse Gress, is his guitarist. So when Rundgren had an open date on his way to a private show in Boston with the New Cars, and Arnold suggested Bearsville, Rundgren thought, "Why not?"
"And besides," he adds, "Woodstock is so pleasant this time of the year."
Still, Rundgren says he wasn't always that "crazy" about the Ulster County town surrounded by mountains. Back in the early '70s, he was a New York City guy.
And why not?
He hung out at Steve Paul's Scene, where he jammed with young guitarists including Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. After that, his favorite spot was Max's Kansas City, where he saw Bob Marley and the Wailers' first American gig.
"There was nothing comparable," he says.
But as his production gigs increased and Grossman vowed to make him the highest-paid producer — getting him a $50,000 advance to do Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band" — Woodstock became more attractive.
"It took too much energy to do anything in the city," he says. "Just to get across town was a hassle."
So with that production money "piling up," Rundgren bought a house (actually two) in the wilds of Lake Hill, a few miles north of Bearsville. That's where, in that second home on the property, he recorded acts such as Meat Loaf, XTC and the Tubes.
As he devoted more time to his music, he spent less time there. Finally, in the '90s, he sold his homes and moved to Hawaii. Even though he's visited Woodstock several times since, don't expect him to repeat the Bearsville gig any time soon, especially while he's playing this loud music.
"Hopefully, this will create a self-fulfilling prophecy," he says. "If we play arena rock, we'll soon be playing arenas."
-----------------------------------
Todd talks about ...
Rockin' forever: Oddly enough, this interview took place via phone, Austin on one end, Bethel Woods at the other, just before legendary Tony Bennett was set to take Bethel's stage. Upon learning this, Rundgren remarked, "Sweet. I admire guys who perform right up until they die. I'm just hoping I'm not one of them."
Woodstock '94: Rundgren performed in his Todd Pod at the 25th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. "I loved playing there for a few days until the rains came. Then everyone wanted to use our tent for shelter."
"Stage Fright": Though he was the engineer on the Band's landmark album, "Stage Fright," which was recorded in Woodstock, Rundgren gives credit where it's due. "I was essentially the recordist. It was five guys showing up every day and playing."
Technology: Rundgren, who has repeatedly proven his high-tech prowess both behind the knobs as an engineer and with computer-laden multimedia performance environments, was interactive before anyone really knew what interactive meant. On "No World Order" (1993), which was easily the world's first interactive album, listeners had access to reshape Rundgren's songs. He will be releasing "Arena" on the label Hi-Fi Records, because "there are things I need on a record, like promotion, plus publishing is part of the deal." So in today's digital download age, Rundgren still plans to put out a tangible CD. "Many of my fans like to hold the product in their hands." But that's not to say the old creativity won't be present. "When it does come out, it will likely have some bonus ways that people can participate in it."
Nostalgia: Some people miss the vibe. Others miss their friends. On what he misses most in Woodstock, Rundgren is specific: "The Just Alan shop. I loved the chocolate truffles."
Times Herald-Record
July 25, 2008
Todd Rundgren has one fear when he returns to the Town of Woodstock to play the Bearsville Theater:
"I just hope we don't get sued for deafening someone," he says with a laugh about his Monday show.
Rundgren, who lived near Bearsville from the '70s to the '90s, knows that the combination of his new music — high-octane, guitar-fueled rock from his new album "Arena" — and the tiny (250-seat) Bearsville Theater could be intense.
"This is hard rock," he says, "not some little piano minuet."
Which is why Rundgren called his new album, due in September, "Arena," as in arena rock.
Rundgren knows "Arena" is a departure from the music his devoted fans (Toddheads) might expect. For more than 30 years he's recorded tuneful, synthesized, electronic pop music, including hits like "Hello It's Me," "I Saw the Light" and "We Gotta Get You a Woman."
"This is the other end of the spectrum," he says. "This is in-your-face guitar rock of the old school."
Then, as if to soothe his shocked fans, he adds, "There are plenty of hooks, too, that will have you singing along by the end of the song."
Not only is Rundgren's new music a first, but also so is the gig in Woodstock.
He may have produced albums by acts as diverse as Meat Loaf, Patti Smith and Jesse Winchester in his home studio in Lake Hill and at Bearsville Studio (the studio was started by his old manager, the late Albert Grossman, who brought stars like Dylan and the Band to Woodstock). Rundgren may have engineered the Band's album, "Stage Fright," at the old Woodstock Playhouse. He even played UPAC in Kingston and the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie.
But he never played the wood-paneled Bearsville Theater — even though Grossman built it, even though Rundgren made music videos in the studio next door, Utopia Video.
"It's been a really long time coming," says Rundgren, 60, who now lives in Hawaii.
Still, Rundgren has kept his Woodstock connections. His personal assistant/tour director, Mary Lou Arnold, lives in Woodstock. Her husband, Jesse Gress, is his guitarist. So when Rundgren had an open date on his way to a private show in Boston with the New Cars, and Arnold suggested Bearsville, Rundgren thought, "Why not?"
"And besides," he adds, "Woodstock is so pleasant this time of the year."
Still, Rundgren says he wasn't always that "crazy" about the Ulster County town surrounded by mountains. Back in the early '70s, he was a New York City guy.
And why not?
He hung out at Steve Paul's Scene, where he jammed with young guitarists including Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. After that, his favorite spot was Max's Kansas City, where he saw Bob Marley and the Wailers' first American gig.
"There was nothing comparable," he says.
But as his production gigs increased and Grossman vowed to make him the highest-paid producer — getting him a $50,000 advance to do Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band" — Woodstock became more attractive.
"It took too much energy to do anything in the city," he says. "Just to get across town was a hassle."
So with that production money "piling up," Rundgren bought a house (actually two) in the wilds of Lake Hill, a few miles north of Bearsville. That's where, in that second home on the property, he recorded acts such as Meat Loaf, XTC and the Tubes.
As he devoted more time to his music, he spent less time there. Finally, in the '90s, he sold his homes and moved to Hawaii. Even though he's visited Woodstock several times since, don't expect him to repeat the Bearsville gig any time soon, especially while he's playing this loud music.
"Hopefully, this will create a self-fulfilling prophecy," he says. "If we play arena rock, we'll soon be playing arenas."
-----------------------------------
Todd talks about ...
Rockin' forever: Oddly enough, this interview took place via phone, Austin on one end, Bethel Woods at the other, just before legendary Tony Bennett was set to take Bethel's stage. Upon learning this, Rundgren remarked, "Sweet. I admire guys who perform right up until they die. I'm just hoping I'm not one of them."
Woodstock '94: Rundgren performed in his Todd Pod at the 25th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. "I loved playing there for a few days until the rains came. Then everyone wanted to use our tent for shelter."
"Stage Fright": Though he was the engineer on the Band's landmark album, "Stage Fright," which was recorded in Woodstock, Rundgren gives credit where it's due. "I was essentially the recordist. It was five guys showing up every day and playing."
Technology: Rundgren, who has repeatedly proven his high-tech prowess both behind the knobs as an engineer and with computer-laden multimedia performance environments, was interactive before anyone really knew what interactive meant. On "No World Order" (1993), which was easily the world's first interactive album, listeners had access to reshape Rundgren's songs. He will be releasing "Arena" on the label Hi-Fi Records, because "there are things I need on a record, like promotion, plus publishing is part of the deal." So in today's digital download age, Rundgren still plans to put out a tangible CD. "Many of my fans like to hold the product in their hands." But that's not to say the old creativity won't be present. "When it does come out, it will likely have some bonus ways that people can participate in it."
Nostalgia: Some people miss the vibe. Others miss their friends. On what he misses most in Woodstock, Rundgren is specific: "The Just Alan shop. I loved the chocolate truffles."
Thursday, July 24, 2008
24 hrs a day Rundgren Radio
http://www.rundgrenradio2.com/ RundgrenRadio.com introduces Rundgren Radio 2 !!www.rundgrenradio2.comYou have to download the ubroadcast player to listen. www.ubroadcast.com Download the "player" not "station". Once you've dowloaded the "ubroadcast player" and then opened it up, click on "Stations" on the bottom left corner. Next, just follow this pattern ... Independent Talk/Non-Music Broadcasters => Business => B2B => Rundgren Radio II An interview will pull up and start playing! They are set randomly now so you never know what you're gonna get. Some of the older ones are poorer quality but they all should be good enough for a listen. Hopefully ubroadcast will add more features so listeners will have more options like skipping to the next interview, etc. If you don't like the interview you are listening to, just exit out and open the player back up and a new interview should be there.To save yourself the trouble of having to go through the same process of finding the right station, when you get to the actual show be sure to click on the "Favorites" icon and then look in the top right corner for a yellow star and click it to add the show as a favorite. When you return you can just go to Favorites instead of hunting down the show the other way.This ubroadcast system is currently in a beta stage so there can be some headaches in dealing with it. If it works like it's supposed to, it is something you will enjoy thoroughly. Warning: It can be addicting!THE CURRENT UBROADCAST PLAYER DOES NOT WORK ON MAC UNLESS YOU HAVE VIRTUAL PC INSTALLED! Send an e-mail to support@ubroadcast.com to ask them to make the player Mac compatible!OVER 50 interviews have been uploaded including ones from 1972 all the way up until 2008!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
TRBAZAAR.COM FREE T SHIRT WITH PURCHASE LIMITED TIME OFFER
Just a reminder that a long time friend of mine, Scott @ trbazaar has a web store related to Todd Rundgren music.. Support Todd and support Scott's site by visiting http://www.trbazaar.com
He is running a promotion now, get a free t shirt with purchase for a limited time only...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
TODDLE HEAD TO SHIP SHORTLY
I JUST GOT THIS EMAIL FROM DOUG ................
Sorry for the delay. I'm headed to the post office tomorrow to ship some Toddleheads! All of them aren't ready for shipment but I'm trying to get them out this week.
The reason it's taking so long is because I am carefully inspecting each and every one before it's put into the shipping box. Unfortunately, a lot of them have failed inspection due to issues like chipped paint or facial dents and other weirdness. So, the Toddleheads are going to be extremely rare. The merch folks tried to ship 48 to Austin and the bobbles arrived in horrible condition and were tossed in the trash. When this is all said and done there may only be about 250-300 of them that are actually presentable.
The good news is I will have enough to ship to all of the folks who bought them from me. I am working overtime to make sure your Toddleheads look good and are as secure as possible. I will be doing some very minor touch up on some of them and if this is a problem for you then please let me know and I'll refund your money. You shouldn't be able to tell if I did some touch up on your Toddlehead, but I don't want to mislead you into believing these haven't been doctored some because most of them will be. The company that made these did a poor job of making sure they were built to last. It's a sad situation but the ones that survived look really cool. I wish things would have been better but it was out of my hands as far as the manufacturing went. I'm going to see what I can do about getting some money back from them and will give it to the Rundgren's if it works out.
Thanks again for your patience and understanding.
Shine on!
Doug
-------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, July 21, 2008
blogs and reviews
RetroBlog just posted this news story about Todd's Arena tour - http://www.retroblog.net/2008/07/15/rundgren-our-guitar-hero/
Rock Revival in Australia just posted this news mentions - http://rockrevivaltripleh.blogspot.com/search/label/todd%20rundgren
Planet Rock Radio in the UK announced this - http://www.planetrock.co.uk/Article.asp?id=787685&spid=11484
As did Music-News.com - http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?H=Todd-Rundgren-hits-the-UK-in-November&nItemID=20172
This is what the UK's Classic Rock magazine had to say on their magazine blog - http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/page/classicrock?entry=todd_to_tour
The UK's Hard Rock House blog announced this - http://www.hardrockhouse.com/
The UK's Get Ready To Rock announced this - http://www.getreadytorock.com/index1aa.htm
The UK's Komodo Rock said this - http://www.komodorock.com/tour-news/tour-dates/todd-rundgren-announces-uk-tour-200807116133/
Rock Revival in Australia just posted this news mentions - http://rockrevivaltripleh.blogspot.com/search/label/todd%20rundgren
Planet Rock Radio in the UK announced this - http://www.planetrock.co.uk/Article.asp?id=787685&spid=11484
As did Music-News.com - http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?H=Todd-Rundgren-hits-the-UK-in-November&nItemID=20172
This is what the UK's Classic Rock magazine had to say on their magazine blog - http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/page/classicrock?entry=todd_to_tour
The UK's Hard Rock House blog announced this - http://www.hardrockhouse.com/
The UK's Get Ready To Rock announced this - http://www.getreadytorock.com/index1aa.htm
The UK's Komodo Rock said this - http://www.komodorock.com/tour-news/tour-dates/todd-rundgren-announces-uk-tour-200807116133/
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON CD RELEASE DATE
First studio album in 4 years, Arena, out September 30th
Sneak peak of album track ‘Mad’ on MySpace
UK Release: Monday 29th September
US Release: Tuesday 30th September
Multi-faceted and celebrated recording artist/producer Todd Rundgren is set to release his first full-length record of original studio material in 4 years, entitled Arena in the UK on September 29th and in America on September 30th
(via newly launched music venture Hi Fi Recordings).
Rundgren has been on the road in support of the release on a 20 + U.S. city tour this summer which kicked off with a week-long celebration in Hawaii, culminating with the first-ever live performance of Arena in its entirety on Todd’s birthday, June 22nd. Rundgren will also hit the road in support of Arena this fall in Europe and the UK where the album will be released simultaneously to the U.S. A sneak peak of an exclusive album track ‘Mad’ will be available on MySpace.com starting on July 15th (www.myspace.com/toddrundgrenmusic).
Arena, recorded in Todd’s current home state of Hawaii,is yet another notable addition to Rundgren’s remarkable career as a performer, songwriter, and producer. The album showcases his unique songwriting style and sonically captures the essence and energy of “arena” rock with bombastic, guitar-driven tunes like “Mountaintop,” “Strike” and “Mad,” while the anthemic song “Mercenary,” transports you to a stadium with its epic chorus, “How Do You Like Me Now?,” resounding to every seat in the house.
“I found myself just going out and doing this sort of guerilla guitar quartet thing around the country and around Canada,” said Rundgren, “So when it came time to make a record, I thought maybe I’ll just continue in that vein and write something that is appropriate to the guitar, since the fans seem to be enjoying it so much.
“So when I decided to write a new album, I knew beforehand it was going to be this kind of old-school guitar-rock record.”
Known as a man of musical innovation, Rundgren’s latest release draws from his vast and impressive career experiences as a performer, songwriter and producer – including notable achievements on the cutting edge of music and technology such as: the first live nationally broadcast stereo radio concert (by microwave), which linked 40 cities around the country in 1978; the very first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for “Best Short Form Video” in 1983; and the launch of PatroNet, the world’s first direct artist subscription service all of course; and of course there are the timeless hit songs, including 'Hello It's Me', 'I Saw The Light', 'Can We Still be Friends', and 'Bang The Drum.’
With ground-breaking accomplishments under his belt, Rundgren’s career boasts additional credits to the aforementioned roles he is most well known for, including video pioneer, computer software developer, conceptualist and, most recently, interactive artist (re-designated TR-i). Given this incredible history and his constant creative state-of-mind, there are undoubtedly many more imaginative horizons for Todd Rundgren to discover.
Be sure to catch Todd’s tour when it stops in the following cities (more to be announced soon):
July 17
House of Blues San Diego CA
July 19 Antones Austin, TX
July 20 House of Blues Dallas, TX
July 21 Warehouse Live Houston, TX
July 23 Pageant St. Louis, MO
July 24 VooDoo @ Harrah's Kansas City, MO
July 26 Nolas Rochester NY
July 28 Bearsville Theater Bearsville, NY
Aug 1 The Tralf Buffalo, NY
Aug 2 Borgata Music Box Atlantic City, NJ
Nov 6 Manchester Academy 2 Manchester, England
Nov 7 Edinburgh Picture House Edinburgh, Scotland
Nov 22 Norwich Waterfront Norwich, England
Nov 23 London Forum London, England
About Hi Fi Recordings:
Based in New York City, Hi Fi Recordings was founded in 1995 by entrepreneur and respected music industry insider John Hecker. Originally a joint a venture with major labels Elektra, Arista and Virgin Records, Hi Fi Recordings’ history boasts the releases of successful hit albums from the likes of Avril Lavigne, Isyss, Marvelous 3 and Spacehog, among many others. Now acting as the recorded music label arm of Music Publishing Corporation of America (MPCA), an independent publisher founded in May 2006, Hi Fi Recordings is dedicated to working with marquee recording artists while also achieving synergies with its vast collection of publishing copyrights.
Sneak peak of album track ‘Mad’ on MySpace
UK Release: Monday 29th September
US Release: Tuesday 30th September
Multi-faceted and celebrated recording artist/producer Todd Rundgren is set to release his first full-length record of original studio material in 4 years, entitled Arena in the UK on September 29th and in America on September 30th
(via newly launched music venture Hi Fi Recordings).
Rundgren has been on the road in support of the release on a 20 + U.S. city tour this summer which kicked off with a week-long celebration in Hawaii, culminating with the first-ever live performance of Arena in its entirety on Todd’s birthday, June 22nd. Rundgren will also hit the road in support of Arena this fall in Europe and the UK where the album will be released simultaneously to the U.S. A sneak peak of an exclusive album track ‘Mad’ will be available on MySpace.com starting on July 15th (www.myspace.com/toddrundgrenmusic).
Arena, recorded in Todd’s current home state of Hawaii,is yet another notable addition to Rundgren’s remarkable career as a performer, songwriter, and producer. The album showcases his unique songwriting style and sonically captures the essence and energy of “arena” rock with bombastic, guitar-driven tunes like “Mountaintop,” “Strike” and “Mad,” while the anthemic song “Mercenary,” transports you to a stadium with its epic chorus, “How Do You Like Me Now?,” resounding to every seat in the house.
“I found myself just going out and doing this sort of guerilla guitar quartet thing around the country and around Canada,” said Rundgren, “So when it came time to make a record, I thought maybe I’ll just continue in that vein and write something that is appropriate to the guitar, since the fans seem to be enjoying it so much.
“So when I decided to write a new album, I knew beforehand it was going to be this kind of old-school guitar-rock record.”
Known as a man of musical innovation, Rundgren’s latest release draws from his vast and impressive career experiences as a performer, songwriter and producer – including notable achievements on the cutting edge of music and technology such as: the first live nationally broadcast stereo radio concert (by microwave), which linked 40 cities around the country in 1978; the very first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for “Best Short Form Video” in 1983; and the launch of PatroNet, the world’s first direct artist subscription service all of course; and of course there are the timeless hit songs, including 'Hello It's Me', 'I Saw The Light', 'Can We Still be Friends', and 'Bang The Drum.’
With ground-breaking accomplishments under his belt, Rundgren’s career boasts additional credits to the aforementioned roles he is most well known for, including video pioneer, computer software developer, conceptualist and, most recently, interactive artist (re-designated TR-i). Given this incredible history and his constant creative state-of-mind, there are undoubtedly many more imaginative horizons for Todd Rundgren to discover.
Be sure to catch Todd’s tour when it stops in the following cities (more to be announced soon):
July 17
House of Blues San Diego CA
July 19 Antones Austin, TX
July 20 House of Blues Dallas, TX
July 21 Warehouse Live Houston, TX
July 23 Pageant St. Louis, MO
July 24 VooDoo @ Harrah's Kansas City, MO
July 26 Nolas Rochester NY
July 28 Bearsville Theater Bearsville, NY
Aug 1 The Tralf Buffalo, NY
Aug 2 Borgata Music Box Atlantic City, NJ
Nov 6 Manchester Academy 2 Manchester, England
Nov 7 Edinburgh Picture House Edinburgh, Scotland
Nov 22 Norwich Waterfront Norwich, England
Nov 23 London Forum London, England
About Hi Fi Recordings:
Based in New York City, Hi Fi Recordings was founded in 1995 by entrepreneur and respected music industry insider John Hecker. Originally a joint a venture with major labels Elektra, Arista and Virgin Records, Hi Fi Recordings’ history boasts the releases of successful hit albums from the likes of Avril Lavigne, Isyss, Marvelous 3 and Spacehog, among many others. Now acting as the recorded music label arm of Music Publishing Corporation of America (MPCA), an independent publisher founded in May 2006, Hi Fi Recordings is dedicated to working with marquee recording artists while also achieving synergies with its vast collection of publishing copyrights.
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT OVERSEAS TOUR
Tickets on sale for
London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Norwich
on Friday 11th July
Thursday 6th November – Manchester Academy 2
Friday 7th November – Edinburgh The Picture House
Saturday 22nd November – Norwich Waterfront
Sunday 23rd November – London Kentish Town Forum
Rock’n’roll icon, guitar genius, interactive progenitor, consummate singer/songwriter and record producer, Todd Rundgren, returns to the UK shores for his first concerts since 2005.
Todd Rundgren, the man who gave us classic albums like Something/Anything?, A Wizard, A True Star, Todd, Faithful, Hermit of Mink Hollow and 2004’s critically acclaimed Liars, will play four rare UK concerts that will follow the September 29th UK release of his long awaited new studio album .
is a definite return to riff-oriented guitar rock," says Rundgren. "It's supposed to make you reflexively pump your fist and wave a lighter in the air.”
The Arena Tour band will consist of Jesse Gress (guitar), Rachel Haden (bass), Matt Bolton (guitar and keyboards), Prairie Prince (drums), and Todd Rundgren (guitar and vocals).
“The concerts will be a straight-ahead, guitar-rock extravaganza," assures Rundgren. “We can't afford the flamethrowers yet, but we'll make up for it with aggression."
Rundgren is universally hailed as the most innovative rock star on the planet. He was the first pioneering recording and performing artist responsible for interactive audio and video. In 1981, his video for the song Time Heals was the second video ever aired on MTV in America.
By 1992, Todd focused his creative energies on the ground-breaking No World Order, rock’s first interactive music album on the CD-i format. The album enabled music enthusiasts to create their own mixes of the album, something unheard of in the early nineties. Appropriately, when Rundgren filmed the world’s first interactive concert tour for video release in 1994, London’s Forum was the venue of choice, making this November’s show a homecoming of sorts.
Two years later, Rundgren proved that he was two steps ahead of the music technology game by releasing what was to be rock’s very first full-length Enhanced CD, The Individualist, which featured the combined song and interactive video game Cast The First Stone.
In 1998 he was the first artist to launch an online music service entitled PatroNet, years before Apple launched iTunes. PatroNet enabled its online subscribers to directly download new, previously unreleased songs, cutting out the major record labels. Sounds familiar?
It was Rundgren who predicted the future, and now, with , his rockiest guitar album in decades, he’s back to rock the house. Always the innovator, Rundgren continues to enhance his reputation as the ultimate Wizard, A True Star.
Thursday
6th November
Manchester Academy 2
Doors: 7.30pm GMT
Tickets: £18.50
Venue Box Office & CC: 0161 832 1111
Online Booking (Ticketline) - www.ticketline.co.uk
Venue Website: www.manchesteracademy.net
Venue Street Address:
Manchester University Students Union
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PR
Friday
7th November
Edinburgh The Picture House
Doors: 7.00pm GMT
Tickets: £18.50
Venue Box Office & CC: 0844 847 1740
Online Booking (Ticketmaster): www.scotland.ticketmaster.co.uk
Venue Website: www.edinburgh-picturehouse.co.uk
Venue Street Address:
THE OLD PICTURE HOUSE
31 LOTHIAN ROAD
EDINBURGH
EH1 2DJ
Saturday
22nd November
Norwich The Waterfront
Doors: 7.00pm GMT
Tickets: £18.50
Venue Box Office & CC: 08700 600 100
Online Booking (Ticketweb): www.ticketweb.co.uk
Venue Website: www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk
Venue Street Address:
The Waterfront
139 – 141 King Street,
Norwich,
NR1 1QH
Sunday
23rd November
London Kentish Town Forum
Start time: 7.30pm GMT
Tickets: £23.50
Venue Box Office & CC: 0844 847 2405
Online Booking (Ticketmaster) - www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Venue Website: www.kentishtownforum.com
Venue Street Address:
Kentish Town Forum,
9-17 Highgate Road,
London,
NW5 1JY
London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Norwich
on Friday 11th July
Thursday 6th November – Manchester Academy 2
Friday 7th November – Edinburgh The Picture House
Saturday 22nd November – Norwich Waterfront
Sunday 23rd November – London Kentish Town Forum
Rock’n’roll icon, guitar genius, interactive progenitor, consummate singer/songwriter and record producer, Todd Rundgren, returns to the UK shores for his first concerts since 2005.
Todd Rundgren, the man who gave us classic albums like Something/Anything?, A Wizard, A True Star, Todd, Faithful, Hermit of Mink Hollow and 2004’s critically acclaimed Liars, will play four rare UK concerts that will follow the September 29th UK release of his long awaited new studio album .
is a definite return to riff-oriented guitar rock," says Rundgren. "It's supposed to make you reflexively pump your fist and wave a lighter in the air.”
The Arena Tour band will consist of Jesse Gress (guitar), Rachel Haden (bass), Matt Bolton (guitar and keyboards), Prairie Prince (drums), and Todd Rundgren (guitar and vocals).
“The concerts will be a straight-ahead, guitar-rock extravaganza," assures Rundgren. “We can't afford the flamethrowers yet, but we'll make up for it with aggression."
Rundgren is universally hailed as the most innovative rock star on the planet. He was the first pioneering recording and performing artist responsible for interactive audio and video. In 1981, his video for the song Time Heals was the second video ever aired on MTV in America.
By 1992, Todd focused his creative energies on the ground-breaking No World Order, rock’s first interactive music album on the CD-i format. The album enabled music enthusiasts to create their own mixes of the album, something unheard of in the early nineties. Appropriately, when Rundgren filmed the world’s first interactive concert tour for video release in 1994, London’s Forum was the venue of choice, making this November’s show a homecoming of sorts.
Two years later, Rundgren proved that he was two steps ahead of the music technology game by releasing what was to be rock’s very first full-length Enhanced CD, The Individualist, which featured the combined song and interactive video game Cast The First Stone.
In 1998 he was the first artist to launch an online music service entitled PatroNet, years before Apple launched iTunes. PatroNet enabled its online subscribers to directly download new, previously unreleased songs, cutting out the major record labels. Sounds familiar?
It was Rundgren who predicted the future, and now, with , his rockiest guitar album in decades, he’s back to rock the house. Always the innovator, Rundgren continues to enhance his reputation as the ultimate Wizard, A True Star.
Thursday
6th November
Manchester Academy 2
Doors: 7.30pm GMT
Tickets: £18.50
Venue Box Office & CC: 0161 832 1111
Online Booking (Ticketline) - www.ticketline.co.uk
Venue Website: www.manchesteracademy.net
Venue Street Address:
Manchester University Students Union
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PR
Friday
7th November
Edinburgh The Picture House
Doors: 7.00pm GMT
Tickets: £18.50
Venue Box Office & CC: 0844 847 1740
Online Booking (Ticketmaster): www.scotland.ticketmaster.co.uk
Venue Website: www.edinburgh-picturehouse.co.uk
Venue Street Address:
THE OLD PICTURE HOUSE
31 LOTHIAN ROAD
EDINBURGH
EH1 2DJ
Saturday
22nd November
Norwich The Waterfront
Doors: 7.00pm GMT
Tickets: £18.50
Venue Box Office & CC: 08700 600 100
Online Booking (Ticketweb): www.ticketweb.co.uk
Venue Website: www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk
Venue Street Address:
The Waterfront
139 – 141 King Street,
Norwich,
NR1 1QH
Sunday
23rd November
London Kentish Town Forum
Start time: 7.30pm GMT
Tickets: £23.50
Venue Box Office & CC: 0844 847 2405
Online Booking (Ticketmaster) - www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Venue Website: www.kentishtownforum.com
Venue Street Address:
Kentish Town Forum,
9-17 Highgate Road,
London,
NW5 1JY
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Todd at the Boulder Theater
Todd Rundgren conquered technical problems to deliver a rousing set at the Boulder Theater on Monday. Photos by Mark T. Osler.And here we thought he was Mr. Technology…
Before a Monday night set at the Boulder Theater, Todd Rundgren and his band were held up for nearly an hour due to power problems related to the concert’s filming for local high-definition television. Rundgren, a cross-genre pioneer, has played an instrumental role in the early music videos, early interactive music web sites — even a seminal computer-paint program. Who would have thought something so quaint as television would stymie this technological Renaissance Man?
And while we’re asking questions… given Rundgren’s producer reputation: Who would have thought Monday’s show would be free of synths, samples, and other technical doodads — that in essence it would be straight-ahead, boozy, floor-shaking rock ‘n’ roll?
His fans would have thought this, of course. He’s got a cult, many members of whom are half Rundgren’s 60-year-old age and were out that evening to see the New Wave Buddha. But while Rundgren is a household musical name, it’s primarily for his work as producer (on albums including Meatloaf’s “Bat out of Hell”), not for his own songs.
On stage Monday, Rundgren (in black tank top and leather pants; one of the only bits of color on stage was his green guitar) and company were all cool, smirks, and noise. Opening with “Love in Action” from his “Very Best of Todd Rundgren” greatest hits compilation, he immediately set a sludgy, Spinal Tap-esque tone. His take on his own cool was a bit wink-wink: “Ahh… there goes my foundation,” he told the crowd as he took off his sunglasses to wipe the sweat from his brow.
Rundgren was an amiable onstage presence, completely comfortable in his own skin as he blasted through semi-hits like “Lunatic Fringe” and “Just One Victory” during the first half of the set. After a handful of these Rundgren, fulfilling his earlier promise to “start with the familiar and finish with the profane,” dove deeply into testosterock with a series of progressive-tinged songs from his upcoming album, appropriately titled “Arena.” The volume in the room, already loud, seemed to get even louder — this show’s volume level was pretty up there. The songs, to my (admittedly, not entirely converted — and this was a show for the converted) ears, didn’t much reflect the ingenuity that has made Rundgren such a pioneer.
Maybe I’m just feeling old and fat this week, but I cannot recall the last time I saw a 60-year-old move around with as much fervor as Rundgren did Monday night. He is up to the task of rock ‘n’ roll, and he probably will be when he’s 80. At evening’s end, after more than the usual number of refugees had exited before the last encore (the set did end late), he stood strong. In so many ways, Rundgren was the first one to the party, and Monday night he was surely the last to sleep.
Nashville’s Will Hoge opened up, getting loose and getting his beard stuck in the harmonica during his self-described “big, dumb, rock ‘n’ roll songs.” Hoge’s straight-ahead Americana thing was a fine lubricant.
Jeremy Simon is a Lafayette-based Reverb contributor.
Mark T. Osler is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and regular Reverb contributor.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
2 songs added to TR's myspace page
there are 2 songs added to the playlist on todds official myspace page. One from his soon to released cd ARENA titled MAD, and one is a track from the band the Residents called Aging Musician, it was available a few years ago.
http://www.myspace.com/toddrundgrenmusic
this is the video released a few years ago by The Residents :AGING MUSICIAN
http://www.myspace.com/toddrundgrenmusic
this is the video released a few years ago by The Residents :AGING MUSICIAN
house of blues july 20 Darrly Smyers blog
Hello, It's (Still) Me
Even after so many years and so many bands, Todd Rundgren keeps doing things his way
By Darryl Smyers
Published on July 17, 2008
Having just turned 60, legendary singer/songwriter/producer/video director/computer programmer Todd Rundgren might want to slow things down, perhaps even think about retirement. Yet the mercurial artist doesn't want to hear anything of the sort, preferring instead to confound expectations as he has done consistently over his four decades as a performer.
Details:
Todd Rundgren performs Sunday, July 20, at House of Blues.
Subject(s):Todd Rundgren"You can add architect to the list of things I've done," Rundgren says over the phone from Los Angeles, the first stop on his tour to support the recently issued Arena. "I just finished building a new house, which I designed myself."
Rundgren's chameleon-like career has taken him from the garage rock group Nazz (formed in 1967) and through a highly successful singer-songwriter phase (his 1972 album Something/Anything? is considered a power pop high-water mark) that ran concurrently with his membership in the progressive rock outfit Utopia. And since the last Utopia effort (1986's Trivia), Rundgren has continued his solo career while producing albums by XTC, The Psychedelic Furs, Cheap Trick, Badfinger, Bad Religion and many others. Indeed, Rundgren views his production work as just another part of his artistry.
"Producing has allowed me to expand my own horizons as a musician," says Rundgren. "I haven't loved every band I've produced, but I have learned from all of them."
The sessions with XTC for the Skylarking album were especially contentious (Rundgren describes those recordings as "a lot of pushing and shoving"), but Rundgren seems to relish the artistic gold that animosity can unearth. In late 2005, Rundgren raised eyebrows (and the ire of original vocalist Ric Ocasek) when he decided to join Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes in a re-formed version of The Cars. Stepping in for Ocasek, Rundgren fronted The New Cars with his typical professionalism, and the performances and resulting live album were well-received.
"The fans of The Cars have a lot of loyalty to that band," says Rundgren. "They were very open to me, and I think they got more than they expected in that the old Cars were notoriously stoic, and we certainly moved around and smiled more."
Rundgren's participation in The New Cars seems to have revitalized him too. His most recent solo recordings bristle with a focus and spirit not seen since the halcyon days of Hermit of Mink Hollow (and hits such as "Hello, It's Me" and "Can We Still Be Friends?").
Arena, much like his 2004 effort, Liars, is punchy, well-constructed power pop, full of hooks, riffs and sing-along choruses. Plus, it boasts lyrics that touch on the political, as well as the personal.
"The most challenging part is always the writing," Rundgren admits. "[But] as long as I write good material, the mixing and producing is second nature."
You'd imagine it has to be at this point.
Even after so many years and so many bands, Todd Rundgren keeps doing things his way
By Darryl Smyers
Published on July 17, 2008
Having just turned 60, legendary singer/songwriter/producer/video director/computer programmer Todd Rundgren might want to slow things down, perhaps even think about retirement. Yet the mercurial artist doesn't want to hear anything of the sort, preferring instead to confound expectations as he has done consistently over his four decades as a performer.
Details:
Todd Rundgren performs Sunday, July 20, at House of Blues.
Subject(s):Todd Rundgren"You can add architect to the list of things I've done," Rundgren says over the phone from Los Angeles, the first stop on his tour to support the recently issued Arena. "I just finished building a new house, which I designed myself."
Rundgren's chameleon-like career has taken him from the garage rock group Nazz (formed in 1967) and through a highly successful singer-songwriter phase (his 1972 album Something/Anything? is considered a power pop high-water mark) that ran concurrently with his membership in the progressive rock outfit Utopia. And since the last Utopia effort (1986's Trivia), Rundgren has continued his solo career while producing albums by XTC, The Psychedelic Furs, Cheap Trick, Badfinger, Bad Religion and many others. Indeed, Rundgren views his production work as just another part of his artistry.
"Producing has allowed me to expand my own horizons as a musician," says Rundgren. "I haven't loved every band I've produced, but I have learned from all of them."
The sessions with XTC for the Skylarking album were especially contentious (Rundgren describes those recordings as "a lot of pushing and shoving"), but Rundgren seems to relish the artistic gold that animosity can unearth. In late 2005, Rundgren raised eyebrows (and the ire of original vocalist Ric Ocasek) when he decided to join Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes in a re-formed version of The Cars. Stepping in for Ocasek, Rundgren fronted The New Cars with his typical professionalism, and the performances and resulting live album were well-received.
"The fans of The Cars have a lot of loyalty to that band," says Rundgren. "They were very open to me, and I think they got more than they expected in that the old Cars were notoriously stoic, and we certainly moved around and smiled more."
Rundgren's participation in The New Cars seems to have revitalized him too. His most recent solo recordings bristle with a focus and spirit not seen since the halcyon days of Hermit of Mink Hollow (and hits such as "Hello, It's Me" and "Can We Still Be Friends?").
Arena, much like his 2004 effort, Liars, is punchy, well-constructed power pop, full of hooks, riffs and sing-along choruses. Plus, it boasts lyrics that touch on the political, as well as the personal.
"The most challenging part is always the writing," Rundgren admits. "[But] as long as I write good material, the mixing and producing is second nature."
You'd imagine it has to be at this point.
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