No longer able to turn a deaf ear to the unceasing requests from fans and the media alike, Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, Willie Wilcox (“Utopia”) and Ralph Schuckett (“Todd Rundgren’s Utopia”) are reuniting for their first North American tour since the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded. Presented by SiriusXM and produced by Live Nation, TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA will be performing across North America beginning on April 18 — tour itinerary is below. Pre-sales begin February 20 at 10am EST, and tickets go on sale February 23 at 10:00am Local. Tickets and more information are available at Live Nation, Ticketmaster and all Ticketmaster outlets.
In celebration of the upcoming reunion tour, Friday Music is excited to announce the blockbuster 7-disc box extravaganza THE ROAD TO UTOPIA: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS (1974-82). This limited edition collection will bring each of their seven classic albums to life, now in first-time CD digipak gatefold covers featuring the original album artwork elements, rare inner sleeve art, 2018 written commentary from the band and more. The box set has a scheduled street date of April 20. Fans can preorder the box set starting February 20 at Friday Music, Amazon and Record Store Day.
Todd Rundgren’s Utopia formed in 1974 out of Todd’s desire to explore new musical territory after four years of making solo albums (including the seminal “Something/Anything?”, which included radio core evergreens “Hello It’s Me” and “I Saw The Light”, and which prompted the rock press to dub him “Rock’s New Wunderkind”, and “Rock’s Renaissance Man”). Starting as a prog-rock-progenitor septet featuring Moogy Klingman, Ralph Schuckett and “M. Frog Labat” on keyboards, John Siegler on bass, Kevin Ellman on drums, and Rundgren on guitar, the band’s music ranged from extended synth experiments to four-song albums, while their live shows were distinguished by their ahead-of-the-curve video backdrops and computer-generated music.
In 1976, the group evolved into the shiny mainstream power-pop rock quartet, “Utopia,” uniting Rundgren with Willie Wilcox on drums, Roger Powell on keyboards, and Kasim Sulton on bass. The best known and most commercially successful Utopian incarnation was born, and by 1980, Utopia had developed into a hit-making entity in its own right. Standout Utopia albums included Oops! Wrong Planet, Adventures in Utopia, and Oblivion, with spawning hits including “Rock Love,” “Set Me Free,” “Mated,” and “Love Is The Answer.” The band’s tours, the first to aggressively incorporate then-state-of-the-art video technology, produced at Todd’s own Utopia Video Studios, featured some of the most lavish, outrageous, and audacious stage productions in rock history.
In 1986, after ten years of non-stop recording and arena touring cycles, the band declared they were “going on sabbatical”, and Todd returned to his stellar solo recording and producing career. His myriad production projects include albums by Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, Psychedelic Furs, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall And Oates, and Meat Loaf’s seminal “Bat Out of Hell”, while his solo offerings catapulted Todd further into the superstar limelight with hits like “Can We Still be Friends” and “Bang The Drum”. In April, that thirty-two-year-long sabbatical comes to an end.
TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA 2018 TOUR
APRIL 18 JIM THORPE, PA – PENN’S PEAK
APRIL 20 ENGLEWOOD, NJ – BERGEN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
APRIL 22 HOUSTON, TX – HOUSE OF BLUES
APRIL 23 DALLAS, TX – MAJESTIC THEATER
APRIL 25 BROWARD, FL – BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
APRIL 27 ST PETERSBURG, FL – MAHAFFEY THEATER
APRIL 28 ATLANTA, GA – TABERNACLE
APRIL 29 DURHAM, NC – CAROLINA THEATER
MAY 1 HUNTINGTON, NY – PARAMOUNT THEATER
MAY 2 WASHINGTON, DC – WARNER THEATER
MAY 3 NEW YORK, NY – TOWN HALL
MAY 5 PHILADELPHIA, PA – TOWER THEATER
MAY 6 BOSTON, MA – ORPHEUM THEATER
MAY 7 RIDGEFIELD, CT – RIDGEFIELD THEATER
MAY 9 ST LOUIS, MO – PEABODY OPERA HOUSE
MAY 10 CINCINNATI, OH – TAFT THEATER
MAY 12 MILWAUKEE, WI – PABST THEATER
MAY 13 MINNEAPOLIS, MN – STATE THEATER
MAY 15 GRAND RAPIDS, MI – 20 MONROE LIVE
MAY 16 TORONTO, ON – MASSEY HALL
MAY 17 DETROIT, MI – THE FILLMORE
MAY 19 CLEVELAND, OH – HARD ROCK LIVE
MAY 22 CHICAGO, IL – CHICAGO THEATER
MAY 24 DENVER, CO – PARAMOUNT THEATER
MAY 26 LAS VEGAS, NV – THE JOINT AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO LAS VEGAS
MAY 27 PHOENIX, AZ – COMERICA THEATER
MAY 29 LOS ANGELES, CA – THE WILTERN
MAY 30 SAN FRANCISCO, CA – THE MASONIC
JUNE 1 SEATTLE, WA – MOORE THEATER
JUNE 2 PORTLAND, OR – REVOLUTION THEATER
JUNE 4 SACRAMENTO, CA – CREST THEATER
JUNE 5 RIVERSIDE, CA – FOX PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
