Todd Rundgren (Photo: © 2018 Lynn Goldsmith; used with permission)
Todd Rundgren has announced what he describes as “the world’s first hybrid concert/book tour” this spring. Rundgren’s long-awaited autobiography, The Individualist: digressions, dreams and dissertations, is being released by Cleopatra Press on December 21, documenting his life through his 50th birthday. The concert set list will mirror that time period, with song selections from the inception of his musical career through 1996, with intros and stories behind the songs and his career.
The book is described as “Over 200 pages of recollections, structured into bite-sized three-paragraph chapters, about Rundgren’s encounters with classic rock royalty including Janis Joplin, Brian Wilson, Ringo Starr, Patti Smith, New York Dolls, Meat Loaf, and many more along with numerous photos never before published.” Pre-order it here.
The Dec. 3 announcement indicates that the repertoire will feature his hits as well as deep tracks spanning his 50-year career.
Produced by Live Nation and presented by SiriusXM, the North American leg of the tour begins April 10 and concludes May 13. These dates will be preceded by dates in Europe and the U.K. and followed by performances in Japan. (See the complete itinerary below.)
The schedule features many back-to-back shows in the same markets in order to do books signings and local TV and radio appearances on the second show day in each city. Tickets go on sale Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. local time.
The visionary artist was nominated but not selected for the Rock Hall’s Class of 2019.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front the ’60’s psychedelic group, The Nazz. In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut album, Runt. 1972’s two-LP Something/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, catapulted Rundgren into the limelight. It was followed by such albums as The Hermit of Mink Hollow and A Wizard, A True Star, as well as such hit singles as “I Saw The Light,” “Hello It’s Me,” “Can We Still Be Friends” and “Bang The Drum.”
Watch Rundgren perform “I Saw the Light” in 2014
Related: An insider reveals the wild success story of “Hello, It’s Me”
In 1974, he formed Todd Rundgren’s Utopia (renamed and reconfigured in 1976 as Utopia), an entirely new approach to the concept of interactive musicianship, and began an extensive round of touring and recording.
Rundgren’s production projects includes Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell, as well as albums by Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, Psychedelic Furs, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, and Hall And Oates.
Todd Rundgren The Individualist 2019 Tour (Tickets are available here)
Apr 01 – Theater am Mareintor – Duisburg, Germany
Apr 02 – Laeiszhalle – Hamburg, Germany
Apr 03 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Apr 06 – Eventim Apollo – London, UK
Apr 10 – Buckhead Theatre – Atlanta, GA
Apr 11 – Buckhead Theatre – Atlanta, GA
Apr 13 – State Theatre – Washington, DC
Apr 14 – State Theatre – Washington, DC
Apr 16 – Town Hall – New York, NY
Apr 17 – Town Hall – New York, NY
Apr 19 – Berklee Performance Center – Boston, MA
Apr 20 – Berklee Performance Center – Boston, MA
Apr 23 – Athenaeum Theatre – Chicago, IL
Apr 24 – Athenaeum Theatre – Chicago, IL
Apr 27 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
Apr 28 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
May 01 – Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA
May 02 – Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA
May 05 – Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square – Cleveland, OH
May 06 – Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square – Cleveland, OH
May 09 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
May 10 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
May 12 – Palace of Fine Arts – San Francisco, CA
May 13 – Palace of Fine Arts – San Francisco, CA
May 22 – Sumida Triphony Hall – Tokyo, Japan
May 23 – NHK Hall – Osaka, Japan
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