The Blog for the Classic Concertgoer
Nov 2, 2011
02:10 PM
Utopia's Todd Rundgren Comes Home to Upper Darby
By Debbi Calton
(page 1 of 2)
When hometown boy Todd Rundgren returns to his old stomping grounds in Upper Darby to play the Tower Theater on Nov. 19, he will not bring his usual bag of tricks. In fact, Rundgren doesn’t do anything “usual.” Ever.
This show will definitely be for the hardcore Todd-heads and Utopians. No “Bang the Drum All Day.” (Don’t dare yell it out, either, or you will be mocked!) No “Hello It’s Me.” No “Love Is the Answer.” No most of the songs you know. Instead, this two-hour performance is a re-creation of the first two Utopia albums from the early to mid-’70s.
This tour is decidedly not for the uninitiated, but it's a true treat for those who have followed the “Todd Is God” philosophy since the early days. With the formation of Utopia, Rundgren took his pop leanings and made a progressive turn. Equipped with three keyboardists, he pushed the limits of song length, rivaling Yes. And so, Utopia's 1974 album stretched the seams of how much music can fit on vinyl.
This project came about as a benefit concert in New York for original Utopia electronic keyboardist “Moogy” Klingman (as in Moog synthesizer). Earlier this year, other original Utopia members like drummer Kevin Ellman got together—for the first time in more than 30 years—to raise money for Moogy’s cancer treatments. They had such a good time that they decided to take it on the road. The plan was for Moogy to join them, but, unfortunately, he’s been too ill to perform.
Continued on page 2 ...
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About This Blog
Debbi Calton has done middays on Classic Rock 102.9 WMGK-FM for more than 16 years. Catch her on the air 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every weekday. You might also remember her from her 10-year stint at WYSP-FM. She and her husband, guitarist Chip Roberts, along with their teenage son, Dustin, reside in Media, well known as “Everybody’s Hometown.”
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Reader Comments:
Great article, Deb! Hope you'll be at the show. Would love to run into you!
Gabby
♥
todd rundgrens utopia was one of my favorite bands in high...school.they were such a big part of mf life cant wait to see them perform albums 1 & 2. thanks
god bless moogy billy from philly