REUNITING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 32 YEARS, TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA HEADING TO ST. PETE APRIL 27, 2018 AT THE DUKE ENERGY CENTER FOR THE ARTS, MAHAFFEY THEATER
St. Petersburg, Fla. – (Feb. 20, 2018)- The Duke Energy Center for the Arts, Mahaffey Theater proudly announces Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, Willie Wilcox (“Utopia”) and Ralph Schuckett (“Todd Rundgren’s Utopia”) are reuniting for their North American tour on APRIL 27, 2018 in St. Petersburg. Presented by SiriusXM and produced by Live Nation, TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA will grace the stage for one night only. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, February 23 at 10:00 am. Tickets may be purchased online at TheMahaffey.com, charged by phone at 727.893.7832, or in person at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, Mahaffey Theater Box Office. Ticket prices are: $67.50, $57.50, $47.50, and $37.50.
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
Citi® is the official pre-sale credit card of the TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA tour. As such, Citi® cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, February 20 at 10:00AM EST until Thursday, February 22 at 10:00PM local time through Citi’s Private Pass® program. For complete pre-sale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.
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
Tickets and more information are available at Live Nation and Ticketmaster
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The Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater
The Mahaffey Theater, under the management of Big3 Entertainment, is one of Tampa Bay’s top-rated performing arts venues. Home to the Florida Orchestra, The Mahaffey hosts top-quality national and international artists and performances – Broadway, pop, rock, comedy, dance, classical and interactive engagements and exhibitions.
Located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, the 2,031-seat cultural jewel boasts spectacular waterfront views and is located only minutes away from white sandy beaches and world-renowned museums. Additionally, the theater supports the highly successful Class Acts program, which enables school children to experience the performing arts through in-theater performances as well as in-school outreach and extension programs.
Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts
Founded as a 501(c)3 nonprofit in 2009, the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts is dedicated to the success and future of The Mahaffey Theater and to the notion that through diverse programing and patron membership support, performing arts should be enjoyed by all of St. Petersburg’s citizens. It’s your theater!
The Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts is committed to supporting and presenting all genres of the performing arts at The Mahaffey Theater, funding arts education for school children through the Class Acts performance series and providing its member patrons with unequaled services, entertainment and cultural experiences.