Todd Rundgren's Johnson

American music innovator set to give Kiwis a dose of the blues

For the first time ever, New Zealand fans will get a taste of Todd Rundgren live

A musical pioneer, a software innovator, a renowned composer and producer, a conceptual and interactive artist and maybe even a wizard (if the name if of his 1973 solo album is anything to go by), Todd Rundgren has been shifting and shaping the musical and multimedia membrane for almost forty years, and now he brings the live experience of his brand new album Todd Rundgren’s Johnson to Auckland and Wellington in September, for two must-see shows.

Rundgren may not be a household name in this country but his list of project collaborators will be familiar to any self-respecting music fan: Patti Smith, Meatloaf, Cheap Trick, Hall and Oates, Grand Funk Railway and Psychedelic Furs, to name but a few.

While he is perhaps best known for his music (and less well-known as Liv Tyler’s step-dad!) Rundgren also directed and produced the music video for 1981’s Time Heals – the first video to feature compositing of live action and computer graphics and just the second video ever to feature on MTV (behind Video Killed the Radio Star).

His latest project is a collection of classic bluesman Robert Johnson numbers, each performed with the Rundgren twist. Reviewers of his American shows have described the experience as reminiscent of late sixties Cream or early Led Zeppelin. Rundgren simply describes the show as “kick ass rock 'n’ roll”.

Throughout the last four decades, Rundgren’s style has morphed from power pop to prog-rock to a cappella, and his music has been referenced or used by such cult television shows as That 70’s show, The Office, Miami Vice & 30 Rock.

With Todd Rundgren’s Johnson, he is mining a rich vein of Americana, already well and truly picked over by some of the foremost rock acts of the last half century, but still packing the swagger and verve of the delta and the depression.

Fans can expect about half the show set to be dedicated to Johnson’s material with the remainder of the concert featuring a full noise guided tour through the Rundgren catalogue. Guitar heroes: take note!

Tickets for Todd Rundgren’s Johnson shows go on sale on Friday 18 June through Ticketmaster (Auckland) and Ticketek (Wellington). From 18 June to 09 July, Todd Rundgren’s Johnson album will be available for purchase at $20 when also purchasing tickets to the show. Full information can be found at www.stetsongroup.com.

Event listed by Janietee

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