For 32 years, fans have been clamoring for a reunion. The wait is over. 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.
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.” 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 mainstream power-pop rock quartet, “Utopia,” uniting Rundgren with Willie Wilcox on drums, Roger Powell on keyboards, and Kasim Sulton on bass. 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.” 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. In April, that thirty-two-year-long sabbatical comes to an end.