Cleopatra Records
Last spring, Todd Rundgren reunited his old band, Utopia, for its first tour in 32 years. Now a live album and concert video documenting a May 22 concert in Chicago get their release today.
Todd Rundgren’s Utopia: Live at the Chicago Theatre is available as a two-CD/Blu-ray/DVD set and a limited-edition two-LP green-vinyl collection.
Rundgren tells ABC Radio that fans generally were thrilled by the entire show, which was broken into two sets — the first featuring songs from Utopia’s early prog-rock era and the second focusing on their latter power-pop material.
“They seemed for the most part pretty ecstatic in certain ways, just by virtue of the fact that this had finally materialized,” Todd says, laughing. “And so, they were pretty generous with their applause and their cheers…pretty much after every song.”
Rundgren says a main feature of the concert was a giant video wall that projected animations “that accentuated various…stage themes that we’d had over the years.”
Key among these images was a three-dimensional pyramid, a nod to the huge stage prop that was the centerpiece of Utopia’s tour in support of their 1977 album, Ra.
“I think that pleased everyone…that they got to see the pyramid, ’cause [that tour was] where Utopia gained a lot of its fans,” Todd notes. “So to have done it without some simulacrum of the pyramid, I think, would have left people a little unsatisfied.”
If you missed the 2018 reunion tour, Live at the Chicago Theatre may offer your best option to experience the band in concert, since Rundgren says the trek “was always just gonna be a one-tour thing.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
Here’s the Live at the Chicago Theatre CD track list:
CD 1
“Utopia Theme”
“The Ikon”
“Another Life”
“Do Ya”
“Freedom Fighters”
“The Wheel”
“Back on the Street”
“Something’s Coming”
“Monument”
“Overture — Communion with the Sun”
“Last of the New Wave Riders”
CD 2
“Road to Utopia”
“Play This Game”
“Swing to the Right”
“Trapped”
“Set Me Free”
“Love in Action”
“Hammer in My Heart”
“Princess of the Universe”
“I Will Wait”
“Rock Love”
“Love Is the Answer”
“One World”
“Just One Victory”
And here’s the vinyl edition’s track list:
Side A
“Utopia Theme 1”
Side B
“The Ikon”
“Another Life”
“Do Ya”
Side C
“Freedom Fighters”
“The Wheel”
“Back on the Street”
“Something’s Coming”
Side D
“Monument”
“Overture — Communion with the Sun”
“Last of the New Wave Riders”
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