21 Jan Todd Rundgren On His Upcoming “Clearly Human” Virtual Tour, Future Theatrical Plans & More

Todd Rundgren first earned attention with the Philadelphia-based band The Nazz in the late 1960s, a few years after he had graduated from Upper Darby High School. Things got bigger and better for Rundgren when he went solo in the early 1970s, also branching out as a producer. As a recording artist, Rundgren was responsible for hits like “I Saw The Light,” “Hello It’s Me,” “Can We Still Be Friends” and “Bang The Drum All Day.” As a producer, beyond producing Meat Loaf’s record-setting Bat Out Of Hell album from 1977, Rundgren has been at the helm for major albums by Grand Funk Railroad, XTC, Cheap Trick, The Band and The New York Dolls. Rundgren has also worked on a variety of cutting-edge projects over the years, developing one of the first computer paint programs in the early 1980s, co-developing the computer screensaver system Flowfazer, and starting a subscription-based music service for fans in the 1990s long before any notable artist did. And that’s without talking about the music he composed for Pee-wee’s Playhouse or his work with the bands Utopia and The New Cars.

Simply put, Rundgren has never stopped touring or recording. His latest album is 2017’s White Knight, which featured collaborations with Robyn, Daryl Hall, Donald Fagen, Joe Walsh, Trent Reznor, Bettye LaVette, Kasim Sulton, and Dâm-Funk. Since then he has released a one-off single with Red Peters, the archival live album All Sides Of The Roxy, and the memoir titled The Individualist – Digressions, Dreams & Dissertations. Meanwhile, a few tracks from 2021’s forthcoming Space Force album have already been released. In other words, Rundgren has had more quality-oriented output in a 2-year period than the majority of major or influential artists would release in a 5-year span.

Rundgren’s next tour is the 25-city Clearly Human virtual tour, as offered to Rundgren fans in the United States regardless of their geographic location. The first-ever multi-city virtual tour, Rolling Stone has proclaimed that “it could pave the way for the future of live performances.” Produced by NoCap, the live-streaming company recently launched by Cisco Adler, and Todd’s longtime manager Panacea Entertainment chairman Eric Gardner, Rundgren and his 10-piece band will broadcast each performance from a Chicago venue, with shows being “localized” to a different U.S. city. Music aside, a licensed COVID compliance officer will be on staff at all times for Rundgren’s Chicago residency, and both the band and crew will be tested regularly throughout the duration of the virtual tour.

Todd Rundgren spoke with select members of the media on January 21, 2021 about the Clearly Human multi-city virtual tour. After a viewable conversation between him and The Lemon Twigs, Rundgren opened up the floor for questions from the media, and I asked about Rundgren about his previously-stated plans — before COVID-19, of course — to helm a musical based on older compositions of his; the short answer is that this still appears to be a possibility, although not one of his top or immediate projects. More on Rundgren and the Clearly Human virtual tour is online at www.tr-i.com and www.nocapshows.com/artist?name=toddrundgren and www.twitter.com/toddrundgren.