TODD RUNDGREN Doesn’t Like Today’s Musicians
11 May 2026
Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brussels 2025
Welcome to the modern times.
Tour 2026
Todd Rundgren
TOUR TOURS TOURS
Pennsylvania‘s legendary big shot TODD RUNGREN ,
aged 77, had a remarkable career, which is far from
over.
His latest LP, called Space Force already dates from 2022,
but the musical centipede is unstoppable on the road (as I
witnessed last year in Brussels, formidable show).
New dates announced for North America and Europe.
For Los Angeles grunge rock shedevils L7 (1985–2001, 2014–present)
it will be their farewell tour.
Frontwoman Donita Sparks told Pitchfork: “When L7 decided to release a documentary
in 2015, we thought maybe we would take one last victory lap around the sun by playing some shows. Instead, that lap turned into eleven more years of touring, sweat, new music, and reconnecting with the fans. We are deeply grateful and ready to give our audiences one last, loud, fun, and hopefully unforgettable night of rock & roll.”
Paramore‘s utterly charismatic frontwoman HAYLEY WILLIAMS, ‘s
current solo tour is hopelessly sold out. This asks for more dates.
Legend TODD RUNDGREN’s Voice Starred In BRUSSELS
27 October 2025
Pennsylvania‘s musical big shot TODD RUNGREN , aged 77 now,
had a remarkable career, with the mid-60s/70s and the 80s as his
most productive, creative and successful decades.
He excelled in blending prog-rock, jazz, electronica
and psychedelic pop into a rich multi-layered sound.
He was a member of experimental band Nazz between 1967
and 1969, and his own band Utopia from 1973 until 1976.
He had his greatest output as a solo artist, with a total of
27 LPs (so far) with Space Force as the most recent one,
released in 2022.
Last week, he landed in Europe for a handful of gigs. I caught him in Brussels.
It felt both weird and special to see this musical icon (for my first time) in a
small 450-capacity club called Le Botanique.
Nostalgia ruled. Rundgren‘s set was a greatest hits one, mostly solo ones,
but also a couple of Nazz and Utopia rockers. It was quickly clear that the legend
only came to perform and entertain us all with his music, not with interactions
with the public in between or during songs. He didn’t want to lose his firm grip
on his 2 hour+ extravaganza show.
Also he needed his supreme voice all the way through to sing. Yes, his all-around
impressive voice was the indisputable star of the galvanizing night. Prodigious, really
prodigious vocal cords. He rarely took up his guitar, and when he did he didn’t lost
himself in endless solos (which I expected a bit). His 5-man strong seasoned backing
band took care of the songs’ insatiable pop and rock puissance. Wholly solid.
Then again, the most gripping highlight was the a capella rendition of the sailor
shanty-like pearl Home Of Work (from his 1985 LP A Capella, yes, all voice, stupendous record). Along with the bassist and guitarist, Rundgren silenced the audience completely venue, you could hear a needle drop. Astounding tour de force. Astounding concert overall.
SETLIST
I Think You Know
Secret Society
Weakness
Stood Up
Lost Horizon
Buffalo Grass
Beloved Infidel
Hit Me Like a Train
Wouldn’t You Like to Know
Sweet
Kindness
Woman’s World
Afterlife
Down With the Ship
Flesh and Blood
Honest Work
Rock Love
God Said
Fascist Christ
Hawking
Worldwide Epiphany
Encore:
I Saw the Light / Can We Still Be Friends / Hello It’s Me The Last Ride
Fade Away / A Dream Goes on Forever
All photos by Turn Up The Volume.
TODD RUNDGREN Announces New Album And Shares Bittersweet Synth Symphony ‘PUZZLE’
Daily electricity to load your batteries
18 August 2022
Multi-faceted music champion TODD RUNDGREN announced that his
27th (solo) album, titled SPACE FORCE is planned to hit on the streets
on 14th October via Cleopatra Records.
It’ll feature an extensive-impressive cast of guests. The Roots, Weezer’s
Rivers Cuomo, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, the Lemon Twigs, Sparks, Steve Vai,
Narcy, Crowded House’s Neil Finn, King Crimson’s Adrian Belew, Alfie Templeman,
Davey Lane, and Thomas Dolby.Wow.
Here’s the album’s opening track PUZZLE.
A bittersweet synth symphony, a heartsick
lullaby referring to today’s worrying state
of humankind’s minds.
Tune in…
TODD RUNDGREN: Facebook – Instagram
TODD RUNDGREN – His Third Longplayer ‘SOMETHING / ANYTHING?’ Released 50 Years Ago
21 February 2022
Artist: TODD RUNDGREN
Born in Philadelphia 73 years ago.
Active: Since 1966 with 25 studio LPs
and number 26 ‘Space Force’ coming soon.
Anniversary album: SOMETHING / ANYTHING?
Released: 21 February 1972 – 50 years ago today
AllMusic/Stephen Thomas Erlewine: “Rundgren occasionally
touched on the sheer brilliance of Something/Anything? in his later
work, but this extraordinary double album is the one time where
his classicist songcraft and messy genius converged to create an
utterly unique, glorious record.” Score: 5/5.
Single/clip: I Saw The Light
Full album on Spotify…
.
TODD RUNDGREN: All Albums – Facebook
Turn Up The Volume’s KNOCKOUT TEAM OF THE MONTH – April 2021
The best of the past month…
Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks for April 2021!
A fervid fusion of rhapsodic rippers and clashing crackerjacks.
‘Nike Soldier’ by ALAN VEGA (US)
Alan Vega is dead! Long live! This spine-chilling slo-mo groove
comes from his lost album Mutator released last week.
‘End Of The Night’ by A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS (US)
Sounding like Nine Inch Nails going punk, Spacemen 3 returning from the dead
and The Brian Jonestown Massacre freaking out on acid, all at the same time. This
is what happens when lockdown blues leads to schizophrenia.
‘Boilermaker’ by ROYAL BLOOD (UK)
The blues-rock tandem is back with this motherfucker of a slam dunk
from their brand new album Typhoons . Wham bloody hell bam!
‘Deeper Than Holy’ by PASTEL (UK)
Imagine the bittersweet symphony swagger of Richard Ashcroft and The Verve
and the natural-born coolness of Liam ‘tonight I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star’ Gallagher.
Supersonic, right? You better you bet.
‘Wake Up’ by LOBSTERBOMB (Berlin, Germany)
A screaming triumph. This up-and-coming Berlin trio on the stereo this hit and run trio combines Bikini Kill‘s rough outcries, L7‘s detonating gusto, and B-52‘s peppery liveliness. Bingo!
‘The Gimp’s Gimp‘ by BODY HORROR (UK)
A chainsaw intro followed by manic drum thwacks and a frenetic bass force, and a
bit later a nightmarish voice joining the freaked-out get-together. All this brain-breaking
stuff happens in under a minute. Hallelujah!…
.
‘Nobody Everyone’ by WEEKEND DEBT (Scotland)
Highly energetic and sharp-riffing indie rock at its youthful best. Smells like teen spirit. Big guitars, big drums/bass, big tune, and big post-breakup vocals. What do you need more to boost your bloodstream?
‘Pilot‘ by MODEL CHILD (Los Angeles)
2 minutes of rage, anger and endless humanitarian struggle.
Fuck the greedy rich! Fuck the military industry! FUCK WAR!
‘The Men Who Rule The World’ by GARBAGE (US/Scotland)
A surprisingly funky disco banger that triggers your head’s up-and-down movement the very moment the money drops into the corrupt politicians’ pockets. I still love you, Shirley!
‘Your Fandango’ by TODD RUNDGEN & SPARKS (US)
Old friends Sparks and Todd Rundgen team up again, after so many years, for a mini pop opera. The legends still deliver and it seems this town is big enough for the both of them.
‘Moshi Moshi’ by COMMON FLAWS (Italy)
Mostly instrumental, except for a hazy voice in the distance, this electro earworm
gets under your skin from the clap along intro and goes on like forever. Imagine
Aphex Twin going synth-pop for a change. The power of repetition!
‘Be There’ by MIHI NIHIL (Los Angeles, US)
Shadowy, starry-eyed and emotive pearl. Twinkling guitars, gripping vocals and
captivating melodiousness. Magnificent beauty from their new self-titled LP.
‘Streetlights’ by LOSSLINE (Manchester, UK)
Genuine, heart & soul lockdown blues. Melodramatic musing for twilight moments and nightly wanderings. From the duo’s excellent, midnight hours album Fading Affect Bias. Don’t miss this.
‘Amsterdam’ by MOONLIGHT PARADE (UK)
Magical and red-colored ballad, combining the melodic melancholia of Teenage Fanclub and The Coral. A sweet little gem about a wonderful city I’m in love with for a long time now. Press play and let your thoughts drift away on a cloud.
‘Trust’ by MASHMELLOW (Moscow, Russia)
Dream pop for lonely nights with echoes from The Sundays and Mazzy Star. Yes, that bewitchingly good. One of the highlights from their new 6-tack EP titled Pole Pole.
.
All 15 together on Spotify…
.
See/hear you next month, music junkies…
Old Friends SPARKS And TODD RUNDGREN Team Up Again For A Mini Pop Opera
New sonic impulses…
24 April 2021
Philly icon/multi-instrumentalist TODD RUNDGREN produced the 1977 debut album of kooky brothers SPARKS. And now, after 44 years, the stars of the past teamed up once again for a new song called YOUR FANDANGO.
“They sent me this song that sounded substantially like a finished product, except for the fact that I think there was some placeholder stuff that was meant to be developed a little further and they just never got around to it. I started just dressing it up and adding some vocal parts, writing some lyrics for it. And, in the end, you know — they sent me the track, I sent back what I did to them. We were both happy with it, and the label’s happy with it because they’re going to put it out.” says Rundgren about the collaboration.
Your Fandago is pretty special and also Sparks-esque,
actually a mini pop opera…
SPARKS: Facebook
TODD RUNDGREN: Facebook
TODD RUNDGREN Released 9th Album ‘HEALING’ 40 Years Ago Today
Back in time…
27 January 2021
Artist: TODD RUNDGEN (Philadelphia)
Age: 72 and active since 1966.
Album: HEALING – 9th (solo) LP
Released: 28 January 1981 – 40 years ago today
AllMusic: “Each song could have been a single unto itself. In this
context, they may deflate the lasting spiritual impression of the LP,
but they add musical weight, helping make the disc a fine effort.”
Stream album…
.
TODD RUNDGREN: Facebook – All Albums
Iconic Veteran TODD RUNDGREN Inflames WEEZER’s ‘Hash-Pipe’…
14 April 2019
Wow! Double wow! Triple Wow! Flamboyant iconic veteran TODD RUNDGREN was always hungry to do something unexpected throughout his long career. This time he kept it real simple by giving WEEZER‘s classic HASH PIPE a heavy kick upon its doped ass during a live in-studio session for Sirius XM Satellite Radio in Manhattan, New York. Rundgren has covered this nasty rocker regularly for some years now, on his live shows or on special occasions. But this inflaming rendition beats any other of his versions available on YouTube. Wow…
TODD RUNDGREN: Facebook