Todd Rundgren's UTOPIA @ Massey Hall (May 16, 2018)

Influential musician Todd Rundgren, prodigious author of seminal 70’s albums, Something / Anything? and A Wizard, a True Star, produced a stunning body of work at his young age.

Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, record producer, multimedia innovator, Rundgren has a long list of admirers — including the legendary Prince.

Rundgren’s Utopia evolved from his back up band in the mid-seventies with an ever-changing lineup and album directions until finally disbanding in 1986.

So, to think that a reunited Utopia has resurfaced in 2018 to tour again — pipedream? Sometimes, Individualist dreams do come true!

The only Canadian stop of the tour landed in Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall (soon to be closed for 2 years of renovation).

Opening with “utopian” progressive instrumentals, “Utopia Theme” and shortened version of “The Ikon”, the audience rode on Rundgren’s multi-colored jumpsuit back to the 70’s.

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The first set continued from Utopia’s catalog, “Freedom Fighters”, “The Wheel”, “Back on the Street”, “Monument” and finished off with ”Overture: Mountaintop and Sunrise / Communion With the Sun” & “Last of the New Wave Riders”.

A quick 20-minute intermission, and again Utopia started off with another progressive gem, “The Road to Utopia”.

Jazz-tinged “anti-Reagan, warmongers, despicable music moguls” 80’s era song, “Swing to the Right” was an appropriate song for these perplexing times.

More popular commercial radio fare followed with, “Set Me Free” and “Hammer in My Heart”.

Closing with “Love Is the Answer” and “One World”, the sight of audience members rushing the stage dancing and singing along to Rundgren was uplifting, to say the least.