Singer talks ambitious virtual tour and shares wacky new Christmas tune
Prior to the pandemic, Todd Rundgren had always wanted to embark on a virtual tour.
“It’s an idea that I’ve been cultivating for a long time,” he tells Rolling Stone from his home in Hawaii. “The inspiration for it was the degradation of the travel network, and a lot of that was a result of climate change. As a touring musician, I realized that it’s going to become more and more common that I can’t get to the gig, that my flights have all been canceled, or there’s a flood or a fire and you can’t even drive there. So I started toying with the idea of different ways to deliver my service.”
On February 14th, the singer will make that dream a reality, virtually performing 25 sets geofenced in different cities that he would have hit on a physical trek, from Manhattan, New York, to Phoenix, Arizona. Dubbed the Clearly Human Tour — a play on his 1989 album Nearly Human — each show will emanate from a Chicago venue through March 22nd, where the Central Time zone allows for a convenient start time for each coast.
TODD RUNDGREN – FLAPPIE
Available Now
Todd Rundgren is proud to announce his first ever solo Christmas recording, a cover version of a wildly popular novelty song from The Netherlands written and recorded by Dutch comedian Youp van ’t Hek in 1978.
Musically, the song has the upbeat, merry bounce of a classic Christmas carol, however, the lyrics tell a harrowing tale of a young boy who discovers his pet rabbit, the titular Flappie, has gone missing on Christmas morning. As the mystery deepens, the boy begins to suspect foul play and a possible tragic end for his beloved pet…at the hands of his own parents!
SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION etched 7” vinyl, in Christmas color vinyl, hand-signed by Rundgren!
Track Listing:
SIDE A:
1. Flappie
SIDE B:
Etching
Todd Rundgren Virtual Tour Dates
February 14 — Buffalo, NY
February 16 — Albany, NY
February 17 — New York City, NY
February 19 — Virginia Beach, VA
February 20 — Pittsburgh, PA
February 22 — Cleveland, OH
February 23 — Detroit, MI
February 25 — Indianapolis IN
February 26 — Chicago, IL
February 28 — Madison/Milwaukee, WI
March 1 — Minneapolis, MN
March 3 — Kansas City, MO
March 4 — St. Louis, MO
March 6 — Nashville, TN
March 7 — Dallas, TX
March 9 — Houston, TX
March 10 — Austin, TX
March 12 — Denver, CO
March 13 — Salt Lake City, UT
March 15 — Phoenix AZ
March 16 — San Diego, CA
March 18 — Los Angeles, CA
March 19 — San Francisco, CA
March 21 — Portland OR
March 22 — Seattle WA