Todd Rundgren's Utopia have a new keyboard player.
In a post on Facebook, the band says, "We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who 'applied' for the daunting position of filling Ralph Schuckett’s oversized shoes. We are pleased to announce we have a winner; we will be announcing details in the next couple of days. In the meantime, as our mailbox is already stretched to the limit, we won’t be needing any further submissions."
Schukett has to sit out due to medical issues.
Utopia's reunion tour, their first in 32 years, starts on April 18th in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.
The long-awaited reunion tour of Todd Rundgren's Utopia has hit a bump in the road as keyboardist Ralph Schuckett has had to bow out due to "unexpected health issues."
So, with the tour set to get underway in less than a month -- April 18th in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania -- the band has hung a keyboardist wanted ad on Facebook, which, in part, reads:
"While discussing a replacement keyboardist, it occurred to us that there may be someone out there who already knows the music and vocal parts and would like an opportunity to tour with us. So if you think you could fill those big shoes, we invite you to submit an audio and/or video sample to us.
"We are on a very fast track, so the decision will be made this week. Band rehearsals begin in two weeks, so you won’t have a lot of time to learn the set. If you still want to try out, send your submissions (mp3s or links) to INFO@Panacea-Ent.com.
"If audio-only, a photo would be nice but not required."
Schukett, a member of the earliest incarnation of the band, was sitting in for Roger Powell from the last version of the band to tour in the late '80s.