Todd Rundgren’s Toddstock II v6.5 Birthday Celebration Set For June 17-22, 2013 at Nottoway Plantation & Resort Near New Orleans
Next June 17-22, renowned multi-faceted artist Todd Rundgren will celebrate his 65th birthday (June 22) with family, friends and fans at Toddstock II v6.5, held at the historic Nottoway Plantation & Resort in White Castle, Louisiana. Nottoway, the South’s largest remaining antebellum mansion, is situated on a stunning plantation estate nestled between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana.
“By popular demand, the summer solstice bacchanal known as Toddstock will descend like locusts upon the unsuspecting landscape,” says Rundgren. “This year, we target an innocent Louisiana plantation a stone’s throw from New Orleans. Come while the week away in the heart of Dixie.”
Toddstock II v6.5 will offer fans a rare opportunity to spend quality time with Rundgren and enjoy nightly musical jam sessions while relaxing on Nottoway’s vast 22 acres on the Great Mississippi River Road in the heart of Louisiana’s historic plantation country.
The 2008 inaugural Toddstock festival celebrating Todd’s 60th birthday was held on his property on Kauai, with hundreds of fans from around the globe camped out for the week-long event.
Todd explains what attendees can expect at Toddstock II v6.5: “We’re hoping that our more centralized location will allow ‘Stockers to contribute infrastructure of their own devising — tents are cool, but kissing booths are cooler! Bring your own sushi bar! Go nuts!”
Toddstock II v6.5 attendees may choose from a variety of accommodations at Nottoway, including beautifully renovated historic Mansion rooms and the deluxe hotel rooms of the Cottages and Carriage House. Every room features luxurious amenities and modern conveniences, such as wireless internet access and flat-screen TVs. The Elysian grounds include a swimming pool and cabanas, tennis courts, and fitness center, and several acres will be designated exclusively for tent camping during Toddstock II v6.5.
In addition to enjoying leisure time on the expansive Nottoway grounds, optional excursions such as plantation tours, swampboat tours, riverboat tours, golf, and historical tours of Baton Rouge and New Orleans will also be available.
For more details on Toddstock II v6.5 packages and to make reservations, visit: www.toddstock2v65.com.
Toddstock Website: www.toddstock2v65.com
Toddstock Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/192101710926904/
Todd’s Official Site: http://tr-i.com/
Todd’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/todd.rundgren.94?fref=ts
Todd’s Fan Site: www.trconnection.com/
Twitter: @toddrundgren
About Nottoway Plantation: Nottoway, the South’s largest remaining antebellum mansion, is a stunning historic plantation that lies between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. A dramatic, multi-million-dollar renovation has restored this 151-year old plantation to her days of glory as well as adding luxury resort amenities and corporate and social event venues. Majestic Nottoway Plantation, with its towering size, hand-carved marble mantles and intricate plaster frieze work, awes visitors with its grandeur and innovative features. The 64-room, three-story palatial mansion is sometimes referred to as an “American castle.” Nottoway was completed in 1859 for John Hampden Randolph and his wife, Emily Jane Liddell Randolph, and it was home to their eleven children. The mansion boasts 53,000 square feet, and originally sat on 400 acres of highland and 620 acres of swamp. It was designed by renowned architect Henry Howard of New Orleans in Greek Revival and Italianate style. Nottoway survived through the Civil War, a variety of owners, and disrepair to become one of the most visited plantations in the South.
About Todd Rundgren: As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, and interactive artist, Rundgren has made a lasting impact on both the form and content of popular music. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front The Nazz, the quintessential `60s psychedelic pop group. In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, the legendary Runt. But it was 1972’s seminalSomething/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, that catapulted Todd into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him “Rock’s New Wunderkind.” It was followed by such landmark LPs as The Hermit of Mink Hollow and A Wizard, A True Star, as well as such hit singles as “I Saw The Light,” “Hello It’s Me,” “Can We Still Be Friends,” and “Bang The Drum.”
In 1974, Todd formed Utopia, an entirely new approach to the concept of interactive musicianship, and embarked on an extensive round of touring and recording. Standout Utopia offerings included the hit singles “Set Me Free,” “One World,” and “Love Is The Answer,” and albums Oops! Wrong Planet andAdventures in Utopia. Along the way, Utopia combined technical virtuosity and creative passion to create music that, for millions, defined terms “progressive rock” in Utopia’s early configuration, and “power pop” in its latter years.”
Rundgren’s myriad production projects include albums by Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, Psychedelic Furs, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall And Oates, and one of the best selling albums of all time, Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell. Rounding out his reputation as rock’s Renaissance Man, Rundgren composed all the music and lyrics for Joe Papp’s 1989 Off-Broadway production of Joe Orton’s Up Against It (the screenplay commissioned by The Beatles for what was meant to have been their third motion picture). He also composed the score for Dumb and Dumber as well as a number of television series, including Pee Wee’s Playhouse and Crime Story.
Todd will release his new studio CD on April 9, 2013. His tour in support of the release will begin in April and continue throughout 2013. More details will be announced early next year.
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