The NEW Cars ...with TODD RUNDGREN

Cars re-engineer for spring tour with Blondie

March 14, 2006 05:18 PM
by Richard Tafoya
liveDaily Contributing Editor

The Cars (tickets | music), featuring original members guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes, have re-emerged with vocalist Todd Rundgren for a round of spring dates as The New Cars (tickets | music).
The group, which Rundgren playfully terms a "hybrid model," announced the tour with a brief live set Tuesday (3/14) at West Hollywood, CA's House of Blues.

The 28-date tour will also feature new-wavers Blondie (tickets | music), who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday (3/13). At the press event, Blondie frontwoman Deborah Harry spoke via satellite to confirm that the tour would mark Blondie's last live outing. Harry left open the possibility of studio work with the band's current lineup in the future, but said she feels that the timing is right to get off the road and allow the band's members to pursue some outside projects, which include Harry writing a book.

In an interview with liveDaily, Cars keyboardist Hawkes noted that original Cars leader Ric Ocasek, who is not involved in the New Cars project, has found a career niche that also doesn't leave room to think about touring.

"...For the last two years or so, we've been talking about [a reunion]. We of course talked to [original drummer] David [Robinson] and Ric [Ocasek]. After quite a while, it became apparent that Ric didn't want to be involved, or just wanted to concentrate on producing and other things that didn't have to do with The Cars, particularly," Hawkes said. "Ric was never big on the touring aspect, and we weren't one of those bands that toured a lot, really."

The New Cars/Blondie tour package will also introduce a unique promotional angle: A free digital album with ticket purchases. In an arrangement with digital retailer eMusic, both acts will contribute a combination of new live recordings and studio material that will make up a free downloadable album that ticketbuyers will receive a redemption code to access.

At the House of Blues press event, the band ran through several original Cars hits, including "Just What I Needed" and "Let's Go," along with a new tune, "Not Tonight," which bears a remarkable resemblance to the original Cars writing style, with Rundgren even taking on Ocasek-like phrasing on the vocals.

Tickets for the entire tour (except as noted) will go on sale Saturday (3/18). Tickets are available online through an Internet pre-sale that began after the press conference.




May 2006
12 - Robinsonville, MS - Grand Casino Tunica Event Center
13 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre
17 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
19 - Las Vegas, NV - Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts
20 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre
23 - Alpine, CA - Viejas Casino
25 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
26 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center Downtown
27 - Kelseyville, CA - Konocti Field Amphitheater
30 - Englewood, CO - Coors Amphitheatre

June 2006
1 - Hinckley, MN - Grand Casino Amphitheatre
3 - Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Pavilion (excluded from digital album promotion)
4 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
6 - Vienna, VA - Filine Center (excluded from digital album promotion)
7 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
9 - Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach Music Theater
10 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
13 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live (Universal Studios)
14 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
15 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
17 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheater (pre-sale 3/14 / general on sale: 3/25)
18 - North Charleston, SC - Oyster Shell & North Charleston Coliseum
21 - Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre
23 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
24 - Atlantic City, NJ - The Borgata Event Center
25 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort
30 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre

July 2006
1 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center