From k2mojo@groovedaddies.com Fri Mar 18 10:54:24 2005
Subject:Re: OT: Prog Talk (was: Starship Redux)

The RA shows were the first I'd ever seen (and I believe first anywhere) where there were absolutely no amps, speakers and guitar
cables on the stage. Everything except for Roger Powell's 'Probe' was wireless, and this was '77 mind you. The Probe itself was
amazing, the first true polyphonic strap-on remote controller (pre-MIDI). As is with practically every Rundgren tour I've ever
seen, there was a huge amount of groundbreaking technology that didn't show up on other peoples stages until several years later.
The only shows I remember from this era that approached this elaborate of a stage set-up were Yes' Roger Dean designed hydraulic
fiberglass light pods, and 'Parliament's' descending Mothership. Sadly, the entire RA stage set, the custom Ankh guitars and
Powell's Probe were
all lost in a huge warehouse fire in '85. For anybody further interested in my fanaticism, I've enclosed some links:
http://www.channel1.com/users/lsprague/articles/synapse.html
http://trconnection.com/gallery/newest/set=decade70
http://www.veleno.net/Ankhs.htm

Ed Fliege
k2mojo@groovedaddies.com

----- Original Message -----
> is the one that I still remember.

> ed fliege wrote:
>
> Whenever we talk Prog, one band that often gets overlooked is 'Todd Rundgren's Utopia'. I saw all the early Prog bands live
> (Yes, ELP, Genesis, Gentle Giant, etc.) but the Utopia shows (especially 'Ra') were just beyond words.