Articles

Wed 2 Jul – Rush

Special thanks to my Rush buddies KMV and NVD from last year for another great time, and to D and his wife E for a nice welcome to their place before the show! After last year's show NVD asked me if I was satisfied and I said, "Of course not. That was only the first show!" I'm still not - we're just getting started, and still need to do a Rush show as a crew with JCV, who wasn't able to work the logistics to join us this time.

As with last year's show in Cleveland, Rush is still doing their three-hour show, starting at ~7:45, with a 30-minute intermission, and finishing at 11. The pavilion at the Post Gazette Pavilion was likely sold out, and the lawn was decently full. Also as with last year, the weather was perfect - a cool, dry night. Attending my second Rush show inside of a year confirms two things: Rush crowds are always psyched-up, becuase they're music geeks that know their band, their history, and their prog rock in general. …

Rush / "The Spirit Of Radio (Live)" / Snakes & Arrows Live (II-9) / Apr 2008

Artist: Rush
Original Album: Snakes & Arrows Live
Track: The Spirit of Radio
Preview: This one (no idea how to build a connection with that kind of tag...)

From A Show of Hands:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5g4mQk96Aw

I write this as I am getting ready to listen to Rush's interview tonight* on Rockline!

Just a year ago today, my friend Metta did such a fine job of reviewing S&A that I needn't cover that same ground, so we'll act as "Counterparts" and I'll take this opportunity to give y'all some thoughts on the Live S&A.

Recorded over two nights in Rotterdam last October, this is the first live Rush album that I have purchased, except for the CDs in the deluxe edition of R30, which I bought mainly for the DVDs. (Oh, all right, I admit that's why I bought the Deluxe Edition - you gotta have the R30 Overture instrumental montage of Finding My…

Sun 13 Apr – Rush
This was my third time watching Rush. They opened with the same video intro, following Limelight, as the last time I saw them back in June 15 2007. They also played other classic which they didn't play the last time I saw them, such as Red Barchetta, The Trees, and 2112: Overture / The Temples of Syrinx. Instead of watching them in an outside venue, this was my first time watching them in an inside venue. Their sound was incredible along with the several different types of lights, and their performance. The song I got the most crazy for in this concert was for 2112: Overture / The Temples of Syrinx. As soon as I heard the beginning intro to the song, I went berserk and screamed at the top of my lungs along with my other friends who were with me and the rest of the crowd. Pretty much lost my voice from that one scream. It has been about 4 years since I last saw them perform that song and I was so grateful. The encore also ended up being the same as the last time I saw them and I didn't mind that at all. …

Rush - SECC, Glasgow, 3rd October 2007

I could say this show was brilliant, awesome or incredible all these superlatives quite simply fail to relate the actual experience of seeing Rush live. Since they're one of the bands I feel everyone should have listened to I don't think I should have to explain to anyone the sheer brilliance in their work. I think for me the thing that works best is the way that all of the instruments have equal importance in the music and it's all about the interplay between them.

The only criticism I have of the gig is that it was all seated, which seems ridiculous since everyone's first action upon the band coming onstage is to stand up and remain standing for the whole gig. This would appear to disadvantage the smaller members of the audience who may get stuck behind a taller person and be unable to do anything about it.

Setlist is taken from here, and I'm pretty sure it's correct, yay for big bands playing one setlist for a whole tour.

Set One
…

Thu 30 Aug – Rush

Rush did a three-hour show, starting at 7:45, with a 30-minute intermission, and finished at 11. The pavilion was likely sold out, and the lawn was packed. Weather was perfect - a cool, dry night. I love this kind of show: a crowd filled with other similar-aged psyched-up music geeks that can hold intelligent conversations about their favorite bands and spike it with some great trivia and personal war stories. And Rush fans certainly know their band, their history, and their prog rock in general. And this crowd was happy and pumped.

Stage set includes not a laundry washer machine or sandwich vending machine, but three commercial chicken rotisserie ovens.

Neil Peart's kit is a beautiful red, with a gold snake and silver arrow motif.

Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee look as they usually do, Neil wearing the button-down long-sleeve collared shirt, and Geddy wearing a tee - specifically, Ohio State Buckeyes (thanks for the props, Geddy!) Neil in fine hat…

Fri 15 Jun – An Evening With Rush
The first Rush concert I went to was 3 years ago for their 30th anniversary tour. The concert last night was just as amazing as it was 3 years ago. It was great how they started the show with Limelight. They played 9 songs from their new album which was great because that album is amazing. After playing Witch Hunt Geddy Lee said "It's time for some Malignant Narcissism" and right after playing that song, Neil Peart started with his drum solo which was PERFECT. They also did a little intro movie for Tom Sawyer with the South Park kids. They were trying to cover the song in their own cover band with a poster behind them that said "Lil' Rush". I found the entire thing hilarious. For the encore they actually played A Passage To Bangkok which I never thought they would play that song. Then they ended it with YYZ which was also PERFECT. The following is the set list from last night:

Limelight
Digital Man
Entre Nous
Mission
…

To celebrate my One Year Anniversary on last.fm I decided to review my new most favourite album after one year on last.fm.
The X Factor has been my most favourtie album for a very long time and is still one of the best I know, but my most favourite album has to be this:

Grace Under Pressure
This album is IMO Rush's magnum opus. Rush is a band that can't do wrong,I haven't found any song I dislike yet, I doubt they can do any wrong, so it's hard to decide what's their best, but I'm pretty sure about this one. Grace under Pressure is a little bit like a concept album as every song has a basic concept it shares with all other and still every song is unique. The album can be divided in 2 rough pieces: an incredible side A and a still extremely awesome side B. Let's review all songs one by one,shall we?:

1. Distant Early Warning
The album starts of with this little gem. DEW is wonderful, the mood is created immidently when the song begins. …