It's all about the music
Jul 22 '02
The Bottom Line Rush once again prove that they are a masterful band that knows how to Rock - this is a must for all rock fans, not just Rush fans
Please note that this will be my last opinion - I just had to share my experiences with you all!! I have decided to 'suspend' my writing on Epinions for many reasons - the main one is that I simply don't have time to devote to Epinions any more!!!
From my earliest memories of listening to music and being bombarded with Powerful heavy metal and rock music from my older brother, one band above all others has stood out as being both classic and magical. For me Rush are true dinosaurs of rock as they have proved over and over again that they can constantly change their style while still staying faithful to Rock and Roll.
For a three man band they produce a sound that is more akin to larger bands; their influence is immense, going back to the period when they were most successful they competed with classic bands such as Led Zepplin, The Who, The Stones, Pink Floyd etc. However, if you were to talk to each of these bands all would point to Rush as an example of how to produce excellent and quality music without fussing around too much.
Their music has affected me in many ways. It has made me a life long fan and made me really listen to music and appreciate the skill required to both play and learn a musical instrument. Listening to Rush and really taking apart their music I see that Rock artists are far more talented than people give them credit for. Rush, through the early years also became one of the first bands to tell a story. Their early albums were full of lyrical songs that not only commented on the world, but also wove mystical tales that didn’t finish just on one album.
This proved to the world that Rock music was more than simple power chords, loud drums and screaming. Rush proved that Rock music could be played by ‘intelligent’ man and that it could be thought provoking. Many of Rush’s songs are retrospective; with this they manage to comment on all aspects of today’s societies and the inadequacies therein.
When I was 14 they toured England and Wales; I was too young to attend the concert and so I thought I had missed out on the privilege and wonder of watching Rush live. After Neil Peart suffered a double tragedy recently I thought that Rush were finished – how wrong I was, they came back with a vengeance and produced Vapor Trails. I was lucky enough to go to one of their ‘Vapor Trails’ concerts – here’s my experience and I hope this explains why Rush are simply my pick as the greatest Rock band of all time!……………………….
On a lazy afternoon in July, with the sun casting an opulent golden glaze over New Jersey as it journeys ever lower towards the horizon, I have the privilege of attending a Rush concert.
As I arrive at the PNC Arts center I revel in the atmosphere as thousands of cars blast out various Rush songs and the crowd moving towards the stadium seemingly pulses with barely contained excitement and enthusiasm. Looking around I see a predominately 30ish fan base although I am very pleased to see a few younger fans emerging as Rush move in the new millennium with a bang.
Getting closer to the stadium I marvel at the surroundings; the stage sits in the distance with a circular ceiling covering the seated area and a lawn surrounding this (uncovered). Trees surround this stadium making it very picturesque especially as the sun is setting and stars are beginning to twinkle like jewels.
Several large video screens are clearly visible allowing even the most distant fan the chance to see the stage; also evident are many lights that ensure that this will also be a visual experience.
As I look around I am pleased to see that all the seating is full and a good proportion of the lawn area is also fall – I would estimate that upward of 6000 people minimum are hear to see Rush (probably more).
Sitting in front of one of the video screens (on the lawn) I settle down with my Budweiser (ughhh) and wait for Rush to appear. The atmosphere is vibrant as the video screen shows forthcoming shows – Barry Manilow got a massive cheer (?!?!) but the biggest cheer was reserved for the upcoming Who (With Jimmy Paige) concert.
As I look at the stage I see Neil Peart’s massive drum kit – I recently saw his old drum kit in the Rock and Roll hall of fame (see my Cleveland opinion) and realize now that the one I saw was merely a toy as the one on stage was twice the size and ten times as impressive. Off to one side is a keyboard – for when Geddy Lee gets bored of his bass guitar – perhaps the most intriguing part of the set is the three dryers (clothes dryers) that are placed to one side of the stage - apart from drying some red clothes these seemed to have no other use!
Sniffing in the atmosphere – yes there was a lot of Pot around me – I do not use this stuff but couldn’t help but gain a little energy from the second hand smoke – I began to get excited as I saw stage hands moving around. Introductory Disney-like music started and then suddenly a blast of guitar and an old familiar tune signaled that Rush were back with a vengeance – as Tom Sawyer (perhaps Rush’s most famous song) began to play I was transported back to my childhood as the power chords combined with Geddy Lee’s high pitched voice to produce an enigmatic sound.
As I looked at the stage, with light’s blaring, I was a little amazed by what I saw. Geddy Lee has hardly changed – he seems less ugly than younger (as do many older rock stars). Neil Peart looks older and more worn – it is very evident in his face that he has gone through much over the last few years. The biggest shock came when I saw Alex Lifeson. He was chubby! He was perhaps 50lbs overweight and really looked more like a middle-aged dad than a rock star. However different they looked they still sounded exactly the same – this surprised me – as most rock groups age they normally cannot reach the same energy level, or vocal level as they used to – Rush can!
As the first set progressed moving from hard rock tune to and through several softer songs (including a song never played in concert before – between the Sun and the Moon) I was amazed by the energy and sheer delight that this trio had. Every song sounded exceptional and although there were a couple of errors (they are human after all) the music was high quality all the way through.
The show combined high quality music with an interesting almost psychedelic video show – interspersed was live footage of the band on stage and videos. Later as we entered the second set, with the first song of their new album – One Little Victory – the whole show took on a different and more vibrant feel. Fire erupted on stage and an amazing animated dragon charged towards you on screen as the energy level doubled! Lights and lasers were far more evident as the video screens often went blank to allow us to concentrate on the colourful show on stage.
Rush used the first set to re-introduce the crowd to their older songs and then interspersed new and old music into the second set beautifully! The whole show sparkled as it flowed from one song to another.
Two notable events happened – Neil Peart had a ten minute solo during the second set that culminated with an almost 20s swing rhythm – this was ten minutes of pure heaven as Neil tantalizingly teased us with Rhythms that should not come from the drum – the whole section (known as Rhythm Method) was almost sexual as Neil transported us into a different world – this was amazing to see and hear and signifies why Neil is one of the greatest percussionists of all time.
Secondly, and perhaps more bizarrely, Alex Lifeson provided a few vocals during one song (I forget which one!) – the vocals were more like ‘scat’ – the type you would expect from a Jazz artist and were particularly funny, even managing to bring a smile to Neil Pear’s face. He culminated this by telling us a story how he went for a swim in Central Park NY and came straight to the concert from there via cab! Very strange indeed!!!!
As we neared the end with a classical version of Resist you could feel the tension and energy in the crowd being pumped up and as the Spirit of the Radio emerged, the crowd erupted in pleasure and sadness as they realized this spectacle was coming to an inevitable end.
We had been treated to an amazing concert; almost like an informal jam session, many of the songs had an edge that wasn’t often apparent on the album; the combination of Lee and Lifeson combined with the sheer power and energy of Peart provided a sound that is not often heard from 5 man bands let alone 3 man bands.
I was a little disappointed that a couple of the better songs from the vapor trails were missing – i.e. there was no Vapor Trails and no Ghost Rider, but on reflection this was perhaps by design as what emerged was a mixture of power rock interspersed with grunge rock and this provided an immense amount of energy that pumped the crowd up.
Although I am a huge fan of Rush I can honestly say that this is one of the best concerts I have been to, if not the best. I have seen some really good ones too, with Bryan Adams and REM at Cardiff being perhaps the other two that come close to Rush’s quality (and then there was Styx in NJ which was also high quality )
During most concerts I have been to there has always been a lull in which the crowd lost its energy, this simply did not happen in this concert! I was absolutely exhausted at the end of the concert.
To summarize Rush came to play music and that they did! With little introduction and barely any talking Rush moved magically through almost thirty songs in 2 and a half hours of pure ecstasy (who needs drugs when you have Rush) – their show was amazing and perhaps a throwback to the late seventies with a splash of 90s mixed in (computer animations). They were worth every single penny and I would pay a lot more to see them again! My only gripe about the concert was the cost of T-shirts etc; a simple T-shirt was $30(20GBP), a program $15 (10GBP) - this was after paying $6 (4GBP) for a pint of pee!!!!!
Cost (2 tickets)
Lawn-$80 (about 55GBP) – these are what I had.
Poor Seats-$120 (about 80GBP)
Best Seats-$350 (about 230GBP) – had I realized how good Rush wer going to be then I would have definitely bought these.
Please note that the set may have been slightly different - my memory is not as good as it was!!! (I got this set list from a previous concert on the same tour!!)
Set 1:
Tom Sawyer
Distant Early Warning
New World Man
Roll the Bones
Earthshine
YYZ
The Pass
Bravado
The Big Money
Between Sun and Moon
Vital Signs
Natural Science
Set 2:
One Little Victory
Driven
Ceiling Unlimited
Secret Touch
Dreamline
Red Sector A
Leave That Thing Alone
The Rhythm Method
Resist
Overture and Temples of Syrinx from 2112
Limelight
La Villa Strangiato
Spirit of Radio
Encore:
By-Tor & the Snow Dog
Cygnus X-1
Working Man
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Epinions.com ID:
SimonCook
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Member: Simon Cook
Location: Toms River, NJ
Reviews written: 522
Trusted by: 77 members
About Me:
Computer geek with an attitude!
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