Rush -- staples center -- tonight

see you cats later!

 

We want details when you get back, dammit!

 

Awesome show. I've seen them live twice before (Hold Your Fire and Presto). This one blew the other two away. No opening act -- just Rush.

Now, I've gotta admit that I'm not the Rush fan I once was. I used to be able to name all the songs on each album in ascending order by release and track number.... but ever since like Presto or Roll the Bones, it's gotten a bit fuzzy. They all start to sound alike and really, I'm not that into it...

But that's what made this concert so good -- lots of old stuff you wouldn't expect them to bust out, plus all the great ones. The new stuff... okay, I know, they're selling albums, okay, hit me with some new tracks, but I wanna hear Bytor, god damnit!

The seats were decent and relatively central. The crowd was... well, it was a Rush concert. A few guys were boisterous. There were like seven or eight women there (okay, maybe nine). Security seemed like they expected an easy night of things. No moshing or anything, but there was plenty of air drumming.

I'll see if I can find a set list from the show and post it.

Some highlights:

First set rocked. Lots of classics -- Tom Sawyer, Distant Early Warning, Vital Signs, Limelight, New World Man, YYZ -- plus they played Natural Science! THAT rocked! They did Bravado, too, with an awesome little guitar part added.

Second set started out kinda dull for me -- a few different cuts of new stuff -- but then it really picked up with 2112's Overture and Temple of Syrinx. La Villa Strangiato (with Alex telling the story of the Meat Bees), Red Sector A, Spirit of Radio, Dreamtime...

The encore was Bytor and the Snowdog! Then they did a bit of Cygnus X-1 (just the first part) which segued into Working Man. Then they made us leave.

29 songs total. About 2 - 2.5 hours.

 

looks like it was the same set they played at the show you guys saw earlier. I figured they'd have added something into the mix, but I guess not...

 

Damn...my blood is pumping again...I'm headed to Atlanta in 2 weeks to see them once more...The only things they were mixing up was a couple of tunes in thesecond set both of which were from Test For Echo...

This is the second tour in which they did the two set deal. No other way to go any more for them. How'd you like the stage show? Seemed minimal until the lights get going. The washer and dryer on the stage was a goofy touch but they are wierd like that. And I always forget how good Alex Lifeson is on the guitar.

Glad you enjoyed it. I told you it was well worth it.

 

Was this the set list?
set 1:
Tom Sawyer
Distant Early Warning
New World Man
Roll The Bones
Earthshine
YYZ
The Pass Bravado
Big Money
Between Sun and Moon
Vital Signs
Natural Science

set2:
One Little Victory
Driven
Ceiling Unlimited
Secret Touch
Dreamline
Red Sector A
Leave That Thing Alone
Rythm Method
Resist
Overture; Temple Of Syrinx
Limelight
La Villa Strangiato
Spirit Of The Radio

Encore: By-Tor & The Snow Dog, Cygnus X-1, Working Man

I forgot about Natural Science.....I think Resist was the one they were switching out from show to show.

 

Yeah, I think that's the set list. Or something really close.

Resist they did as an accoustic piece.

The stage show was good. I liked that they didn't get too into the gimmick stuff (like inflatable rabbits!). The video screen was cool at times, but man, Rush videos suck. Sorry, but they do. I'm glad they ditched most of them for just crazy graphic stuff.

The laser stuff during Red Sector A made me feel like I was back in 1985! It was funny...

I wasn't really that jazzed before the show. Dealing with traffic and everything, monday night, arena show...I'm more into smaller club-like atmospheres... but it was amazing.