First show I went to solo in quite awhile, got there about a half hour after doors and the first band was just finishing up. Just about ten minutes later a local band called Measure the Redshift was up..Seen them a couple times so I pretty much sat back for them. They're pretty solid. But after them was one of the bands I've been waiting to see since last year, The Ocean. Fucking A these guys were amazing.They hit the stage opening up with Arthopocentric, which live is just 10 times more powerful. I'm surprised how many people knew who The Ocean just because of how bland our Toledo crowds usually are unless it's core. One of my favorite parts of the set would have to have been how mellow the crowd was right at "They refuse to leave their ship...that is siinking....." and then bam "...THE MYTH THAT MAN.." Damn the crowd went crazy. After that they went straight into Grand Inquisitor I which was just as great. Now this is the one part where I was upset, on the Montreal setlist, The First Commandment of the Luminaries was up next...but they didn't play it at all for us. My best guess is that they were a little bit behind, but shit I was looking forward to that song. Up next was the oldest song on the set with Orosirian followed with Origin of Species and Origin of God. They had great stage presence that invovled all of them stage diving a couple times. Turned out to be the bassist birthday, and they even had cake out at the bar...later saw him hammered drunk in the bathroom.
Up next was of course Job For a Cowboy, I've seen 'em before, and didn't expect much. In the end, I actually enjoyed their set just because of how full of fail it was. About 3 songs in the sound just decided to fuck out for about 2 seconds, it came back half assed with low guitars, extremely loud drums that went in and out, and no vocals at all. I was chilling by the sound board and every 2 seconds someone kept looking back at the guy like he did it on purpose. They just kept playing like nothing happened. I was enjoying their fail, and didn't have to hear the vocals of the new song that sounds like a TBDM cover. It was comical up until one of the two songs I actually wanted to hear came up, Ruination. The mic came back kinda half assed during the song though, and all it did was show how shitty Jonny Davy sounded, couldn't understand any of the words. There'd be times when I actually got into the music, but then it seemed like they got out of sync and just sounded like garbage. Had the same problem last time I saw them, so maybe they just suck live.
Then finally came Between the Buried and Me. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan, so I'm just familiar with the music, I don't know all the words to any of their songs or anything like that. I kept my spot by soundboard so I could just catch a good view. If I wasn't a fan of them before, I would have been by now...they just have this intense show that you can't not enjoy. I thought maybe I'd get bored with a 1 and a half hour set with only 8 songs, but I really didn't. During the set, I swear Jonny Davy walked in front of me at least 40 times. Not sure what's so special about it, just figured I'd throw it in. BTBAM were lucky enough to not have any kind of sound problems unlike JFAC. They didn't really do much crowd interaction either...first time they said anything directed toward us was right after Fossil Genera and before Selkies...which had a fun little intro where he'd begin the song and only get a little bit further each time. In the end I bought a BTBAM tour shirt. I thought about getting something from The Ocean, but they really had nothing in the shirt department, and CD's were $15.
4-17-11 - The Palace of Auburn Hills - Auburn Hills, MI - RUSH
I arrived at the Palace right at 7, with the showtime scheduled for 7:30. I had never attended an "Evening With" show before, so I felt it would be best to get there early and get settled just in case. Traffic was on the light side, similar to Ozzy, but by the time the band took the stage, the arena was nearly filled. Once I found my seat, I worked my way back down to the merch line. There, I endured easily the longest wait I have ever had to get a shirt. It was at least 25 minutes, and though the line didn't seem long at all, it moved at an incredibly slow pace. Thankfully, by the time I got to the front, bought my shirt (the designs were awesome, btw), and got back to my seat, it was only about 7:30. About 15 minutes later, the lights dimmed, and the adventure began.
RUSH
FIRST SET - The show began similar to the way Ozzy's show in February, with a video. It was basically a fun little short scene where Geddy Lee and Neil Peart make cameos as main characters and their hit song The Spirit of Radio was played in various styles. Finally, one of the characters hits a button on the time machine in the video, and suddenly, the lights focus on center stage, and there's Alex Lifeson ripping out the opening riff for The Spirit of Radio, one of the most memorable riffs in rock history. Complete with a solo to go along with that riff later on, as well as the unforgettable verses and chorus about the freedom of music provided by Geddy, it was the perfect way to start the show. They followed it up with Time Stand Still, a hit that not only fits the theme of the tour, but had not been played live by the band in quite some time. A very tranquil song, the song is mostly driven by Geddy's vocals in the verses, some of which are at the higher end of the spectrum for the bassist. The next handful of songs, up to BU2B in the setlist, were songs the casual RUSH fan probably wouldn't know as well, but they all served their purpose in the show. Presto and Faithless were treats that had never been played live prior to this tour, Workin' Them Angels was a cut off their latest album, Snakes and Arrows. Stick It Out and Leave That Thing Alone were both songs from their 1993 album, Counterparts, and both were highlights of this first set. Stick It Out is one of Rush's heaviest songs, which is especially evident in the chorus, featuring an awesome bass riff from Geddy. Leave That Thing Alone was the first instrumental of the night, and what an instrumental it was. Every member of the trio had a chance to shine, with Alex getting a cool solo in and Neil provided one of his patented drum breaks. The real star of this song, however, was Geddy, who provided great bass riff after great bass riff until the very end, where he took the liberty of closing the song with one of the best improv bass solos I've ever seen. It was incredibly mesmerizing watching this guy, at his age, move his fingers so quickly and with such precision. After the string of lesser-known songs, Geddy mentioned their forthcoming album Clockwork Angels, which they hope to finish by the end of the year. They then played a track off of it called BU2B, one fans of 80's Rush will enjoy immensely. Not only does it feature a nice, heavy riff from Alex, but it makes frequent use of synths throughout the song. The structure is simple but effective and the chorus has a few variations. Overall, it was a very strong new song. The first set concluded with three of my favorite RUSH songs ever. First was Freewill, another big hit from them with another monster opening riff and catchy lyrics, especially in the chorus. Alex's solo in the bridge was killer and drew a standing ovation from the crowd upon its conclusion. Marathon, my favorite song from their Power Windows album, followed. It's a steady but slower-paced song compared to Freewill, with much more synth and bass thrown in courtesy of Geddy. Finally, they wrapped up the first set with the awesome Subdivisions, another synth-heavy song with a gorgeous intro and solos from Geddy on the keyboards. Lyrically, it's one of my favorite songs too, covering feelings of isolation and conformity, most notably in the chorus. I could not have asked for a better conclusion to their first set. Geddy noted that they are "aging as they play" and therefore were taking a short break. I already felt like I had seen a full set by most bands' standards, but I learned that RUSH does it bigger and better as 20 minutes later, the lights dimmed once again and the second set began.
SECOND SET - After another video introduction, the band began their second set by playing their Moving Pictures album in full. Tom Sawyer, the song everyone knows, was first, and it featured a pretty funny video of each of the three band members playing a different instrument and trying to imitate each other. The song itself was awesome, highlighted by Geddy's keyboard solo and Alex's guitar solo. Red Barchetta followed, and then the other song everyone knows from RUSH, the instrumental YYZ, and again, Alex, Geddy, and Neil all had moments where their chops were showcased. Limelight, featuring one of the best rock riffs of all time in my book, was next, followed up by the song that many long-time RUSH fans had been wanting to hear for a while: The Camera Eye. Expanding to 11 minutes in length, the song was big enough to capture the moods of two cities within its sprawling structure. It featured steady, riff-driven verses with plenty of synth interludes and drumming display in between. Overall, it never got boring, and it was incredibly cool to see a song that hadn't been played in nearly 30 years. Witch Hunt and Vital Signs rounded out the epic performance of an epic album, with the latter probably being the most underrated track on the album. The band then featured their second new song, called Caravan. This one was a bit more proggy than BU2B, with a good chunk of the song used for musical interplay between the guitar and bass, with Alex ripping out a great solo and Neil providing the typical great licks on drums. While this song hasn't struck the RUSH faithful as well as BU2B, I loved its live performance. Next was definitely the best drum solo I've ever seen performed by the best drummer I've ever seen. Neil Peart's drum solo was somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes of pounding away on a variety of percussion instruments in a variety of ways. None of it felt random either, like some less-prepared drum solos might. The solo was a composition in itself, beginning with the usual drums and toms, then moving to a completely new set of instruments on the opposite side of the kit. Finally, it concluded with a finale of jazz drumming, with jazz music playing along. It was an incredible spectacle that only someone like Neil Peart could execute flawlessly. Refreshed from the long break, Alex came out and showed off his skills on a 12-string acoustic before the band delved into another fan favorite, Closer To The Heart, a song making its return to the set after many years. The crowd erupted, however, when the 2112 intro started playing at its conclusion. To save Geddy's voice, the Overture and Temples of Syrinx were the only songs in the set to be played in a different key from the studio version, but it didn't detract from the experience at all, as the crowd pumped their fists along to the fun little riff at the key change. Hopefully on a future tour, they will consider playing the whole thing again. I would love to see it. Their second set closed with the dynamic rocker Far Cry, a straightforward song by their standards that opens with another great riff and features more excellent lyrics and vocals by Geddy, especially in the chorus. Their encore consisted of the amazing instrumental La Villa Strangiato, where the trio once again dazzled with their instrumental proficiency. As great as the other two instrumentals were earlier in the show, this one topped them all in my estimation. Finally, the band capped off the night with the song that got it all started for them in America: Working Man, featuring a reggae-style intro through the first chorus and then reverting back to the original style for the rest, with the signature walking bass line in the chorus. After playing songs from various parts of their history throughout the night, playing their first hit was the appropriate way to conclude a pretty much perfect night of amazing music. Before we left, a final humorous cutscene played showing the three band members returning to their dressing room, only to run into a couple of uninvited guests. After that final laugh, I left, completely satisfied in every way.
As if watching these three amazing musicians play wasn't entertaining enough, the stage show was nearly as good. The guys pulled out all the stops when it came to special effects, and nearly every trick in the book was utilized throughout the course of the show. Every song featured an array of lights, and occasionally a spider-like light complex would descend from the ceiling and flash the array of lights on its legs. Video was an integral part of the show, not only with the cutscenes before and after the sets, but during the songs as well. Every song on Moving Pictures was preceded by a humorous cutscene on the video board, and every other song featured something that tied in with the song's vibe or theme. Caravan featured some strong blasts of pyro, BU2B caused jets of steam to erupt from the devices on both sides of Peart that reminded me of washing machines, and Far Cry even provided some fireworks. With so much stuff going on, it was impossible to not be completely engaged in the show. This is why I found this concert to be the most complete one I've ever seen. Not only did I see an incredible live musical performance from one of the best bands to ever exist, but the stage show thrown in with it was visually stimulating and captivating. I could have never imagined that my sky-high expectations would have been met, but they weren't just met, they were exceeded. The best part of this whole thing? These guys will likely be back next year to do it all over again, this time in support of a new CD and probably with a somewhat different setlist. I cannot wait. 10/10
Setlist:
The Spirit of Radio Time Stand Still Presto Stick It Out Workin' Them Angels Leave That Thing Alone Faithless BU2B Freewill Marathon Subdivisions ------------------------- Tom Sawyer Red Barchetta YYZ Limelight The Camera Eye Witch Hunt Vital Signs Caravan Drum Solo Closer To The Heart 2112 Part I: Overture 2112 Part II: The Temples Of Syrinx Far Cry ---------------------------------------- La Villa Strangiato Working Man
Anyway it is about time you wrote this and I said keep it under 2 posts sir. You failed. Sounds like it would be cool to see even if you're not a big fan the entertainment aspect is there. Glad you enjoyed it as much as you did. And I hate when people take forever to choose what they want at the merch booth
You tryin to be a hero fool? You wanna see badass mother fucker?! I'll show ya a badass!!!
"Before we left, a final humorous cutscene played showing the three band members returning to their dressing room, only to run into a couple of uninvited guests."
I assume this was the Paul Rudd/Jason Segel bit?
TUPAC IS DEAD/THE LEGEND IS GONE/THEY SAYIN TUPAC'S BACK?/DEM NIGGAS WRONG
"Before we left, a final humorous cutscene played showing the three band members returning to their dressing room, only to run into a couple of uninvited guests."
I assume this was the Paul Rudd/Jason Segel bit?
Yup.
[-( Should have closed with Tom Sawyer [-(
Anyway it is about time you wrote this and I said keep it under 2 posts sir. You failed. Sounds like it would be cool to see even if you're not a big fan the entertainment aspect is there. Glad you enjoyed it as much as you did. And I hate when people take forever to choose what they want at the merch booth
1. It wouldn't make sense to play Moving Pictures out of order. 2. You know I can't keep reviews to one post. 3. It's definitely worth the money on all levels. 4. I think it was that and people buying a shitload of stuff lol.
Comments
First show I went to solo in quite awhile, got there about a half hour after doors and the first band was just finishing up. Just about ten minutes later a local band called Measure the Redshift was up..Seen them a couple times so I pretty much sat back for them. They're pretty solid. But after them was one of the bands I've been waiting to see since last year, The Ocean. Fucking A these guys were amazing.They hit the stage opening up with Arthopocentric, which live is just 10 times more powerful. I'm surprised how many people knew who The Ocean just because of how bland our Toledo crowds usually are unless it's core. One of my favorite parts of the set would have to have been how mellow the crowd was right at "They refuse to leave their ship...that is siinking....." and then bam "...THE MYTH THAT MAN.." Damn the crowd went crazy. After that they went straight into Grand Inquisitor I which was just as great. Now this is the one part where I was upset, on the Montreal setlist, The First Commandment of the Luminaries was up next...but they didn't play it at all for us. My best guess is that they were a little bit behind, but shit I was looking forward to that song. Up next was the oldest song on the set with Orosirian followed with Origin of Species and Origin of God. They had great stage presence that invovled all of them stage diving a couple times. Turned out to be the bassist birthday, and they even had cake out at the bar...later saw him hammered drunk in the bathroom.
Up next was of course Job For a Cowboy, I've seen 'em before, and didn't expect much. In the end, I actually enjoyed their set just because of how full of fail it was. About 3 songs in the sound just decided to fuck out for about 2 seconds, it came back half assed with low guitars, extremely loud drums that went in and out, and no vocals at all. I was chilling by the sound board and every 2 seconds someone kept looking back at the guy like he did it on purpose. They just kept playing like nothing happened. I was enjoying their fail, and didn't have to hear the vocals of the new song that sounds like a TBDM cover. It was comical up until one of the two songs I actually wanted to hear came up, Ruination. The mic came back kinda half assed during the song though, and all it did was show how shitty Jonny Davy sounded, couldn't understand any of the words. There'd be times when I actually got into the music, but then it seemed like they got out of sync and just sounded like garbage. Had the same problem last time I saw them, so maybe they just suck live.
Then finally came Between the Buried and Me. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan, so I'm just familiar with the music, I don't know all the words to any of their songs or anything like that. I kept my spot by soundboard so I could just catch a good view. If I wasn't a fan of them before, I would have been by now...they just have this intense show that you can't not enjoy. I thought maybe I'd get bored with a 1 and a half hour set with only 8 songs, but I really didn't. During the set, I swear Jonny Davy walked in front of me at least 40 times. Not sure what's so special about it, just figured I'd throw it in. BTBAM were lucky enough to not have any kind of sound problems unlike JFAC. They didn't really do much crowd interaction either...first time they said anything directed toward us was right after Fossil Genera and before Selkies...which had a fun little intro where he'd begin the song and only get a little bit further each time. In the end I bought a BTBAM tour shirt. I thought about getting something from The Ocean, but they really had nothing in the shirt department, and CD's were $15.
I arrived at the Palace right at 7, with the showtime scheduled for 7:30. I had never attended an "Evening With" show before, so I felt it would be best to get there early and get settled just in case. Traffic was on the light side, similar to Ozzy, but by the time the band took the stage, the arena was nearly filled. Once I found my seat, I worked my way back down to the merch line. There, I endured easily the longest wait I have ever had to get a shirt. It was at least 25 minutes, and though the line didn't seem long at all, it moved at an incredibly slow pace. Thankfully, by the time I got to the front, bought my shirt (the designs were awesome, btw), and got back to my seat, it was only about 7:30. About 15 minutes later, the lights dimmed, and the adventure began.
RUSH
FIRST SET - The show began similar to the way Ozzy's show in February, with a video. It was basically a fun little short scene where Geddy Lee and Neil Peart make cameos as main characters and their hit song The Spirit of Radio was played in various styles. Finally, one of the characters hits a button on the time machine in the video, and suddenly, the lights focus on center stage, and there's Alex Lifeson ripping out the opening riff for The Spirit of Radio, one of the most memorable riffs in rock history. Complete with a solo to go along with that riff later on, as well as the unforgettable verses and chorus about the freedom of music provided by Geddy, it was the perfect way to start the show. They followed it up with Time Stand Still, a hit that not only fits the theme of the tour, but had not been played live by the band in quite some time. A very tranquil song, the song is mostly driven by Geddy's vocals in the verses, some of which are at the higher end of the spectrum for the bassist. The next handful of songs, up to BU2B in the setlist, were songs the casual RUSH fan probably wouldn't know as well, but they all served their purpose in the show. Presto and Faithless were treats that had never been played live prior to this tour, Workin' Them Angels was a cut off their latest album, Snakes and Arrows. Stick It Out and Leave That Thing Alone were both songs from their 1993 album, Counterparts, and both were highlights of this first set. Stick It Out is one of Rush's heaviest songs, which is especially evident in the chorus, featuring an awesome bass riff from Geddy. Leave That Thing Alone was the first instrumental of the night, and what an instrumental it was. Every member of the trio had a chance to shine, with Alex getting a cool solo in and Neil provided one of his patented drum breaks. The real star of this song, however, was Geddy, who provided great bass riff after great bass riff until the very end, where he took the liberty of closing the song with one of the best improv bass solos I've ever seen. It was incredibly mesmerizing watching this guy, at his age, move his fingers so quickly and with such precision. After the string of lesser-known songs, Geddy mentioned their forthcoming album Clockwork Angels, which they hope to finish by the end of the year. They then played a track off of it called BU2B, one fans of 80's Rush will enjoy immensely. Not only does it feature a nice, heavy riff from Alex, but it makes frequent use of synths throughout the song. The structure is simple but effective and the chorus has a few variations. Overall, it was a very strong new song. The first set concluded with three of my favorite RUSH songs ever. First was Freewill, another big hit from them with another monster opening riff and catchy lyrics, especially in the chorus. Alex's solo in the bridge was killer and drew a standing ovation from the crowd upon its conclusion. Marathon, my favorite song from their Power Windows album, followed. It's a steady but slower-paced song compared to Freewill, with much more synth and bass thrown in courtesy of Geddy. Finally, they wrapped up the first set with the awesome Subdivisions, another synth-heavy song with a gorgeous intro and solos from Geddy on the keyboards. Lyrically, it's one of my favorite songs too, covering feelings of isolation and conformity, most notably in the chorus. I could not have asked for a better conclusion to their first set. Geddy noted that they are "aging as they play" and therefore were taking a short break. I already felt like I had seen a full set by most bands' standards, but I learned that RUSH does it bigger and better as 20 minutes later, the lights dimmed once again and the second set began.
As if watching these three amazing musicians play wasn't entertaining enough, the stage show was nearly as good. The guys pulled out all the stops when it came to special effects, and nearly every trick in the book was utilized throughout the course of the show. Every song featured an array of lights, and occasionally a spider-like light complex would descend from the ceiling and flash the array of lights on its legs. Video was an integral part of the show, not only with the cutscenes before and after the sets, but during the songs as well. Every song on Moving Pictures was preceded by a humorous cutscene on the video board, and every other song featured something that tied in with the song's vibe or theme. Caravan featured some strong blasts of pyro, BU2B caused jets of steam to erupt from the devices on both sides of Peart that reminded me of washing machines, and Far Cry even provided some fireworks. With so much stuff going on, it was impossible to not be completely engaged in the show. This is why I found this concert to be the most complete one I've ever seen. Not only did I see an incredible live musical performance from one of the best bands to ever exist, but the stage show thrown in with it was visually stimulating and captivating. I could have never imagined that my sky-high expectations would have been met, but they weren't just met, they were exceeded. The best part of this whole thing? These guys will likely be back next year to do it all over again, this time in support of a new CD and probably with a somewhat different setlist. I cannot wait. 10/10
Setlist:
The Spirit of Radio
Time Stand Still
Presto
Stick It Out
Workin' Them Angels
Leave That Thing Alone
Faithless
BU2B
Freewill
Marathon
Subdivisions
-------------------------
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
The Camera Eye
Witch Hunt
Vital Signs
Caravan
Drum Solo
Closer To The Heart
2112 Part I: Overture
2112 Part II: The Temples Of Syrinx
Far Cry
----------------------------------------
La Villa Strangiato
Working Man
Anyway it is about time you wrote this and I said keep it under 2 posts sir. You failed. Sounds like it would be cool to see even if you're not a big fan the entertainment aspect is there. Glad you enjoyed it as much as you did. And I hate when people take forever to choose what they want at the merch booth
I assume this was the Paul Rudd/Jason Segel bit?
2. You know I can't keep reviews to one post.
3. It's definitely worth the money on all levels.
4. I think it was that and people buying a shitload of stuff lol.