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Rush
Sleep Train Pavilion, Concord, CA
August 3, 2007
By Dan Wall
Set 1: Limelight, Digital Man, Entre Nous,
Mission, Freewill, The Main Monkey Business, The Larger Bowl,
Secret Touch, Circumstances, Between The Wheels, Dreamline.
Set 2: Far Cry, Workin' Them Angels, Armor And Sword, Spindrift,
The Way The Wind Blows, Subdivisions, Natural Science, Witch
Hunt, Malignant Narcissism, Drum Solo, Hope, Distant Early
Warning, The Spirit Of Radio, Tom Sawyer. Encore: One Little
Victory, A Passage To Bangkok, YYZ. 3 hours.
The crowd was going crazy at the Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord
last Friday night, celebrating the release of their favorite
band’s new record by going apeshit during both new songs and the
group’s classics.
You might think that this review is about Fall Out Boy by
reading that first paragraph, but in reality, it was about Rush.
In what was one of the best shows that I’ve seen this year, the
Canadian progressive rock legends continued to celebrate its 33
years together with a three-hour set that touched on just about
every phase of the band’s career.
It was not a greatest hits set, however, as the trio included
nine songs from Snakes and Arrows, its new record, and its best
since Moving Pictures was released back in 1981. And the group
included only one song from its first five records in the
lengthy set, something that might have pissed of a lot of fan
bases.
But not a Rush crowd. These people are seriously freaky when it
comes to following these Canucks, and they root for every song,
whether it’s a big hit, a new song, or an obscure album cut. How
many bands would open the second set with five new songs? Rush
did, and that was actually one the show’s highlights.
That doesn’t mean the crowd doesn’t like the old stuff (the
place went ballistic for “Circumstances,” a song that hasn’t
been played live for almost 30 years). It just means that the
Rush fan base is ready for just about anything, and will take
the ride along with its heroes if the band decides new songs are
the way to go.
It wasn’t just the music, however, that made the show so
memorable, although it certainly played a major role. The sound
was as good as I’ve ever heard it here (over 200 shows counting)
and should be required at all major outdoor theaters. The
lighting was huge and innovative and the video (on three hi-def
screens) kept the show moving along at a nice pace.
You could tell from the first few notes of the opening
“Limelight” that this was going to be a special show and it
stayed that way until the closing “YYZ” shut the show down at 11
p.m. Along the way there were many highlights and some
observations taken that help to explain the band’s prowess.
One thing that helps is the fact that Rush is the only band on
the bill. The stage was ready for a 7:30 p.m. start, and that’s
what we got. The sound was dialed in from the start and the
stage was ready for the headliner, and not three other bands.
The stage was typical Rush, with Lifeson’s (the rock star
guitarist) amps stacked stage right next to Peart’s (the
professor) huge drum kit. Lee (the quirky bassist) had three
huge roaster ovens that served as his amp rig, complete with
rotating chickens.
Another thing that made this show so special-all three members
came out firing on all cylinders. On previous visits, each
member would dominant a certain section of the show or had
particular highlights, but I think this show went a long way to
showcase just how good and influential Rush is musically. One
fan nearby asked if there were really only three guys up there
making all of this noise, and I had to agree it sounded like
seven.
Lee sounded great throughout, if you happen to like his voice. I
know some of you find it hard to listen to his legendary wail,
but if you’re a fan of the band, you tend to overlook it. His
bass playing was sturdy and muscular, and he is probably the
most important member of the band onstage, since he must program
all of the other sounds (pedals, keyboards, etc…) that flesh out
the sound.
Peart is simply the finest drummer in rock and roll today. It’s
hard to believe he has just four limbs to perform with, because
he can coax beats out of his kit that it would take entire
marching bands the talent to match. He concluded the
instrumental “Malignant Narcissism” with a drum solo that only a
few men on this planet could play. The video of 30’s style
dancing that shuts the solo down always gets the crowd (even a
Rush crowd) up and dancing along with his rhythmic beats.
Lifeson was great all night but really took over the last 30
minutes, powering songs such as “The Spirit of Radio” and the
set-closing “Tom Sawyer” with his trademark riffing and solos.
He absolutely aced the abstract changes during “Natural
Science,” and sounded as good as I’ve heard him in the last 10
years.
These guys hardly make a mistake, and each of them is in my
personal top 10 as an individual musician. You rarely see one of
them motion to the soundman or the monitor guy to fix something.
The light guy knows the songs as well as the band do. And the
group knows how to build a set from start to finish and still
leave the crowd wanting more. The group even appeared to be
having fun on stage during the set, with Lifeson and Lee even
being able to coax a smile out of Peart (the shock!) during that
blazing version of “YYZ.”
More than just about every band still making music from the
classic rock era, Rush is a sum of its parts, and that’s what
makes it so special. This is one of the rare groups who could
not survive without one of its components-when Peart lost his
wife and daughter back in the late 90’s, it took five years to
overcome the tragedy and sadness of everyday life to bring this
special group of musicians back together. Both Lee and Lifeson
stated at the time that they would come back only if Peart was
involved, and we continue to reap the rewards of that dedication
to this day. |
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