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99. Making Memories


Running Rebel

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Every time a new album and tour comes out and think back to some of the previous ones. There's isn't anything incredible about the times other than the actual concerts but this is just some of the memories.

 

 

 

I am also terrible with dates as my wife can attest smile.gif so forgive me in advance for not being specific. I've been to over 40 Rush shows over the years and they get a little a hazy. I have a good friend, (Satch, Snowdog, Dude) that has been to the majority of them with me, but he's actually been to more and I'm sure he'll make and appearance here eventually. He's a little "money" challenged currently, but I'm sure he'll add to this.

 

 

 

One time I was about 22 and a single parent and they were coming in concert I really couldn't afford to go at the time tickets went on sale. I hadn't heard from Satch in over a year as I was living in Cinti and he was living in Florida somewhere and I got a letter from him with a ticket. Ahh, what an awesome feeling! I also remember at the concert we had front row seats, or well wall and Satch pulled out a picture of Eraserhead and held it up in front of Alex who proceeded to break a string. He raced to switch guitars and came back out and was snickering and pointed at Satch wagging his finger at him.

 

 

One of the earler ones.

 

In high school around '77 they came to Riverfront Coliseum in Cinti and we had about 12 people skip school and hang out at my house drinking and doing acid. (I haven't done cid in 25 years for those wondering). We had this major wiffleball game going on all day and it was hilarious as you can imagine. We had Rush blaring all day and with only a few albums they were repeating over and over. We eventually went to the mall and I can remember everyone surprising me with a blue tee that had Working Man stenciled on the back in yellow letters and Rush on the front! I loved that shirt and had it forever. Everyone was so blasted but the cid kept us going. The concert was general admission (pre-Who which is the same arena of the tragedy and I was at that as well) with no chairs on the floor and we were in the middle. During the concert someone let a bottle rocket off in the arena during Bastille Day and Geddy was visibly upset and after the song derided whoever did it. As the crowd got quiet I yelled, "Anthem!" and Geddy looked in my direction and said "Exactly!" and played it! I'm sure it was planned in the setlist but everyone looked at me like I had something to do with it, haha. We partied well into the night afterwards and had a blast.

 

 

 

In my mid twenties, I was going tending bar and a couple of young truckers were getting sloshed and obnoxious and kept asking if anyone had weed. Timeout- I pretty much ran the bar and hired the heavy metal bands and always kept one that played Rush alot. Anyway, to get rid of these guys around 11 o'clock I told them that there was a motel up the street with a huge Canadian flag flying on a flagpole in front. (Along with an American one) and if they figured out a way to get it for me I would give them a bag of weed. They got excited and left and I was hoping that would be the end of my problems with them. After I closed up and was walking to my car I heard these yahoo's start yelling and hollering and come running at me. I was like, Holy Shit are they going to attack me? Then I saw the flag and was floored. I couldn't believe they found a way to go up a 50 ft friggin' flagpole on a major highway? I told them since it was so late I couldn't possible get the herb for them. They kept laughing and said they didn't care and had a blast trying to get it! haha We ended up taking that flag to bunch of Rush concerts (it was huge) and displaying it.

 

 

 

Another concert I went to back in around 78-79 was me and Satch and my girlfriend who was a mild Rush fan. I had a 76 Mercury Monarch and it was about zero outside and my heater went out. We drove 100 miles there and back huddled in the front seat flicking a bic trying to keep warm. Good times.

 

 

 

I also learned that your kids don't always end up with the same love of music as you do when I took my son who was about 13 and midway through he started crying because it was so loud. Ugh.

 

 

 

Another time I was working and couldn't get off to go to the show. I was there grinding watching the minutes go past dying inside. (I was about 26 I guess) Finally my boss quit being an ass and let me leave about 15 minutes before showtime and thankfully I was only a few minutes from the arena. I got there and the ticket window was closed, ugh. I realized that it was cold out and I had on a suit and tie and long coat so I went to an old guy at the door and told him I was already inside but had to step out due to the smoke and loud noise making me sick and forgot my ticket stub, (plus my girlfriend was inside) and gave him a pittying look. He looked at me and said he "understood" and let me in. I had to find a seat and realized it was sold out so I headed to the floor and when the clerk stopped me to check my ticket he got this weird look, seeing me all dressed up. I told him I was security and just walked past and glanced back to see him shrug. Cool! Now I had to find a seat so saw some folding chairs in the back of the arena and during the break between bands grabbed it and carried it to the front row and put it on the end. Then I went to the middle and sat down while everyone was getting beer and peeing. As they all came back a bunch of them looked confused but as they all sat down there was enough seats so no one complained. The guy next to me asked who I was so I told him I was a reporter writing a review of the band (which seemed to explain my attire somehow). He thought it was awesome and told everyone around us. He even had his wife get me a beer and shared a joint. Only at a Rush concert!

 

I met my wife through the internet about 5 years ago. Neither of us had ever done something like that and it was pretty akward talking about the possibility of it actually working and I said, "well, there's a ghost of chance" and she replied, "You can find someone to love?" And I said, "And make it last" and then I did. We've been to 3 shows so far and looking forward to more!

 

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