The reason they are playing all indoor venues...

[CaressMySteel]

Good gawd, you fabulous Rush nerds. Indoor venues are NEVER better than outdoor venues! Acoustics ALWAYS are better outdoors, along with the added bonus of not having 20 thousand sweat-mucked morons' vast array of stenches rolling over you for 3 hours. I specifically am going outta my way to hit the Irvine show (an outdoor amp) instead of hitting the very last show on the tour at the Forum. As much as I love the Forum thanks to my intimate and long history with its ambiance, and as much as I'd like to hit the very last Rush date on what may be their last tour, I opted for the second to last date at Irvine BECAUSE it's outdoor instead of indoor.

 

Special effects are great and all, don't get me wrong. But gimme premium sound and fresh air every time over a sweaty stanky dungeon arena. :)

 

 

 

 

CMS, you mention a lot of awesome outdoor shows like Kiss, Van Halen,etc. those sure sound like great shows, but those bands usually have opening acts. If so, they play shorter than Rush and can start after sunset. Makes all the difference in half the world.

 

Austin concert start time is 8:00. Sunset is 8:18, twilight ends about 8:45. So, it should be nice and dark by 9:00. We have floor seats so I'm more interested in seeing the guys than the laser show. But, I get what you are saying.

 

The outdoor concerts during the summer just have a cool vibe to them, more like a party, that's what appeals to me. Pros and Cons for both venues I suppose.

[GabesCavesOfIce]

I usually sit close as well and don't see the full effect of the lights, but Rush came on at7:38PM last time at Jones Beach. A full hour of day light. Might as well been the fresh beat band ;)

 

Another huge issue that you folks don't get as much as we do is the RAIN. EVERY Jones Beach show I have been either it has rained, chance of rain, or rained earlier in day and place is soaked.

 

One Rush show within the last five years, we had a SoCal style stretch of weather. Sun and 80 for ten days in a row. That is rare around here. So I'm running out of the house late afternoon to the show. On a hunch I check weather last second, and notice next to the sun icon, 30% chance rain appears. I recall thinkin wtf, hasn't rained n two weeks, wasn't supposed to rain all week. Lo and behold, even that show, it rained. As some can attest, we are very lucky to get rain, but seriously, every show. Even Ged mentions it mid show.

 

Indoor venue removes this variable. No comparison IMHO.

 

 

 

.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Gabrielgil513

[John V]

They have played at the same outdoor amphitheater in Atlanta for several tours and I hate it! The worst part is that it's still light when they start so you don't have the excitement of the house-lights turning off and everyone going nuts. Instead, the opening video plays and at one point they just walk on stage and there they are. It makes it a very anticlimactic opening. I was hoping that they would play at an indoor arena this time but no!

 

Thanks. I was wondering if I made a mistake going to Greensboro instead of Atlanta. I already knew I hate Atlanta traffic. Now I have another good reason to be going to NC.

[Bard]

Indeed, I might be biased thanks to living in SoCal all my life. The band starts playing after dark almost universally, sometimes at dusk, I suppose. We have, uh, fair weather out here. So it's almost always nice. One time I saw the Stones on the '88 Steel Wheels tour at the Coliseum in LA, and it dumped rain on us the whole show. Other than that, it's, well...almost always nice outside here for summer shed gigs. :) At best, we might have to put on a hoodie after dark.

 

And again...I have yet to hear acoustics better than sheds and amps outside. But maybe that's a geographic filter.

[CaressMySteel]

I usually sit close as well and don't see the full effect of the lights, but Rush came on at7:38PM last time at Jones Beach. A full hour of day light. Might as well been the fresh beat band ;)

 

Another huge issue that you folks don't get as much as we do is the RAIN. EVERY Jones Beach show I have been either it has rained, chance of rain, or rained earlier in day and place is soaked.

 

One Rush show within the last five years, we had a SoCal style stretch of weather. Sun and 80 for ten days in a row. That is rare around here. So I'm running out of the house late afternoon to the show. On a hunch I check weather last second, and notice next to the sun icon, 30% chance rain appears. I recall thinkin wtf, hasn't rained n two weeks, wasn't supposed to rain all week. Lo and behold, even that show, it rained. As some can attest, we are very lucky to get rain, but seriously, every show. Even Ged mentions it mid show.

 

Indoor venue removes this variable. No comparison IMHO.

 

 

 

.

No rain, no rain, no rain.... please.. please... please no rain.

[GabesCavesOfIce]

I am not exaggerating CMS, every freakin time, either rain, or how did it miss us?

[LedRush]

We have a beloved ampitheater here in NY right on the ocean,Jones Beach.

 

I HATE IT! Nothing worse than seeing one the finest light shows in rock COMPLETELY ruined by the summer daylight. All ambiance is gone.

 

Price we pay for living near the ocean. I know, tiny violins. When

LL Cool Ged visits, he wants to see the great Atlantic also. Its an extra hour one way to see them at MSG and The Pru, but worth every second.

 

 

 

.

 

I love seeing the shows at outdoor amphitheaters, but Jones Beach is horrible. The wind destroys the sound, and the no-alcohol rule results in the most listless crowds I've seen.

[LaVillaSean]

very tough to pinpoint why it is mostly indoor arenas for this tour. I know locally here in South Florida where I live, Rush has tended to alternate tours between Cruzan Amphitheater (shed) and the BBT Center (hockey arena)...although this might be to hit slightly different client bases (Cruzan is in West Palm and BBT is in Sunrise). Obviously the tour management has large input into the venue of a show, as do scheduling and routing concerns. One other possibility worth mentioning is given their advanced age and recent chatter about how physically grueling tours are, it might be possible that they or their management opted for mostly indoor venues in order to avoid playing outside too many times this summer where it could be pretty hot/humid. Yes, I know most places are nowhere near as hot and humid as where I live, but it can be pretty brutal in several parts of the country during the summer months....even places like Chicago, New York etc. I know I would rather play 35 nights indoors during the summer from a physical exertion standpoint than outside in the potential heat and humidity. Who knows--it's all conjecture...most likely it is a combination of the various factors.

[Justin Case]

We have a beloved ampitheater here in NY right on the ocean,Jones Beach.

 

I HATE IT! Nothing worse than seeing one the finest light shows in rock COMPLETELY ruined by the summer daylight. All ambiance is gone.

 

Price we pay for living near the ocean. I know, tiny violins. When

LL Cool Ged visits, he wants to see the great Atlantic also. Its an extra hour one way to see them at MSG and The Pru, but worth every second.

 

 

 

.

 

I love seeing the shows at outdoor amphitheaters, but Jones Beach is horrible. The wind destroys the sound, and the no-alcohol rule results in the most listless crowds I've seen.

 

 

 

There is no question that Jones Beach is among the worst venues in the country. I've never understood why so many artists choose to perform there.

[Na na na]

They are making more money playing indoors venues ;)

[GabesCavesOfIce]

We have a beloved ampitheater here in NY right on the ocean,Jones Beach.

 

I HATE IT! Nothing worse than seeing one the finest light shows in rock COMPLETELY ruined by the summer daylight. All ambiance is gone.

 

Price we pay for living near the ocean. I know, tiny violins. When

LL Cool Ged visits, he wants to see the great Atlantic also. Its an extra hour one way to see them at MSG and The Pru, but worth every second.

 

 

 

.

 

I love seeing the shows at outdoor amphitheaters, but Jones Beach is horrible. The wind destroys the sound, and the no-alcohol rule results in the most listless crowds I've seen.

 

 

 

There is no question that Jones Beach is among the worst venues in the country. I've never understood why so many artists choose to perform there.

 

Thanks Led, how could I have forgotten it was a dry venue for so long? They now have a nonVIP drinking area, but it was closed for the Zoundgarden NIN show I was at last year. Horrible venue.

 

JC, rumor has it Jones pays out the most moolah...the almighty $$.

 

I recall my first Rush show, MP at Nassau Coli, and when the lights went out, and the opening synths and pyros for Overture and all the wild lights and lasers, nothing like that. that magic cant be reproduced at outdoor place. The light show at Radio City in R30 was un effing believable. Sound acoustics at MSG can't be duplicated outside IMHO.

 

Central Park has a nice one outdoor venue, but no aura.

[CaressMySteel]

http://www.livenationpremiumseats.com/images/999/620/400/image.jpg

http://6bd32fe3d0a84caa1d3b-e077574ebbd2dc508f26c12c8cc8fefb.r63.cf1.rackcdn.com/750_51377596c7469oGFJSzLUf5tgQ585IRlPN8N_WNW6Fnlguyi3aYDS3Ik,eEhradK-ctj7OmGOi0QaaS2m4Mtpgv8ppw4bic_YiCI.jpg

The amphitheater in Austin at night.

[That One Guy]

I forgot that my two SLC Rush shows opened in broad daylight. This has actually given a positive for the indoor venue they chose this time.

 

Just bought my tickets, ticketmaster didn't even use any lube this time.

[CaressMySteel]

Ok. I know it's a matter of personal preference, but I found this article interesting.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/10greatplaces/2014/10/10/concert-music-venues/16974221/

 

USA Today's "top 10 concert venues" includes 7 outdoor venues.

 

Just one perspective I know.

[GabesCavesOfIce]

Cool article CMS, thx for sharing. Alot of those outdoor places have unique views, as does Jones which thankfully didn't make the list. People LOVE it here and the acoustics are terrible. But if Rush is there, I'm going!

 

Now I get why VS raves about Hollywood bowl, its built in side of mountain that keeps the sound in place. At Jones, there goes half the sound on half the world with the wind.

 

This thread has reminded me of how incredible Radio City R30 light show was. Its a 6,000 seat theatre, small for Rush here. One of the shows we were in first balcony first row, and we were at a perfect 45 degree angle above the stage inn center, but very close compared to a hockey arena. We were literally immersed in the lights and lasers for most of the show. What a trip.

 

 

 

.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Gabrielgil513

[CaressMySteel]

Cool article CMS, thx for sharing. Alot of those outdoor places have unique views, as does Jones which thankfully didn't make the list. People LOVE it here and the acoustics are terrible. But if Rush is there, I'm going!

 

Now I get why VS raves about Hollywood bowl, its built in side of mountain that keeps the sound in place. At Jones, there goes half the sound on half the world with the wind.

 

This thread has reminded me of how incredible Radio City R30 light show was. Its a 6,000 seat theatre, small for Rush here. One of the shows we were in first balcony first row, and we were at a perfect 45 degree angle above the stage inn center, but very close compared to a hockey arena. We were literally immersed in the lights and lasers for most of the show. What a trip.

 

 

 

.

Seeing bands at small venues is always very cool. So, is the other extreme. Seeing bands perform in front of 80,000-100,000 people is also pretty cool. Back in the days of the "Texas Jam" we would spend all day at the Cotton Bowl. Go down front for a band, then go sit in the stands and watch the band and the crowd. Really wild.

[Disembodied Spirit]

Ok. I know it's a matter of personal preference, but I found this article interesting.

 

http://www.usatoday....enues/16974221/

 

USA Today's "top 10 concert venues" includes 7 outdoor venues.

 

Just one perspective I know.

Red Rocks is great, some years it opens too soon, and a Spring storm will come in a lower the temperature 40 degrees.

Not fun.

Most shows are awesome there.

A classic write up of a show gone wrong- But was still great at Red Rocks - June, 5, 1983

 

http://www.atu2.com/news/it-was-25-years-ago-today.html

[Bard]

Ok. I know it's a matter of personal preference, but I found this article interesting.

 

http://www.usatoday....enues/16974221/

 

USA Today's "top 10 concert venues" includes 7 outdoor venues.

 

Just one perspective I know.

 

There's a reason. Outdoor venues are simply better on average with acoustics and ambiance.

[GabesCavesOfIce]

Unless you are at a handful of venues that are protected from the wind, or very close to the stage, outdoor acoustics is a fairly well known challenge to performing musicians-

 

 

 

http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/apr09/articles/outdoorgigging.htm

[Bard]

I am often close to the stage, and the truth is, as I mentioned, California doesn't really have any bad outdoor venues unless it's a football or baseball stadium or a state fair. :)

 

The Greek (in Berkeley)

The Greek (in Los Angeles)

Pacific Amphitheatre (Costa Mesa)

Santa Barbara Bowl

Hollywood Bowl

Shoreline Amphitheatre (Mountain View)

Ford Amphitheatre (Los Angeles)

Humphrey's (San Diego)

Mountain Winery (San Jose)

Vina Robles (Paso Robles)

Irvine Meadows (Irvine)

Sleep Train Amp (Chula Vista)

 

All epic stages with stellar acoustics. Never have had a show go bad 'cause of weather or mosquitos out heeya. :) Well, I take that back, Irvine, the very same place I'm attending the R40 tour, isn't the best venue, but that's mostly due to demographics specific to the region. ;) There really isn't a better place to see any band more than the SB Bowl and the Hollywood Bowl in SoCal, Shoreline and the Greek in the Bay Area.

 

I might be biased. ;)

 

Conversely, PLENTY of indoor arenas have resulted in grade A clusterfucks because of their classic yet annoying traits of musty madhouse mayhem. :)

Edited April 18, 2015 by Van Squalen

[zac2112]

I wondered the same when I saw the tour venues come out. Maybe they simply want to avoid the heat at this point in their careers, its already mid eighties in Fla. They haven't played the ice palace (indoor venue) here in Tampa since Vapor Trails tour. R30, S&A (twice), TM, and CA all played at the outdoor Amp. I prefer outdoor, Amphitheatres are built for concerts, stadiums are built for sports.

[WIDE-ANGLE WATCHER]

Good gawd, you fabulous Rush nerds. Indoor venues are NEVER better than outdoor venues! Acoustics ALWAYS are better outdoors, along with the added bonus of not having 20 thousand sweat-mucked morons' vast array of stenches rolling over you for 3 hours. I specifically am going outta my way to hit the Irvine show (an outdoor amp) instead of hitting the very last show on the tour at the Forum. As much as I love the Forum thanks to my intimate and long history with its ambiance, and as much as I'd like to hit the very last Rush date on what may be their last tour, I opted for the second to last date at Irvine BECAUSE it's outdoor instead of indoor.

 

Special effects are great and all, don't get me wrong. But gimme premium sound and fresh air every time over a sweaty stanky dungeon arena. :)

I agree...You may give up a couple light-show songs until it gets dark (although sunset light does have value)... but the out door sound, especially at Irvine Meadows is superior no doubt. I've got the best of both with Irvine and the Forum on my schedule.

[Bard]

I want to see the last show on tour at the Forum too, but....nothing left except scalper prices and nosebleeds....

[Disembodied Spirit]

Good gawd, you fabulous Rush nerds. Indoor venues are NEVER better than outdoor venues! Acoustics ALWAYS are better outdoors, along with the added bonus of not having 20 thousand sweat-mucked morons' vast array of stenches rolling over you for 3 hours. I specifically am going outta my way to hit the Irvine show (an outdoor amp) instead of hitting the very last show on the tour at the Forum. As much as I love the Forum thanks to my intimate and long history with its ambiance, and as much as I'd like to hit the very last Rush date on what may be their last tour, I opted for the second to last date at Irvine BECAUSE it's outdoor instead of indoor.

 

Special effects are great and all, don't get me wrong. But gimme premium sound and fresh air every time over a sweaty stanky dungeon arena. :)

I agree...You may give up a couple light-show songs until it gets dark (although sunset light does have value)... but the out door sound, especially at Irvine Meadows is superior no doubt. I've got the best of both with Irvine and the Forum on my schedule.

Can you guys compare the Forum and Staples Center for us East coast peeps?

If u have been to both for concerts.

[Disembodied Spirit]

I want to see the last show on tour at the Forum too, but....nothing left except scalper prices and nosebleeds....

I hope you can find a ticket Van