tomhealey

Yes. I had exactly the same reaction re the band's comments on Toronto. I don't recall Alex distinguishing himself either night. Maybe they felt like they couldn't say "yes, our last shows in our home town were rather ragged." You'd think from watching the movie that they're commenting on the dubbed DVD version of the show, because they sure didn't see the 'scopes that I did, and 'scopes don't lie.

I almost forgot Greyfrier's appearance. Hilarious. Complete video-bomb of the shot. Brought a smile to my face.

I very much enjoyed the film. I recognized a bunch of fans in it. I thought it was a fair, balanced and unflinching account of what many of us Rush fans are like, and what Rush has meant to us. I really liked Geddy's comments about the emotions of the HoF induction. For an event that the band downplayed (until it happened, anyway), and many fans on this board decried, it was rewarding to hear how much their induction (or, at least, the amazing ovation we gave them that night) still means to him. The tension they portray over the last show in LA amongst the band was all but invisible to us in the seats that night. But you sure feel it in the film. Most importantly, I thought, was that while the film makes very clear, from a host of sources (including Neil), that it was Neil's decision that touring will end at LA, and that decision was not the hopes of his band mates, tour manager, etc., they respected what he went through to pull off the R40 tour at all. Oh, wait, "even more most importantly," no shots of me bawling like a baby in LA during Xanadu. My foolish male pride remains intact. But I did see my ruddy Irish face in Neil's snap of the fans at the last show. I'm a star on the silver screen!

They're all counting their money...I mean, our money!

I'm in this photo! yeah!! Which one is you? (If you want to let us know. . .) I remember tomhealey was in the front rows also. Maybe he can let us know if he is on the poster as well! Nope, I blew it up, and you can't see me. Not even my orange hat (which I wear to Rush shows primarily for photo ID purposes). I was actually in row 2, center section, Alex side, which became row 3 by the end of the show with all of the people pushing to the front. I showed up best (or worst, depending on your estimation of my attractiveness) in Neil's photo of the crowd. Those familiar with my appearance, such as it is, can pretty easily pick me out in that one. That's right, I remember that now. :) How cool is that that Neil photographed you? There is always that story (I don't know how true it is) that some native peoples don't like to be photographed because they believe it steals their soul. Here Neil was trying to steal you away last summer; he should have known that he already had you. ;) Neil had me at hello.

I'm in this photo! yeah!! Which one is you? (If you want to let us know. . .) I remember tomhealey was in the front rows also. Maybe he can let us know if he is on the poster as well! Nope, I blew it up, and you can't see me. Not even my orange hat (which I wear to Rush shows primarily for photo ID purposes). I was actually in row 2, center section, Alex side, which became row 3 by the end of the show with all of the people pushing to the front. I showed up best (or worst, depending on your estimation of my attractiveness) in Neil's photo of the crowd. Those familiar with my appearance, such as it is, can pretty easily pick me out in that one.

Hopefully one forum member has made the final cut. She's been interviewed for about 30 mins so I really hope to see her in this documentary :) (And no it wasn't me). Oh, I hope it wasn't that girl who wears the white dress and leaves in her hair. I'll second that . . . I know her, and happen to like her. A book and its cover, or something like that...

Trailer a bit further down on this page http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rushs-time-stand-still-heading-to-theaters-for-one-night-w443142

Anyone recognize the woman crying in the trailer? I know I bawled at times in LA; hope they didn't catch that on camera!

The topic does seem to have veered off of what I intended. I hadn't meant to debate whether we'll see a live show again. None of us knows that except, perhaps, Neil, so we're all just guessing. I intended to discuss what goes into the decision of whether to embark on another tour, or a shortened tour, or a limited engagement, or whatever. I continue to think that money and ego (expansively interpreted) are the prime drivers. Do people see other factors? FOH may very well be correct that it ain't happening (I have a great deal of respect for his opinions, he does seem to be connected to the band, and he helped me out considerably in thinking through a question about Periscope a while back), but the question isn't if Neil has said no (the excerpts from his upcoming tome very clearly confirm the answer "no" to me), the question is why?

So, why does Rush, or any band, go out on tour? I am not, nor have I ever been, either a musician or a psychologist, but as far as I can imagine, touring is driven by some combination of rewards of money and ego, counterbalanced against things like personal inconvenience, physical ability, etc., and weighed against the same balance for alternative sources of providing money and feeding ego. It's also possible that a sense of loyalty, to a band member's band mates, if not the fans, also plays a role, although I think that fits into the ego aspect. Are the rewards for touring the best direction for satisfying these human desires? Do the negatives outweigh the positives? Are there alternative means of securing income without incurring the same costs? Can ego find any other high to match audience accolades? Are valued friendships lost through a desire to cease touring, or leaving a band? These are the types of things that I think would go into such an assessment. Each day, all of us make similar decisions, regarding such things as food, leisure activities, and work choices, driven by the same imperatives of money and ego, although likely both the money and ego angles come in at much lower levels. From what we've been able to see, the balancing for Neil clearly weighs against touring. Perhaps money is less of an imperative at this stage in life, perhaps ego is fed more by daily interaction with Olivia, and perhaps, as I believe, his ebbing abilities have truly made him concerned about playing on stage like "the guy that used to be Neil Peart." Again, ego. So, those of you hoping for future live shows because somehow they owe us, or they didn't play where you wish they'd played, or you didn't like the last setlist, are out of luck, as I don't think those things, in their literal sense, have any role in the balance described above, except to the extent that they impact money and/or ego. What sort of things might actually tip the balance toward more live shows for Rush? Again, I think you should focus on money and ego, the two presumed drivers for this activity. If bands were allowed to auction off seats, at least in the first twenty rows, that would put more money into the band's pocket that currently goes to unrelated entities through Stubhub, etc. Auctions would increase the money reward for touring, which might adjust the balancing. Or if Olivia expressed an interests in having more adult memories of her father playing on stage, that too, might tip the balance. What if Neil got to a place mentally where he felt that by not playing live, he was depriving future drummers of inspiration? Would things like that be enough to overcome Neil's inertia? Will Neil continue to balance these factors over the next few years? I don't have answers to these questions, of course, only Neil does. But I was thinking about them this morning, and thought I'd see if others had any thoughts on the subject.

Well, when I think of Neil I automatically imagine Neil circa '83. After the gaunt look but before the rat tail. Before the goatee. Before the girth. Before the Mr. Magoo look. Before he let himself go. ;) That's funny but I'll always think of Neil as The Farewell To Kings, long haired, mustache and skinny as a rail drummer in some obscure Canadian band from Toronto. It's connected to my age. I was 9 when I got into Rush. And Moving Pictures was the new album. I had already heard AFTK but Cygnus X-1 was a scary song to a 5 year old me. Think I was more into Bugs Bunny, Legos, and Lincoln Logs at that age anyway. I was 21 when Moving Pictures came out. AFTKs was my first album and exposure to the band so maybe we just always associate something to when we first got exposed to it. Neil always seemed upset when I exposed myself to the band.

When I saw the title, I thought this thread was going to be a joke or a pun, like "Because Rush wasn't 'pop' sounding enough for them," or (consistent with Coke's advertising from the '70's) "because no one wanted Geddy to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony."

To quote TM from another thread..."I see Tom Healey." I have such great memories of this show. Of the friends I met, and the friends I've known for years. I still have my candle. It still lights, as I found out last month when I turned it on, and smiled a wry smile. Thanks so much to Lilli for this memento! And I, too, gave away the ticket next to me, to a dear friend from 12+ years of these shows. And I, too, got a beer out of it (domestic, not imported), plus a great, knowing, extended, side-arm hug during Xanadu, from the album where it all started for me. And I'd do it all again tomorrow, if I only could. Plus, I got to show my nine year old son his daddy on youtube. What could beat that? The one year anniversary is coming up!

Ed, the only reason they go on tour is to make money. A $50 cap on ticket prices makes a tour uneconomical, regardless of who is drumming. Why should Rush not be like every other rational economic actor and charge what someone is willing to pay?

Yeah, it's hard to imagine negative reviews, except from someone that is just determined to hate Rush. Even people I know that aren't Rush fans (and I therefore won't call them "friends") have an appreciation for what the band pulled off here. Still one of my top five Rush albums, and I doubt that will change with time. At the same time, I find the review a bit too gushing. Just as some people will never like anything that Rush puts out, some will like everything, and the review strikes me more along those lines. A great piece of musicianship and writing? Yes and yes, made all the moreso when put into the context of where the band was in their career when they made it. But a bit more objective approach to reviewing might have given the entire review more credibility. PS to TM - I keep trying to buy an airline ticket to Goatnut, but Travelocity remains baffled. Don't worry, I'm still on the case.

Vonnegut. Welcome to the Monkey House. Harrison Bergeron. You're welcome.

Seriously, if there's a way that Superconductor isn't the worst crap that Rush ever extruded from my speakers...like they were covering a Bay City Rollers song or something.

I must admit, I saw the Jays game the other day and wasn't sure it was Geddy. With baseball cap slung low and no soul patch, it might as well have been me.

Duff, wow did this bring back memories. Mostly me trying to figure out how you fit me into a video like this! Hope you're doing well. I'll be sure to call the next time the railroad goes through Goatnut!

Tour. Then I get to hang out with you nuts.

Still in my top 5 Rush albums all time. I love the creativity flowing from three guys who watch their peers playing their three hits before a few hundred fans.

Oh jeebsus christ....those shoes!!! :laughing guy: :laughing guy: :laughing guy: Which one is Alex?

Some of us have significantly handicapped ourselves in this whole "new screen name" thingy.

I love that song. I like Alien Shore too, and The Speed of Love ( ). To me though, there's something sad about the melody of that song (Animate). I don't think "sad" is the right word - melancholic? Wistful might be a better word. Lorraine, "restrained" (as compared to ebullient) is how I would describe the melody, and "challenging" is the word I would use for Animate's lyrics. Perhaps "daunting." So many different spirits moving us. How do I balance them all to be the best dad/husband/son/employee/neighbor that I can be? One of my top 10 Rush songs. I go bonkers when the drums start up. Every time.