dtpoet

I love that Neil communicates with fans through blogs and other forms. At least he is communicating. He doesn't have to do interviews or meet-n-greets to be communicative. In fact, I can argue that over the last 20 years, Neil has communicated more with the fan base than Geddy and Alex. Just because he does it differently, doesn't make it wrong. As far as his hobbies - good for him. He's earned the opportunities to have a winter home in Canada or go on a trip, own a fuly loaded BMW motorcycle, or whatever else he likes to do. You don't have deny yourself the pleasures in life you have earned through hard work, passion, and dedication. You can still be a good human being and philanthropist and still engage in passions and desires. Enough. Let him be. You don't know him. Stop judging him.

I can tell you from the opening nights I've been to that it is indeed fun to be standing there going "WOAH! They're playing THAT?!?!?" But at the same time it's kinda nice to know when the first set is going to end so you can get a beat on the rest of the crowd to the restroom :P Snaked - if you're not going to opening night, who am I suppose to follow to get the set list or just to stay on topic - know what the first song is? Lol

I guess a medley makes sense. It gives them a warm up, a chance to display older songs, and no harm to the vocal chords. I like your FBN thought. People would pass out...

They USED to do the medley's towards the end of the show.... Very true. That's why I'm thinking they will so it in the middle of a set, like perhaps the 2nd set of the rumors of the retro drum kit are true. It becomes one long instrumental in the middle of the set (which they have shown of late they like to do). Now, incorporate a drum solo into this R40Med and that gives Alex and Geddy a little break after a good jam. Now follow up the R40Med with G & A playing an acoustic medley to give Neil the same break.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say the if there is an R40 medley, it will open the 2nd set with older songs to follow or be in the middle of the 2nd set (in which case in will incorporate a drum solo). Working with that theory, I'm going to say the show opener will be from recent times so either Heasling Flight or more likely Far Cry.

Oh well - can't beat 'em, join 'em as they say: Jacobs Ladder Prime Mover Cut To The Chase Xanadu

I love when the OP asks for ONE song and people give more than one..... :) Jacobs Ladder

These stats are based off of setlistfm.com so we know they may not be totally reliable. However, they are extremely accurate. Since the Counterparts Tour in 1994, there have been 514 shows. Below are the percentages of shows each song appeared. I purposely left out all songs from Vapor Trails forward in an attempt to not have the percentages skewed. I also left out the R30 opening medley. 1. Tom Sawyer 100.0 YYZ 100.0 3. Spirit of Radio 99.2 4. Limelight 83.9 5. 2112 Overture 76.8 2112 Temples 76.8 7. Dreamline 71.4 8. Subdivisions 70.0 9. Freewill 57.0 10. Red Barchetta 50.0 11. Force Ten 49.2 12. The Trees 48.8 13 Natural Science 48.2 14. Leave That Thing Alone 47.5 15. Red Sector A 44.9 16. Closer To The Heart 41.1 Roll The Bones 41.1 18. Working Man 40.9 19. 2112 Grand Finale 38.5 20. Witch Hunt 37.9 21. Digital Man 34.4 22. Big Money 33.9 23. Bravado 33.5 24. Between The Wheels 33.1 25. Animate 27.5 La Villa 27.0 Time Stand Still 26.3 Stick It Out 25.1 Analog Kid 24.7 By Tor 23.9 Resist 23.9 Vital Signs 23.5 DEW 23.0 Mission 22.0 Passage to Bankok 22.0 Xanadu 21.8 Mystic Rhythms 21.6 The Pass 19.5 Camera Eye 16.0 Presto 16.0 Marathon 16.0 Nobody's Hero 15.0 Where's My Thing 14.0 Grand Designs 14.0 Territories 13.6 2112 other four 13.4 New World Man 12.8 Entre Nous 12.5 Circumstances 12.5 Show don't tell 10.7 Hemi Prekude 10.7 Ghost of a Chance 9.7 Between Sun Moon 9.2 Manhattan Project 7.0 Body Electric 4.7 Middletown Dreams 4.5

Without the strings, I doubt it. I think only 1 CA makes the list and that would likely be Headlong Flight

I believe so. Here's why; "It went to #1 (on the RPM national singles chart) in Canada, where it remained for two weeks in October 1982.[1][2] Less successful in the United States, it nonetheless remains Rush's only American Top 40 hit, peaking at #21 on the Billboard singles chart for three weeks in October and November 1982."~ New World Man wiki

100% - Spirit of Radio 60% - New World Man 100% - Freewill 100% - Tom Sawyer 100% - 2112 Overture 100% - 2112 Temples of Syrinx 100% - 2112 Grand Finale 80% - The Trees 100% - Subdivisions 40% - Time Stands Still 80% - Closer to the Heart 80% - La Villa Strangiato 60% - Red Barchetta 80% - Working Man 40 % - Roll the Bones 100% - Limelight

Ohio University? Yes - Bobcat territory.... Both of my uncles graduated from there. :) My wife graduated from there in early 1990's and son is currently a student there. He was actually born tbere as well even though we live now and grew up on the east coast.

Ohio University? Yes - Bobcat territory....

Just the other night, as I was flipping through FM stations, Analog Kid was playing. That was followed by Subdivisions.

'Natural Science vs. Xanadu' . Or both... :drool: There is no either/or. :) When You need to narrow it down to 3 hours, choices will have to be made. Songs will be voted off. A reality show! That could be the opening video - a mock reality show of different characters from different albums being voted off. Hey - if Perry can have dancing sharks at the Super Bowl, we can get a sourpussed owl getting rejected from the stage.

I am curious as to the timing if the whole production from today moving forward to Show 1. I understand that they currently are rehearsing and preparing individually, communicating from afar about various setlist options and progressions. I also read that they will get together in April (I assuming the beginning of) and start rehearsing together. However, this is a bigger production than just the three of them. There are lights, videos, and background music that have to be choreographed and synced together the form a seemless production. When does all that happen? At some point, the setlist has to set in stone so that these additional parts of the production can be fine tuned. How long does that take? A week? Two? A month? For those of you with some experience in the industry, can you lay out a hypothetical timeline from 3/15 through 5/8? Thank you in advance.

I think tbe word you're looking for is "curious".

I'm pretty sure I read tvat he goes to the gym when preparing for a tour

But that is cryptic. He says you "shouldn't always believe..." That doesn't mean it ain't happenin'. Exactly. All Rush related social media including fan sites have simaltaneousky removed references to the drum kit and comments made by the kit's maker. This s@#t just got real. Lol.

Were all discussions referencing the drum kit removed? I mean - ok - I get it but it just seems odd. Yes, it was a spoiler and I get that we don't want to spoil but I just think that the removal gives validity to the rumor/comments that sparked this apparantly huge issue.

Huh. All those threads about Neil's drum set - where'd they go? It's like they disappeared. Were they removed? I was going to post that GUMP tweeted this at 9:44pm Saturday night (it's now 10:36pm): "@Lornewheaton: You shouldn't always believe everything you hear. Unless it comes from the source. Which it didn't."

When the dishwasher falters after an extensive span of time of faithful day-to-day service, doing those dishes by hand seems clumsy and awkward at first. You wonder "how they did thiS back in the day." Day 2 usually shows some steady improvement and decreased anxiety levels. By day 3, you feel like a pioneer again....

I have a feeling Beneath, Between, Behind will make an appearance in some form since I think it was the first song they wrote together.

If it's the last tour, it's the last tour. If not, okay. Either way, I'm not going to complain. Just be thankful. All four of my grandparents lived into their 80's. I got to know them, spend time with them, have memories. My wife lost a grandfather and grandmother before she was born. She didn't get to experience what I got to. I feel blessed to have "spent" not only my teenage years but all of my adulthood being treated to wonderful music and being moved by creative lyrics. If they play on, they play on. If they don't, I'm good with it. We all knew it was going to end some day.....