Symmetre

That's a slick, prfessionally shot video with great sound. Not the cell phone video I had expected. Hmmm, I wonder if we will see this on the DVD?

Pretty imopressive he can pull them off at all. A lot happens to a body after decades of aging, much less aging while living out of a suitcase. I thought 'Ol Dirk did pretty well. Certainly better than I could!

Very sad news indeed. Chris Squire was a hugely talented and wildly creative man. I shudder to think of how many bassists continue to be influenced by his ideas. Poo.

I dunno, all three looked pretty happy during the recent Toronto shows. That said, I can recall seeing shows in the 80s where they all seemed a bit tired of it. The reality is that none of us has a clue what's actually going on in any of their heads. I just try to enjoy the shows for what they are, and watch them while I can. As long as Rush continue to play live, I will buy my tickets and show up. But when they do play their last show, I'll simply wish them well. After more than 40 years of touring, if there's anyone has earned a comfy retirement, it's these guys.

I cant believe you just put Joe Perry alongside Vai. Perry is a basic, meat and potatoes player...Vai is actually quite diverse if you really dig into his resume. The guy is a master. Sorry man, and no disrespect to Steve Vai. He really is a great player. But he's simply not in the same leage as Big Al.

Alex is probably the most under-rated guitarist of all time. I've never understood why guys like Steve Vai or Joe Perry received the attention they did ... they're extraordinary players to be sure, but also fairly limited in their approach. Look back over Rush's catalogue and consider how many different styles Alex plays, it's just mind boggling. I honestly believe he's one of the most creative players yet, and would certainly put him in the top 5. I've been playing guitar for about 35 years. I can play along note-for-note with many of the all-time greats. Lifeson ... not so much. There are so many subtle nuances to his playing that are almost impossible to replicate. He truly is on a level of his own.

I think the song is about trees acting like people sometimes do - whiny. rftag, your high schjool English teacher is seeing things that don't exist.

At the end of the day, all boys aspire to be rock stars specifically so they can get the chicks, the drugs and the money. And most grow out of that at some point. There are stories about every musician on the planet. Some true, some ... well, not so much. If there's anything I've learned in my life, it's that things aren't always exactly what they seem.

Man, these guys aren't even close to losing it. Yeah they are showing their age now but who cares. The spirit and the feel is there, who cares if everything isn't perfect. He did say "a bit".. And even the band is admitting it.. They are in their 60's.. It's fair to say they must have lost something by now, they are human.. I suppose that all has to be true on some level. But it sure isn't evident when you see the show. To my ears and eyes, these guys are still playing as well as ever. I enjoyed these last performances as much as any I've ever seen. Rush still puts on the best live show, and gives you by far the best value for your money, of any band out there. (not that I'm a bit biased or anything ... LOL!)

Yeah that's bizarre. Yeah - I don't know if the stick is hitting the underside of a cymbal, or what. I guess it must be. Glad it got stuck on the tom. Can you imagine if it squirted out onto the stage, and either Geddy or Big Al wiped out on it?

The lyrics deal with artists (a dancer and a writer) in the twilight of their careers, facing age-related challenges that prevent them from performing at the level they once could. "Some are born to rule the world, to live their fantasies But most of us just dream about the things we'd like to be Sadder still, to watch it die, than never to have known it For you the blind who once could see, the bell tolls for thee" I try to avoid reading into things too deeply. But given that it's public knowledge that Neil has been battling severe tendonitis in his elbows for some time now, and Alex has more recently spoken about suffering painful arthritis in his hands and feet, it seems rather ironic that after all these years, Rush should choose to perform the song now. Beyond that, Losing It also features Ben Mink's remarkable, haunting, and utterly breathtaking electric violin solo. While the song is a dynamic and moving piece of music to begin with, Ben Mink's incredible violin work just catapults it to another level altogether. I don't know, it's just one of those songs that seems to touch a lot of people. Myself included, evidently.

Extras are always awesome :-)

I really don't see this as a spoiler thread - I'm conviced this will be a one-time-only performance. Can't imagine them doing it without Ben Mink, and I can't see Ben joining the tour midway through its run. It was what it was - a unique, special moment that I think was very much a tip of the hat to their long-time fans, and a public acknowedgement that while we all might like it otherwise, we will see less of each other as time goes by. Without exaggeration, probably a third to half the people in the ACC were wiping their cheek at the end of that song. Very powerful moment.

I was at both shows. Crowd energy was clearly higher on Friday, no question. Part of that lies in being end of the week, part I think from the setlist. While Red Barchetta was well received on Wednesday, the place went nuts when they started playing YYZ on Friday night. And having Ben Mink there to join the band in performing Losing It was just an incredible, poignant moment - and one not lost on anyone in the audience. Alex, Geddy and Neil all seemed to take their game up a level on Friday, perhaps feeding on the crowd. Magic doesn't always happen ... but sometimes it really does. It's hard to say ... both shows were spectacular. The difference, I believe, was in the Friday crowd being a bit looser because no one had to go to work the next day. The ACC was definitely a louder building last night. You couldn't even hear half of 2112 for the crowd screaming. Definitely energetic :-)

Toronto shows no doubt got juggled to accommodate the DVD filming. It was pretty much imperative they included Natural Science and YYZ on the DVD, along with Red Barchetta. The live performance of Losing It was just an incredible bonus, no doubt taking advantage of Ben Mink's availability. I would love them to play it again but it's highly unlikely. The home crowd - understandably - went right nuts when they started into YYZ on Friday night.