HalfwayToGone

For a first Rush show, you got a much different experience of Neil's solo than what folks are used to. I thought it was great the way he did it this tour.

Beer isn't cheap there either. I don't know if I've ever been pelted with anything at a Rush show. I did take a capped half full plastic water bottle to the head at Ozzfest in (I think) '96 (Marilyn Manson, Pantera, Ozzy and Sabbath with Mike Bordin on drums instead of Bill Ward). The left side of my scalp swelled up, and it looked like I had a giant plate in my head for almost a week. And at Motley Crue a few weeks back they had some asshole on stage spraying a large area of the crowd with a giant water cannon (imagine a gigantic version of the guns used for amusment park games where you "race" against other players to win a stuffed animal).

She was wearing a blonde wig. The skin tight pants should have given it away.

Agreed--from where I sat, the crowd energy was as good or better than any show I've been to, and I've sat as close as 2nd row. Now if only the VIP Nation schwag would get sent...

UCsteve--yeah, I know. Just mentioning it since the OP said that most of the audience sat for most of the show. Up off the floor level, I guess that's usually true depending where you sit. I'm 45 and have suffered some major mosh-pit related injuries back in the day, so I hear you about sitting it out, but I guess I'm in a mid-life crisis, because I've been in general admission pits up against the barricade to almost all of the recent shows I've gone to except KISS and Rush. Standing in the front for Down or Meshuggah is intense, but somehow I'm much better at it than when I was younger.

A couple of thoughts to add from row 15 center: 1. Everyone in front of me pretty much stood for the entire show with few exceptions, so I stood for the entire show, too. 2. Alex had a hairpiece for the first time that I've ever noticed. If I were him, I would have made sure it was blatantly the wrong color, but his actually looked OK asie from a tuft of hair sticking out in back. 3. We got some good older songs--No Working Man, but instead, YYZ, TSOR, Tom Sawyer and 2112 all in their glory in NJ. Snapshots from Newark...

I, on the other hand, put my order in on the day the VIP packages went public and got 15th row center. Not "first few rows" close, but I still felt like I was pretty close, and Alex was able to make eye contact at one point toward the end of the show when I was throwing the forks up and yelling "METAL!" at him at the start of TSOR. He got a laugh and pointed right at me. That made my night. I'm a fan from "the old days," but add me to the "those sourpusses don't know what they're talking about" camp as far as the song selection. I lost track of the "A" or "B" list situation, but whatever it was, it was good.

the email links to the regular prudential center website. This is only available by calling and booking the suite over the phone. You get the 2 for one if it's your first time using the club (which is brand new, so it's everyone's first time).

From what I remember reading when the Sectors set came out, they didn't even have all the masters from their early releases, let alone outtakes, so I wouldn't hold my breath for anything from before 1980 except maybe remixes of the remixes. Sectors had a DVD with 5.1 Surround mix in each of the three boxes. I think that's about all we can hope for from the Mercury catalog. Maybe Atlantic did a better job of tending to their Rush archive, and we can get some Presto, Counterparts, etc stuff.

I was hoping to get a meet and greet for Newark, NJ, but I just found out it fell thru. According to my connection, it was cancelled for Newark, but I don't know if that's true, and have a hard time believing it. In any case, as a booby prize, the promoter is supposedly going to do something for me along the lines of this--most likely a pair of stage used drumsticks from the show. If it comes thru I will definitely post a photo.

you're just paranoid. they guarantee all purchases, so worst case scenario, you get a full refund. I've used them numerous times for sports and concerts, and always with zero issues.

great score on the prize package! If they were floor seats, I'd be emailing you, but I saw the last tour from the bowl and it just isn't the same for me after being really close to the front the previous 3 shows I attended.

those are the shirts he fires out of the air gun toward the end of the show.

Glad you made it to the show. Hope there were no major mishaps re: your intestinal bug.

Maybe "special" is a nicer word.

Well I am a physician after all. Really. And no, it wouldn't make a stomach virus worse--acid reflux, yes, but a gastroenteritis? No. Best anti-emetic on the planet, bar none. Of course, the getting high part is a fun bonus.

Same here--unfortunately 6:30pm is regular doors time, so it looks like no soundcheck for us. Plus I didn't buy my package right when they first went live, so I'm not betting on being in the first few rows. Hopefully they sold slowly, and I'll luck out.

I doubt that--VIP Nation isn't affiliated with rush's merch company (showtech) as far as I know. Just a bad case of delayed delivery from China, which happens a lot. If everyone and their uncle didn't outsource manufacturing to China, we'd have this stuff already.

Far be it for me to advocate breaking the law, but a little medical marijuana will help settle your foul tummy, and you might enjoy the visual effects a bit more. Just sayin'.

95 thru CT is the only road I ever sat in traffic without moving for 2 hours between 3AM and 5AM on a Sunday morning (after playing a show in Stamford). My brother was stuck in exactly the same spot 10 years later for nearly 8 hours overnight while on tour--they literally fell asleep for 4 hours and woke up, and traffic hadn't moved one inch. The entire drive back to NJ is usually only an hour or may two in "normal traffic." There is nothing normal about the traffic or the drivers in CT, especially on 95. In fact when driving in NJ and I see someone with out of state plates driving slowly in the left lane or making a crazy random lane change to block me from passing them when no one is in front of them in their lane, it is usually someone from PA, CT or Mass. Sorry if anyone from those states are offended, and certainly NJ has its share of terrible drivers and traffic jams too, but usually only during commuter traffic or NY drivers headed to and from the beaches in the summer on weekends. I have only missed the start of a Rush show twice--once at Nassau Colliseum on RTB tour--LIE is another parking lot I avoid like the plague, so I usually pass on anything at Jones Beach or Nassau--we only missed almost all of Primus (who we wanted to see almost as much as Rush). The other was at MSG same night we met the band in '94, but that was because the friends I was with (who were getting us into the after-show party) waited til the last second to leave and try to take a cab thru the busiest part of NYC, and of course we got caught in gridlock. We missed TSOR and maybe part of the next song. Talking to Geddy and Alex later w/free alcohol and food more than made up for it.

You're a great dad! I've been very generous lately when it comes to concerts, too, but sometimes it backfires when I'm the only one who wants to go (ie. Down and Meshuggah this past year--had a pair of tix for both and no one to go with). My son's only 17 months old, so I have a ways to go before I start bringing him to shows. I'll be at the Newark show too, somewhere in the first 15 rows, but I don't know where yet (VIP "mystery ticket" package). 18 years ago my friend Joe came to an MSG show with me and two other friends, one of whom got us an invite to the aftershow party and meet and greet (not a photo op--this was really a chance to hang out a little with the band at a party thrown by Atlantic Records). So this time, I'm bringing my older brother, and it looks like we'll get to say hi to Geddy and Alex for about 20 seconds.

Don't forget "Stick It Out." Great song.

I think after the CA tours are finished, if they tour again, I'd be surprised if they focus on one particular album unless they record another new one. I have a feeling they will keep touring as long as they are physically able. Neil has alluded in interviews and writings that the CA songs were "meant to be played live, over and over, for years," and that he can't afford to maintain his current lifestyle if he retires. Sounds hard to believe, but not everyone who makes a lot of money is able to hang onto it all, and Neil mentioned being talked into some bad financial moves in Roadshow (most notably that giant wooden sailing ship). Regardless, it's questionable how much longer they can endure the rigors of touring and performing. They could lessen the strain with a more relaxed schedule with lots of breaks and days off, but then the tours get more expensive as crew, etc. need to be kept on payroll longer with fewer dates. So it gets dicey. Geddy has commented that touring takes a lot out of him. I can only imagine pouncing and running around like that onstage at 60 with a great big chunk of wood slung around my neck for 2-3 hours at a clip.

Yeah, that really would be sweet--I have a VIP package for Newark also. Start working whatever mojo you've got now...

yeah, really. maybe someone got cute with the delivery date and changed 2012 to 2112.