Smug Monkey

You Bet Your Life...seriously. Also, Countdown is one of my favorite songs.

Jag, thank you so much for posting this! Much appreciated. :yay:

Animate...

I cannot begin to describe my love for Geddy Lee as a musician. I do not play any instruments, I cannot carry a tune, basically I am tin-eared. That being said, Geddy has a voice and a gentleness to him that makes me smile like no other artist can. I enjoy his singing and melodies to the point that I get chicken skin (goose bumps to others) constantly while listening to RUSH. I am not taking anything away from Alex or Neil, either. They are my favorite guitar player and percussionist, respectively. There is just something about Ged that soothes my soul, so to speak.

Hello all! We arrived in Columbus to discover that our seats were upgraded. We originally were in section 213, but got moved to Club Level. It was a really nice treat. Decent sized crowd. Probably a little over half full. No offensive drunks and everyone was friendly, as most RUSH fans are. Waiting in anticipation I found it strange to finally see the boys in an arena. The other 3 shows I attended were all ampitheater. I instantly liked the arena setup better since it gave me a better view of the stage and we enjoyed the concert sitting down which was a first for me. My back and legs sure did appreciate it! Later, I also found the acoustics much more pleasing in an arena. The lights dimmed and the crowd erupted. Everyone seemed to enjoy the intro video and there was laughter and applause as each guy was introduced in their own unique way. The CA clock counted down into the first song of the evening, Subdivisions! I found myself taking it easy at this concert from the very beginning. I sat back and let the entire experience wash over me. I am not going to go over each song but will point out the highlights of the show that resonated with me. First of all, every song played was WONDERFUL. That may be the RUSH fanboy in me, but I truly enjoyed each and every song. Grand Designs, one of my favorites, was a sight (and sound) to behold. Geddy really nailed this song melodically, especially the oh, oh, oh's at the end. Territories was fantastic, and Analog Kid (especially the solo) melted my smiling face! Where's My Thing w/drum solo was presented with flair and meshed together extremely well. Far Cry knocked my socks off as it usually does. Such a good, rockin' tune that the guys cleary enjoy playing. The 2nd set video intro was hilarious! I love it that the guys don't take themselves too seriously to play, as Geddy puts it, G'nomes. The Anarchist was a visual and aural assault! The strings really added a wonderful element to the second set. I wasn't sure how it would sound, but it added so much depth and feeling to each song...even YYZ! Headlong Flight was the show stopper of the evening in my opinion. Everything about this song lends itself to a big grand production. Geddy sounded so damn good in this song. I can't say enough about his performance. The high notes, and the length he held them gave me chicken skin (goosebumps). The Clockwork Angel tunes were exhilarating live. There was such a freshness and warmth to the music and lyrics. Geddy's voice really was spot on during the CA portion of the set. I really enjoyed Halo Effect as a live song, and Alex's intro solo was inspired. The Garden was visually beautiful to look at and was played with such feeling. Loved seeing Alex on the piano and the guitar solo is so powerful and emotionally moving. I was really impressed with The Manhattan Project and Red Sector A. I don't know if it was because they were played after the CA material, but these two songs were so tight and focused in their intensity. Now we get to YYZ, TSOR, Tom Sawyer, and 2112. What can I say? The four songs really capped the night off well and the guys TORE UP these four songs. They really layed it on thick! Ending the 2112 finale with "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation" followed with the "We have assumed control" along with Alex's guitar growling like the hounds of hell was the perfect ending to a perfect evening. It will be one of those moments I won't forget! The Arena atmosphere was top notch. The light show, pyro, and video presenatations were presented wonderfully with the theme of each song. The string ensemble was a revelation! Never distracting and added so much to the songs without being overbearing or obnoxious. , as usual, did not dissapoint. As I was sitting there focused on my three favorite musicians on Earth during TSOR I thought of all the joy these men have brought to me over the years. A smile slowly emerged and I realized life can be really cool sometimes! Thanks for reading, Mark

QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Sep 19 2012, 06:43 PM)QUOTE (Smug Monkey @ Sep 19 2012, 06:38 PM) Those are utterly fantastic! Makes me even more excited for the Columbus show. Less than 24 hours away now. Thanks for the great pics! Enjoy your show Smug Monkey! Thank you so much! Don't worry, I will love every millisecond of the concert. Taking two friends who have never seen them. I burned the setlist on 2 CD's for them so they could get ready properly! One of the fella's going with me actually has a bucket list and "Seeing RUSH In Concert" is one of the items on his list. He will soon be scratching that off!

Those are utterly fantastic! Makes me even more excited for the Columbus show. Less than 24 hours away now. Thanks for the great pics!

XANADU!

QUOTE (dakota2112 @ Sep 19 2012, 08:50 AM)QUOTE (Howye @ Sep 19 2012, 07:56 AM) I have no idea if the section numbers are being moved around, or if the tickets for 102 really are directly to the side of the stage. I may be talking to somebody at the arena today, and if I can find out I will post it here. We had floor seats in 2010 but I specifically remember people with lower bowl tickets getting concerned about the sections changing. Please post any information you find out! I have section 103 tickets this time, and I did start getting concerned when section 102 opened up. So when this happened in 2010, did section 103 for example actually "move" along with the stage, so that the seats were still the same distance from the stage? If so, that's fine. But if the stage moves and my seats stay where they're at, I'd be getting screwed over. I just spoke with the box office at Nationwide. The lady told me that there were side sections opened up 10 days ago (102 & 116, I assume), but the stage will not be moved back. The setup on Ticketmaster is how the configuration will be laid out. Don't know if this is a fact but that is what I was told. Also, I asked about upgraded seats and was told they were available, but we would have to pay the difference. That is understandable, but I am still wondering how people get upgraded tickets at no extra cost... The direct number to Nationwide box office is 614-246-3033 if anyone wants to call. If you get a recording hang up and try again a few minutes later.

Thanks Howye! Our tickets are in section 214. I look at the End Stage 180 configuration on the Nationwide arena website and click our section. Truth be told, it looks like they are pretty decent seats. I have been to quite a few hockey games at Nationwide and there really isn't a bad seat in the house. In case someone wants to look at their sections to see what the sight-line looks like the link is posted below. http://www.nationwidearena.com/seating/charts/end180.html#

Hello all, 3 of us are heading up to Columbus tomorrow and I was wondering about upgraded seats. We currently have upper bowl tix. How does one go about doing this? Do you have to pay the difference? Thanks for any help! SO FREAKIN' PUMPED!!!!!!!!!!!

Mine also came with the picks and only a R30 Backstage Pass.

I absolutely LOVE The Anarchist! From the moment I heard the first notes I knew my auditory senses were in for something special. It has such a great build to it and then settles into a wonderfully groovy tune. It's like a damn roller coaster ride. The guys put a wonderful mix of ideas into a blender and hit puree'. I can't say enough about it. Easily the best song they have gifted to us fans in quite a while.

QUOTE (gangsterfurious @ Sep 12 2012, 09:19 AM) QUOTE (shaun3701 @ Oct 5 2010, 07:21 PM) Living in the FISH ISLANDS, caught in the camera eye Haha I used to sing, "Living on a fishing island". I always heard "Living in the French Islands".

Just wanted to say hello to everyone. Looking forward to discussing topics regarding the best band in the world! I will be going to my 4th Rush concert next Thursday in Columbus, OH.