Wingmaster

I don't see it either.

Some of their best songs are instrumentals including YYZ and LVS. Then there are songs like Test for Echo, et al, whereby he doesn't have to reach those high shrills, or songs that can easily be altered to lower octaves vocally. Or, and this may be sacrilege, but like he did in Wish Them Well, just pre-record certain [few] segments that have the high stuff that might make it more difficult. Might make the overall experience that much more fun for him. He seemed to get a humorous kick out of the Wish Them Well recorded part when they first started this tour. I thought that was good.

I'm surprised that they're even touring anymore. Major league props to them for doing it and doing it so well!! You can tell how he's changed his singing out of necessity, and done a fine job as such.

Good overall post, I completely agree. That "I can't pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend" applies to all, eh. None of us would turn down an opp to meet them and shake hands, but I would find it fascinating to sit down w/ Neil and just chat casually and ask some questions that I've never seen asked in rare interviews with him, or the same for Geddy and Alex. Questions that knowing them they'd probably really enjoy discussing. I recall a youtube video of Tommy Shaw where some guy/kid caught him en route to somewhere in a hotel and asked him some questions, and Shaw was appreciative of the questions and said that he wished that interviewers would ask questions like that. He seemed to really enjoy it. Either way, there's no relationship there and at the end of the day, other than to merely say "I did it," which is nothing but an ego-stroker, you may as well have used cardboard cutouts to have a pic taken. Nothin' up on Alex or Geddy, or Neil, as they all know and appreciate the fans and are infinitely grateful. You can see it in their expressions when they play and at other times, that look of "I really can't believe we made a career out of this" look. LOL It's great! And to me that is worth far more than anything I could get from a M&G. Just listening to their music and trying parse the piece-parts, an all but impossible task with Rush given the complexities and depth of each part on nearly every piece, much less the interactions between those parts, is astonishment enough. On a side note, maybe if someone brought them a mouse in a bottle of beer it might buy them a personal interview. LOL Agreed, it's too contrived for my liking.

You goin' to the B-more show?

That's the problem with those VIP seats, and frankly, I don't understand why as with other seats, they can't be selected live. I've been going w/ my 11 YO son recently and I'm not about to drop that kind of coin, particularly when we really don't have it as disposable income, to hope that we get good seats and seats where his view will be blocked by other taller people around him. As someone else pointed out tho, and as I and no doubt most others agree with, Rush puts on such a show that if you're too close it's easy to miss the "big picture" of it all. Understandably, for someone that's gone to multiple shows there's obviously some value in merely sitting close too. I wish that just the tix were available instead of the entire package. I agree with the first poster that most of the stuff is crap unless you're into that stuff. The M&G is cool if you get that, but even then, it's value is limited. Unfortunately that's just the way that the industry is these days. Personally, I prefer seats in the front row of a slightly elevated section, i.e., first off the floor, so that I don't have to stand for half the show just to see. That's what I got for Baltimore this year. I had the same question that you had tho and posted as much, but got no replies before the first tix for the second NA leg went on sale. I didn't start a topic w/ it tho. BTW, you might have more luck trying craigslist or something prior to the show that you want to see. I remember a few tix being available for a couple of shows for this tour when I was looking, sometimes by true fans wanting other fans to benefit. Sometimes they want the "crap" but can't make the show and will sell the tix for less. At least you know where they are, eh.

You'd think that they'd be shooting L's/XL's from those cannons and the ones that they throw out. Imagine being my size, 6'3" and getting a T, excited to have it, then realizing it's a M or even a L. LOL

Or so he claims.

I'm tellin' ya! Reminds me of a "back in the day" show. Sounds interesting. I ended up going w/ Baltimore. Got a pair in section 229 smack in the center of the front row. That's the section directly across from the stage. No need to stand for that one if my son and I don't want to.

I like the way you think!! Tears, ... live? Not so sure about that.

Thanks for adding that! I've always felt the same, it's good to hear it from someone else. It's been largely by choice that I've always sat further back, usually somewhat, altho not very, high up off the floor, and preferably as centered as possible. I hate being turned for that long. Having said that, it would be nice to sit closer too, particularly having seen a couple of shows already. But you have me thinking again now. I guess for me it's going to be one of those things where ten years from now I'm kicking myself saying "I wish I had ..." LOL Have you ever sat in the wings but up close? It's been decades since I sat there, and it wasn't for a Rush show. Anyway, if so, how's that in contrast?

I thought so too but that is apparently not the case. It seems unfair to me that you can have people up front who paid regular price while the person next to them or behind them paid the VIP price. Yeah, doesn't it. But hey, that's just the racket that is ticket sales for modern concerts. I would never bother with tix for a modern concert except for Rush, a band that i've seen for years like most here. Again, if I had the money I wouldn't even care. But for anyone that doesn't, there's simply no chance whatsoever. That's the frustrating part about it.

Yeah, it was frustrating for me b/c I'd like to take my 11-year old son who's only 5'3". I logged in on time to get just after row 15, but even back there he'd have difficulty seeing anything but the screens. So I passed on those. I don't mind the VIP stuff, but honestly, all I'd care about is a M&G part of it. Even that I would trade for good tix. (the words "I can't pretend a stranger is a long awaited friend" haunt me re: the M&Gs anyway) If I want any of the other stuff, and I'm a fan of the music, not covering my walls or filling my shelves with it at nearly 50 YO, then I'll simply buy it. So I can empathize with those buying tix. For the Charlotte show I got good tix directly in front of the stage but back as the sections begin to rise thinking we could simply sit and watch the show w/o having to stand for the entire thing as you do on the floor out of necessity b/c everyone else is standing. I was wrong about that. Everyone was sitting except for the pair in front of us, who were nice enough to sit down upon my politely asking after about half of the first set. Anyway, I have a bad hip and while I enjoy standing too, I can't for the entire show nor close to it. I was really hoping to, for once in my life, get a seat in the first few rows, and was religious in watching RIAB site for info hoping to catch it in a timely manner, which I did, despite just having gotten in late on that day from being on the road most of the day. Yet, only to be disappointed that the best row I could get was T in the first section of floor seats. I couldn't imagine how so many tix had been bought so quickly, but you guys explained it. Anyway, it was tremendously disappointing. If money were no object, which it is as I shouldn't even be spending the near $300 for good tix to begin with, then I'd just by the damn VIP package and sell or give away the rest of the stuff. Now my only hope for Baltimore is to hit Craigslist before the show and hope that I can find a true fan that is interested in selling some great floor seats to another true fan for what they paid for them. Chances there, slim-to-nil. So I can definitely empathize. On another note, among my old paraphernalia, I have an old Rush ticket stub from Rochester, NY from when the concerts back then were like $8.50 and you could cut out the service charges altogether by driving down to the actual arena and buying directly from their Box Office. I'll have to look to see what tour it was, I went to a couple back then. Probably Moving Pics. Anyway, times have definitely changed. Among other things, concerts used to make no money but were used as promotional events to sell albums and other merch. Today it's harder to make money, at least for the bands given the graft and corruption in the industry, on album sales, and the money's made on tours and sales of merch. there. I wonder how much they make on merch. sales at the average show. No one can fault the band or its members for this, of any band. Money talks and always will. But it is sorely disappointing. You can be as diligent and vigilent as possible for new tix and yet you're automatically shut out from certain options the second that the window slides open these days. Again, "back in the day," you might "camp out" for tix, be the first few in line, and your efforts were rewarded. Nowadays, as several, including the thread starter have stated, you camp out and "wait all night," or the modern equivalent, and someone with more bucks just steps ahead of you in line day of because you can't afford $800 for you and your son to go hit the show. Heck, that's a small family vacation for the five of us otherwise. It's tough enough to justify $300 for two tix to a show you've seen twice from the cheap seats, especially when you don't mention it to your wife until after you weren't able to do it. (another issue altogether, LOL) Ah well ... such is life. Now I'm waiting for the Hershey show date announcement and I'll have to do the vigilance thing all over again, but I doubt that will be any different.

Question: My son is 5' tall or so, and I'm concerned that w/ floor seats he won't be able to see if we're stuck in the middle of the floor section. It doesn't sound as if you get to choose exact seats so early in the process. What are my best options for getting seats from which he'll be able to see if we're on the floor? Thoughts? Advice? BTW, just looking at seats, no extras.

LMAO!

Great pics! Congrats on your fortune and thanks for sharing the pics! Heck, I'd be happy just to sit anywhere near the proximity of the stage. Saw them in Charlotte and Virginia, ... hoping they do more in '13. BTW, LOVE that "What Do I Lack?" sign!! I thought that the show was even better after having read the book which I did between the two shows.

LOL My thoughts exactly!

I found the entire concert to be more entertaining after having read the book too.

I think that they do the one at the end so that they can get out of there more quickly. If you've noticed, the second that their encore is over Alex and Neil go tearing offstage as if the place is on fire. Geddy says a quick goodbye/thanks and then follows, then the video starts. Buys them just enough time to avoid people flooding around the arena probably. JMO

It'd be safe to announce it now. Inquiring minds want to know.

Yeah, Roger that! [Deep Sigh] Then again, we ain't gettin' any younger either and should also probably be glad that we're healthy enough to go see them still. LOL I almost got the impression this tour that they sort of knew that this would be their last tour. Some are optimistic that they'll do another American leg, but I'm not so sure. They've spaced this one out a lot more than the Time Machine tour, so if they do it'll have to go into next fall or they'll have to weasel it in in the late winter/early spring. I sure hope they do, I'd love to go again or twice more money/distance allowing, but ... Economy been very very bad to me. LOL

Hey Earl, Did you get to know the Clockwork Angels album well before going to the show? I didn't prior to the Virginia show but then did before the Charlotte show and while I still loved the first one, it was much better for the second. I also read the book which I've been advising everyone to do prior to going to the concert. One of the easiest and best reads of all-time, an absolutely fantastic novel in its own right! Anyway, if you did, then ignore, but if not, I really think that would have made a huge difference for you.

Very good points!

Wish him [them] well.

LOL