Dear Sir

Prime Mover's perspective is almost identical to mine. To me, though, the (relative) lowlight is Fly By Night, probably because it's a default track on rock stations. The highlight to me, by far, is Anthem. Listening to it is like taking speed, even to this day. I was a kid when i first heard the song, and I remember the final part absolutely blew me away. On first impression, I thought several times the song had ended. . . but they kept playing! And then the end slaps you in the face with instant silence, as if it sucked all of the sound out of the room. To me, one word that describes that album is Energy. And maybe owl. So, let's say energetic owl.

Johnny, thank you for the video about remembering details. It fits a theme of this thread. So, what does this mean about "us"? Where do we go from here? We've been through so much together.

Edit: Double post

I was just going to post the exact same thing. It's my magnetic personality. That's the exact same response.

Exactly. And since the details would be there then it’d have to be true. :P Et tu, John, eh?

A friend of mine met Geddy and Alex in Atlanta while the two were playing tennis at a hotel. I think it was 1985. That's probably my closest connection to Geddy. Wait, no...another friend went to college with a nephew of Geddy.

It's my magnetic personality.

He’s got two sons, Justin and Adrian. Adrian collaborated with his dad for a couple of tunes on Victor I'm thinking Justin, the one involved in the skirmish in Naples. I overheard him a few minutes later tell his friends, "Don't introduce me to those fu**ers." It surprised me that he realized I was a fu**er only by shaking my hand and saying hi.

By the way, I sat next to two friends of Alex's son at a TFE concert. They introduced me to him (Justin?). He grudgingly shook my hand, and I later overheard him scolding his friends for arranging the introduction. Nice guy. ;)

This isn't another "Alex Lifeson babysat for me during the 'Down the Tubes' tour so they'd have enough money to get to the next stop story", is it? It was Pratt. No, my first Rush story was when I was 4 or 5. One of the older Blaze brothers would throw me in the walk in closet because I was scared of the dark. He’d hold the door so I couldn’t escape while the intro to Cygnus X-1 played. That was my first memory of Rush: being scared shitless by the creepy Cygnus X-1 narrator voice. He did that more than once. So, Cygnus X-1 scared me for the following 4-5 years. I was a diehard fan by age 9 with Moving Pictures. My first gig ever was at age 10 for the Signals tour. That was the pinnacle of my coolness. After that, I’ve been pretty uncool for the last 37 years Johnny, typical brothers. I used to play Cygnus X-1 for friends and turn it up loud during the quiet part following Alex's solo. Without exception, the friend jumped when Geddy and Neil jump in. :)

Those facts don't change the truth of my story. But they do, can you just cofirm again what year this happened please? I am aware of the apparent date discrepancy. He said he bought his first bike in 1996. I saw him in March 1986. No chance it was another decade because I moved from the area the same year. He was driving a BMW motorcycle. Maybe he rented it or was borrowing one for the trip. It was during a short break on the Power Windows tour. I think it was the first tour they ever intentionally incorporated short breaks. I think Lifeson said it was the first tour that was fun. So you obviously didn't read my earlier post, or ignored it, Neil got his very first motorcycle in December 1993, a present from his wife, he didn't have a motorcycle licence at that time and took a riding course and passed his test in 1994! So you are very mistaken, it wasn't Neil, sorry! Your conclusion rests on several assumptions. And I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Edit: I did read your earlier post. It's from an article I read a couple months ago, possibly from the Cygnus site. I don't understand how you can still believe you actually met Neil on a motorcycle 12 years before he was riding one, maybe he stole it, yeah right! Either I'm lying, deluded, or telling the truth. Whatever you decide makes no difference to me. “Deluded” seems a bit strong. I’d go with, as I said earlier, “honestly mistaken”. Not sure how much more proof you want when Peart himself is quoted as saying he didn’t get his license and start riding until the 90s. Was Neil mistaken about his own license? Was he secretly riding bikes in the 80s and didn’t want anyone to know? He definitely rode one in March 1986, apparently without a license. Ok Thank you for extending the benefit of doubt. I have nothing to gain by making up the story. Edit: Not splitting hairs, but I think his regular riding began in 1996. That is when it became a routine part of the tours. Maybe I saw him on the only day he rode before that, but I doubt it. I call that progress. ;) Hmm. You might have misinterpreted my meaning. The doubt is about it being the only day he rode a cycle before the 90s. Total guess, but he possibly rode occasionally for years. He certainly was riding the day I met him. When he started to ride bikes aside, how can you be “certain” especially when you didn’t think it was even him until YEARS later? Because I know details of the experience that erase any doubt. When I share them here, some people think I'm fabricating them. I've forgotten the book, but the quote, "The lady doth protest much" applies. The more I attempt to prove the validity of the story, the more suspicious I sound, at least to some. Consider this: I told my best friend from school all of it. Because I B.S. a lot, I prefaced it so he knew I was sincere. He knows I am painfully honest and would not lie beyond a 1-minute prank or something. When I finished telling him, he was stunned and said, "WTF? Do you have shit for brains?!" and asked how I possibly could have missed all of the clues, etc. I'm telling you, Johnny, the story is true. If you were sitting across from me, you'd know my sincerity. My wife would vouch for my honesty and character (and hotness that exists in a dimension that only she and I can perceive). You would have to choose whether I was deluded or mistaken. But I could tell you a couple more details that would likely eliminate your doubt. My best friend in elementary school from 4th to 6th grade used to always wear this blue t-shirt with red stripes on the sleeve. There was also the number 8 on the chest of the t-shirt. I remember the 8 especially because we were born a week apart in August (8th month). He ALWAYS wore that shirt as it was his favorite. I remember it was pretty big for him in 4th grade BUT by the time we hit 6th he had ballooned up from too many cheese doodles and pizza slices (and just getting older of course) so it was pretty tight by then. Anyway, we lost touch over the years and we didn't reconnect until maybe just 5 years ago through facebook. When we reconnected I mentioned that blue t-shirt of his with the number 8 on it. He laughed and said I was somewhat correct. It turns out that it was in fact blue but the stripes were orange and the number was 6, not 8. I told him that I swore it was an 8 and with red stripes. He laughed again and showed me a 1982 birthday photo of me, his 2 cousins, his mom, and him wearing his blue t-shirt with ORANGE stripes and with the number 6 on the chest. I was so sure of my memory and the details that I would've bet money on it. I wasn't lying. I was just mistaken about some of the details...most of the finer details actually. Great illustration. To quote a great thinker I once met, "...moments caught in flight make the shadows darken or the colors shine too bright." That must have been a massive t-shirt for all of you to fit in it. While you were eating birthday cake in 1982, I was probably buzzed on something and listening to Analog Kid, moving the stereo needle back to the guitar solo about 30 times, or maybe 17 times; I don't remember exactly. But it was Rush, not Barry Manilow, though I do confuse them. That same friend I got interested in Rush when Moving Pictures and MTV were making love to each other. And, like me, he’s still interested in them. A couple of years ago (or was it last year?) I even gave him a heads up that Geddy was headed to his town for the book signing fandango. He had no idea. Of course, he went and later posted a pic on Facebook of him shaking Geddy’s hand. I told him, “I’m jealous! Screw you and your blue, red / orange striped, #8 / #6 shirt! “ :goodone: When you were 7? The Moving Pictures period was when I got strongly interested, too. I set aside Van Halen and rarely listened to them again. Seeing Rush on MTV really hooked me on Lifeson's playing. His live Limelight solo blew me away, though I felt bad for him because he was clearly in a lot of pain. ;)

Then you would believe me if we ever met. It took a long time to admit it, because I felt embarrassed that I was blind to it.

Those facts don't change the truth of my story. But they do, can you just cofirm again what year this happened please? I am aware of the apparent date discrepancy. He said he bought his first bike in 1996. I saw him in March 1986. No chance it was another decade because I moved from the area the same year. He was driving a BMW motorcycle. Maybe he rented it or was borrowing one for the trip. It was during a short break on the Power Windows tour. I think it was the first tour they ever intentionally incorporated short breaks. I think Lifeson said it was the first tour that was fun. So you obviously didn't read my earlier post, or ignored it, Neil got his very first motorcycle in December 1993, a present from his wife, he didn't have a motorcycle licence at that time and took a riding course and passed his test in 1994! So you are very mistaken, it wasn't Neil, sorry! Your conclusion rests on several assumptions. And I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Edit: I did read your earlier post. It's from an article I read a couple months ago, possibly from the Cygnus site. I don't understand how you can still believe you actually met Neil on a motorcycle 12 years before he was riding one, maybe he stole it, yeah right! Either I'm lying, deluded, or telling the truth. Whatever you decide makes no difference to me. “Deluded” seems a bit strong. I’d go with, as I said earlier, “honestly mistaken”. Not sure how much more proof you want when Peart himself is quoted as saying he didn’t get his license and start riding until the 90s. Was Neil mistaken about his own license? Was he secretly riding bikes in the 80s and didn’t want anyone to know? He definitely rode one in March 1986, apparently without a license. Ok Thank you for extending the benefit of doubt. I have nothing to gain by making up the story. Edit: Not splitting hairs, but I think his regular riding began in 1996. That is when it became a routine part of the tours. Maybe I saw him on the only day he rode before that, but I doubt it. I call that progress. ;) Hmm. You might have misinterpreted my meaning. The doubt is about it being the only day he rode a cycle before the 90s. Total guess, but he possibly rode occasionally for years. He certainly was riding the day I met him. When he started to ride bikes aside, how can you be “certain” especially when you didn’t think it was even him until YEARS later? Because I know details of the experience that erase any doubt. When I share them here, some people think I'm fabricating them. I've forgotten the book, but the quote, "The lady doth protest much" applies. The more I attempt to prove the validity of the story, the more suspicious I sound, at least to some. Consider this: I told my best friend from school all of it. Because I B.S. a lot, I prefaced it so he knew I was sincere. He knows I am painfully honest and would not lie beyond a 1-minute prank or something. When I finished telling him, he was stunned and said, "WTF? Do you have shit for brains?!" and asked how I possibly could have missed all of the clues, etc. I'm telling you, Johnny, the story is true. If you were sitting across from me, you'd know my sincerity. My wife would vouch for my honesty and character (and hotness that exists in a dimension that only she and I can perceive). You would have to choose whether I was deluded or mistaken. But I could tell you a couple more details that would likely eliminate your doubt. My best friend in elementary school from 4th to 6th grade used to always wear this blue t-shirt with red stripes on the sleeve. There was also the number 8 on the chest of the t-shirt. I remember the 8 especially because we were born a week apart in August (8th month). He ALWAYS wore that shirt as it was his favorite. I remember it was pretty big for him in 4th grade BUT by the time we hit 6th he had ballooned up from too many cheese doodles and pizza slices (and just getting older of course) so it was pretty tight by then. Anyway, we lost touch over the years and we didn't reconnect until maybe just 5 years ago through facebook. When we reconnected I mentioned that blue t-shirt of his with the number 8 on it. He laughed and said I was somewhat correct. It turns out that it was in fact blue but the stripes were orange and the number was 6, not 8. I told him that I swore it was an 8 and with red stripes. He laughed again and showed me a 1982 birthday photo of me, his 2 cousins, his mom, and him wearing his blue t-shirt with ORANGE stripes and with the number 6 on the chest. I was so sure of my memory and the details that I would've bet money on it. I wasn't lying. I was just mistaken about some of the details...most of the finer details actually. Great illustration. To quote a great thinker I once met, "...moments caught in flight make the shadows darken or the colors shine too bright." That must have been a massive t-shirt for all of you to fit in it. While you were eating birthday cake in 1982, I was probably buzzed on something and listening to Analog Kid, moving the stereo needle back to the guitar solo about 30 times, or maybe 17 times; I don't remember exactly. But it was Rush, not Barry Manilow, though I do confuse them.

And I met him on the third day of their break before the show in Michigan. He was anxious to get on the road but was avoiding a storm. It's not that difficult to believe, really.

Those facts don't change the truth of my story. But they do, can you just cofirm again what year this happened please? I am aware of the apparent date discrepancy. He said he bought his first bike in 1996. I saw him in March 1986. No chance it was another decade because I moved from the area the same year. He was driving a BMW motorcycle. Maybe he rented it or was borrowing one for the trip. It was during a short break on the Power Windows tour. I think it was the first tour they ever intentionally incorporated short breaks. I think Lifeson said it was the first tour that was fun. So you obviously didn't read my earlier post, or ignored it, Neil got his very first motorcycle in December 1993, a present from his wife, he didn't have a motorcycle licence at that time and took a riding course and passed his test in 1994! So you are very mistaken, it wasn't Neil, sorry! Your conclusion rests on several assumptions. And I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Edit: I did read your earlier post. It's from an article I read a couple months ago, possibly from the Cygnus site. I don't understand how you can still believe you actually met Neil on a motorcycle 12 years before he was riding one, maybe he stole it, yeah right! Either I'm lying, deluded, or telling the truth. Whatever you decide makes no difference to me. “Deluded” seems a bit strong. I’d go with, as I said earlier, “honestly mistaken”. Not sure how much more proof you want when Peart himself is quoted as saying he didn’t get his license and start riding until the 90s. Was Neil mistaken about his own license? Was he secretly riding bikes in the 80s and didn’t want anyone to know? He definitely rode one in March 1986, apparently without a license. Ok Thank you for extending the benefit of doubt. I have nothing to gain by making up the story. Edit: Not splitting hairs, but I think his regular riding began in 1996. That is when it became a routine part of the tours. Maybe I saw him on the only day he rode before that, but I doubt it. I call that progress. ;) Hmm. You might have misinterpreted my meaning. The doubt is about it being the only day he rode a cycle before the 90s. Total guess, but he possibly rode occasionally for years. He certainly was riding the day I met him. When he started to ride bikes aside, how can you be “certain” especially when you didn’t think it was even him until YEARS later? Because it serves the narrative! There's no narrative, man. Just facts. The real question is: Did Neil ever ride a BMW cycle between shows before the 90s? Is there any chance he rented one, borrowed one during days off between shows? Having typed that, I think it's highly likely he rented some form of personal transportation when he had a few days off. Power Windows was the first tour that included intentional breaks so they could enjoy the time.

Those facts don't change the truth of my story. But they do, can you just cofirm again what year this happened please? I am aware of the apparent date discrepancy. He said he bought his first bike in 1996. I saw him in March 1986. No chance it was another decade because I moved from the area the same year. He was driving a BMW motorcycle. Maybe he rented it or was borrowing one for the trip. It was during a short break on the Power Windows tour. I think it was the first tour they ever intentionally incorporated short breaks. I think Lifeson said it was the first tour that was fun. So you obviously didn't read my earlier post, or ignored it, Neil got his very first motorcycle in December 1993, a present from his wife, he didn't have a motorcycle licence at that time and took a riding course and passed his test in 1994! So you are very mistaken, it wasn't Neil, sorry! Your conclusion rests on several assumptions. And I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Edit: I did read your earlier post. It's from an article I read a couple months ago, possibly from the Cygnus site. I don't understand how you can still believe you actually met Neil on a motorcycle 12 years before he was riding one, maybe he stole it, yeah right! Either I'm lying, deluded, or telling the truth. Whatever you decide makes no difference to me. “Deluded” seems a bit strong. I’d go with, as I said earlier, “honestly mistaken”. Not sure how much more proof you want when Peart himself is quoted as saying he didn’t get his license and start riding until the 90s. Was Neil mistaken about his own license? Was he secretly riding bikes in the 80s and didn’t want anyone to know? He definitely rode one in March 1986, apparently without a license. Ok Thank you for extending the benefit of doubt. I have nothing to gain by making up the story. Edit: Not splitting hairs, but I think his regular riding began in 1996. That is when it became a routine part of the tours. Maybe I saw him on the only day he rode before that, but I doubt it. I call that progress. ;) Hmm. You might have misinterpreted my meaning. The doubt is about it being the only day he rode a cycle before the 90s. Total guess, but he possibly rode occasionally for years. He certainly was riding the day I met him. When he started to ride bikes aside, how can you be “certain” especially when you didn’t think it was even him until YEARS later? Because it serves the narrative! And why is the phone suddenly full of charge?!!! I hooked it up to a car battery. Heavy and exhausting to carry, but now I'm ready to post 24/7, or more accurately, when my wife gives me permission to stop painting.

Those facts don't change the truth of my story. But they do, can you just cofirm again what year this happened please? I am aware of the apparent date discrepancy. He said he bought his first bike in 1996. I saw him in March 1986. No chance it was another decade because I moved from the area the same year. He was driving a BMW motorcycle. Maybe he rented it or was borrowing one for the trip. It was during a short break on the Power Windows tour. I think it was the first tour they ever intentionally incorporated short breaks. I think Lifeson said it was the first tour that was fun. So you obviously didn't read my earlier post, or ignored it, Neil got his very first motorcycle in December 1993, a present from his wife, he didn't have a motorcycle licence at that time and took a riding course and passed his test in 1994! So you are very mistaken, it wasn't Neil, sorry! Your conclusion rests on several assumptions. And I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Edit: I did read your earlier post. It's from an article I read a couple months ago, possibly from the Cygnus site. I don't understand how you can still believe you actually met Neil on a motorcycle 12 years before he was riding one, maybe he stole it, yeah right! Either I'm lying, deluded, or telling the truth. Whatever you decide makes no difference to me. “Deluded” seems a bit strong. I’d go with, as I said earlier, “honestly mistaken”. Not sure how much more proof you want when Peart himself is quoted as saying he didn’t get his license and start riding until the 90s. Was Neil mistaken about his own license? Was he secretly riding bikes in the 80s and didn’t want anyone to know? He definitely rode one in March 1986, apparently without a license. Ok Thank you for extending the benefit of doubt. I have nothing to gain by making up the story. Edit: Not splitting hairs, but I think his regular riding began in 1996. That is when it became a routine part of the tours. Maybe I saw him on the only day he rode before that, but I doubt it. I call that progress. ;) Hmm. You might have misinterpreted my meaning. The doubt is about it being the only day he rode a cycle before the 90s. Total guess, but he possibly rode occasionally for years. He certainly was riding the day I met him. When he started to ride bikes aside, how can you be “certain” especially when you didn’t think it was even him until YEARS later? Because I know details of the experience that erase any doubt. When I share them here, some people think I'm fabricating them. I've forgotten the book, but the quote, "The lady doth protest much" applies. The more I attempt to prove the validity of the story, the more suspicious I sound, at least to some. Consider this: I told my best friend from school all of it. Because I B.S. a lot, I prefaced it so he knew I was sincere. He knows I am painfully honest and would not lie beyond a 1-minute prank or something. When I finished telling him, he was stunned and said, "WTF? Do you have shit for brains?!" and asked how I possibly could have missed all of the clues, etc. I'm telling you, Johnny, the story is true. If you were sitting across from me, you'd know my sincerity. My wife would vouch for my honesty and character (and hotness that exists in a dimension that only she and I can perceive). You would have to choose whether I was deluded or mistaken. But I could tell you a couple more details that would likely eliminate your doubt.

Those facts don't change the truth of my story. But they do, can you just cofirm again what year this happened please? I am aware of the apparent date discrepancy. He said he bought his first bike in 1996. I saw him in March 1986. No chance it was another decade because I moved from the area the same year. He was driving a BMW motorcycle. Maybe he rented it or was borrowing one for the trip. It was during a short break on the Power Windows tour. I think it was the first tour they ever intentionally incorporated short breaks. I think Lifeson said it was the first tour that was fun. So you obviously didn't read my earlier post, or ignored it, Neil got his very first motorcycle in December 1993, a present from his wife, he didn't have a motorcycle licence at that time and took a riding course and passed his test in 1994! So you are very mistaken, it wasn't Neil, sorry! Your conclusion rests on several assumptions. And I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Edit: I did read your earlier post. It's from an article I read a couple months ago, possibly from the Cygnus site. I don't understand how you can still believe you actually met Neil on a motorcycle 12 years before he was riding one, maybe he stole it, yeah right! Either I'm lying, deluded, or telling the truth. Whatever you decide makes no difference to me. “Deluded” seems a bit strong. I’d go with, as I said earlier, “honestly mistaken”. Not sure how much more proof you want when Peart himself is quoted as saying he didn’t get his license and start riding until the 90s. Was Neil mistaken about his own license? Was he secretly riding bikes in the 80s and didn’t want anyone to know? He definitely rode one in March 1986, apparently without a license. Ok Thank you for extending the benefit of doubt. I have nothing to gain by making up the story. Edit: Not splitting hairs, but I think his regular riding began in 1996. That is when it became a routine part of the tours. Maybe I saw him on the only day he rode before that, but I doubt it. I call that progress. ;) Hmm. You might have misinterpreted my meaning. The doubt is about it being the only day he rode a cycle before the 90s. Total guess, but he possibly rode occasionally for years. He certainly was riding the day I met him.

Very cool. Did you get a cell phone picture together or an autograph? It was 1986, so I had no cell phone. I didn't get an autograph because I didn't realize it was Neil. It's too bad you didn't think to take a picture with him. It would be awesome to have that, especially now. Oh, well. At least you got to meet him. That's still great. I agree. It's crazy, but I did not realize it was truly Neil until many years later. I felt sick when I realized it but console myself by realizing it enabled a normal conversation, instead of his wanting to hide from me. Probably. I still think you should have taken the picture, but as long as you have the memory that's enough. That's probably a healthy way to look at it (enjoy the memory). Funny, in those days, I didn't even own a camera. When I told my son about meeting Neil and not recognizing him, I had to explain that I had seen Neil only in a couple concert videos or on Mtv. I had never heard him speak, except for short parts on a few songs. My son struggled to grasp the lack of instant information back then.

For those who believe my story is true, here is a funny part that I think provides some insight into Neil's personality. While I was hanging out at the gas station, I stepped outside at one point. The tall guy (Neil) was there smoking and looking up at the dark clouds. He then turned to me with a serious expression and said, "This is my area. You go find your own area." A bit stunned, I stepped back inside. A moment later he came in and somewhat quietly said, "Hey, I was just joking. You can go anywhere you want." Looking back, I think he felt bad because of my reaction. I now find it humorous and admire that he was concerned enough about my reaction to say something.

This part jumped out to me:"I have long underwear."

Very cool. Did you get a cell phone picture together...? "Mr. Peart, can I take a picture...?" Haha! That looks a lot like the one my dad had around that time, except his was gray and about 3x bigger. He often had to be on top of a hill for the call to come through clearly. I think there was a button that said "Send" instead of the icons.

Very cool. Did you get a cell phone picture together or an autograph? It was 1986, so I had no cell phone. I didn't get an autograph because I didn't realize it was Neil. It's too bad you didn't think to take a picture with him. It would be awesome to have that, especially now. Oh, well. At least you got to meet him. That's still great. I agree. It's crazy, but I did not realize it was truly Neil until many years later. I felt sick when I realized it but console myself by realizing it enabled a normal conversation, instead of his wanting to hide from me.

Those facts don't change the truth of my story. But they do, can you just cofirm again what year this happened please? I am aware of the apparent date discrepancy. He said he bought his first bike in 1996. I saw him in March 1986. No chance it was another decade because I moved from the area the same year. He was driving a BMW motorcycle. Maybe he rented it or was borrowing one for the trip. It was during a short break on the Power Windows tour. I think it was the first tour they ever intentionally incorporated short breaks. I think Lifeson said it was the first tour that was fun. So you obviously didn't read my earlier post, or ignored it, Neil got his very first motorcycle in December 1993, a present from his wife, he didn't have a motorcycle licence at that time and took a riding course and passed his test in 1994! So you are very mistaken, it wasn't Neil, sorry! Your conclusion rests on several assumptions. And I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Edit: I did read your earlier post. It's from an article I read a couple months ago, possibly from the Cygnus site. I don't understand how you can still believe you actually met Neil on a motorcycle 12 years before he was riding one, maybe he stole it, yeah right! Either I'm lying, deluded, or telling the truth. Whatever you decide makes no difference to me. “Deluded” seems a bit strong. I’d go with, as I said earlier, “honestly mistaken”. Not sure how much more proof you want when Peart himself is quoted as saying he didn’t get his license and start riding until the 90s. Was Neil mistaken about his own license? Was he secretly riding bikes in the 80s and didn’t want anyone to know? He definitely rode one in March 1986, apparently without a license. Ok Thank you for extending the benefit of doubt. I have nothing to gain by making up the story. Edit: Not splitting hairs, but I think his regular riding began in 1996. That is when it became a routine part of the tours. Maybe I saw him on the only day he rode before that, but I doubt it.

Very cool. Did you get a cell phone picture together or an autograph? It was 1986, so I had no cell phone. I didn't get an autograph because I didn't realize it was Neil.