Noisy Bastard

Like some others here, I have been away for a while. I go months without getting on and reading and it's been years and years since I've posted anything. But I felt like I should come back and express my sadness with all of you. I can't say anything any better than what's already been said. It's just so shocking and sad. I'm certain I haven't felt this for anyone other than a family member or a friend. Oddly enough, about a month ago the thought of "what will it be like when someone from Rush dies" just randomly popped into my head. I remember just kind of sluffing it off but thinking "that will be a terrible day". I had no idea it would happen so soon. I'm kind of rambling because I can't get my thoughts in order. It is affecting me more than I thought it would. Rush is my favorite band. I don't follow any other band to this extent. I've been proud of them and happy for them since the mid seventies. They were just so different and it was so exciting to see the growth with every release and every concert. Neil was just so excellent. In everything he did. My condolences to his family, his band mates, and all the fans.

I actually refrain from listening to Rush at least a week before a show. I don't want to be overloaded/overcooked with who I'm going to see and hear. It's not just Rush that I do this for -- it's any band that I'm going to see. And I don't listen to anything on the drive back home. I never wear another group's shirt to a "competing" concert. And I never used to wear a Rush shirt to their shows until about the VT or R30 tours (been to every tour at least once since the ATWAS tour, and have at least one shirt from each tour). But I have so many shirts now and so many people wear them to the shows now (especially since about the S&A tour it seems to me) that I figure why not help flood the place with known-to-be Rush fans. And the last "tradition" is, I truly always get the proverbial butterflies-in-the-stomach before a show. Now sometimes it's as little as about half an hour before, but sometimes it's many, many hours before. I really don't get that with any other band anymore (I used to). And I've seen Rush so many more times than any band (other than maybe one of my favorite semi-local "bar" bands). To this day, a Rush concert is still a very special event for me.

QUOTE (usb_connector @ Dec 22 2010, 09:03 AM)QUOTE (Mr. Krinkle @ Dec 21 2010, 04:49 PM) QUOTE (usb_connector @ Dec 20 2010, 05:05 PM) I'm fine with the Working Man and La Villa ending, just not those stupid reggae intros. Get ready for those stupid reggae intros again. I would like to know how many people enjoyed that. Even though I KNEW what songs would be in the encore, I still had a hard time following along. I can't say I love it, but I sure don't hate it. I didn't know the setlist prior to the show, but I knew what it was when they started playing it because they did the reggae intro for WM waaaaay back on the Permanent Waves Tour. It's not new, just reincorporated.

QUOTE (Tony R @ Dec 9 2010, 02:36 PM)QUOTE (LeaveMyThingAlone @ Dec 9 2010, 07:25 PM) QUOTE (Tony R @ Dec 9 2010, 02:16 PM) It became Natural Science. I know that's on Permanent Waves... How could it "become" Natural Science if Natural Science was on the previous record? ...because it appears that Mr Lee is a tad mixed up. Yes, Sir Gawain did turn into Natural Science. Neil talks about it in the Permanent Waves tourbook, in his writings, "Personal Waves: The Story Of An Album." In this recent Classic Rock Magazine interview in question Geddy was, in fact, incorrect. And I also read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight -- entirely due to the Rush connection!

I'm gonna throw a vote out there for Cincinnati.

Well hello Mr. signz! Good topic! I have to side with their present philosophy on how they set up their shows. They've always had set lists that are hardly ever altered, even in the early days. That coupled with their stand on no support act since the TFE tour lend itself to the highly detailed, rigid modus operandi. In this day and age, and for the price of the tickets, I want them to put on the best show with all the toys being trotted out. I'll save the stripped down, no videos, no lasers, no triggers, no pyro, no recorded backing vocals, no dry ice, no themed stage for when they eventually play live in my basement. As someone above posted, I too would be disappointed if I saw a set list from some other date that I liked better. As a side note, I would like to see them at some small, old theater or something on that scale. Same "show" -- just a smaller, tighter, cozier venue. I know they couldn't have as many lights and other regalia, but they wouldn't need as many in a small setting.

QUOTE (g under p @ Sep 21 2010, 09:45 PM)Ever since I in 1997 TFE Tour and was stuck in traffic for 3 and half hours after the show. I didn't get home until 4:30 am and I swore I would never go back to that place. However continues to play there so I've had to learn my way in and my way out. "...the way out is the way in..." Sorry. Had to do it.

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Sep 17 2010, 09:01 PM)Another small glitch was the screen was a hair behind the sound. Always bugs me. That was the case in Columbus as well. Were you sitting close to the stage or far away? I was very close. The reason I ask is maybe it's synced for the people way back, so they can see better. The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound.

I don't remember for sure, but I think they were still selling them at Columbus . I didn't really look for it since I already had it, plus I was entranced by the array of shirts n stuff...

I agree with the OP. I think they'll play a bunch from CA next time around instead of MP start to finish. I just don't see them doing MP in its entirety two tours/years in a row, even if they didn't have a new album due out.

QUOTE (FarUnlitUnknown @ Sep 1 2010, 10:42 AM)I myself tend to just stare in a mesmerized kind of state just taking in all the awesomeness. Just because people don't want to go ape-shit the whole show doesn't mean they aren't into it or they don't "properly" appreciate the band or something. People aren't all the same! You'd think a Rush forum would appreciate that much! I agree. I enjoy concerts. I am usually transfixed by the performance of almost any band, let alone Rush. I want to enjoy all the many subtleties that are part of a Rush show. I'm no dancer and I very rarely air-drum or air-guitar. I sing sometimes (but not so much this last show ). The music can still "move" you, even though your body doesn't convey it outwardly. Don't knock me for it -- I'm as big of a Rush fan as anybody! However anybody else enjoys it is up to them; I'm OK with that. But when I see Rush, I AM FOCUSED! I don't want to miss a thing!

Where did Bobby Huck (Bucky) go? Is he hanging out with Larry Allen now? I hope it was just a conflict of schedules instead of getting fired.

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Jun 29 2010, 11:29 AM)QUOTE (trenken @ Jun 29 2010, 11:26 AM) QUOTE (Sir Lerxst @ Jun 29 2010, 10:19 AM) Looks the same size to me, just Neil is standing up. Once he is sitting at it, his eye-line will be about the same as the front crash cymbal. Its looks small not just in this pic but the one of the stage too. There are less drums, its all lower than usual too. It looks like his smallest set since before 2112. I think the drums themselves are smaller this time. The floor toms look quite a bit smaller. Maybe the drums are the same size but Neil got bigger.

QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jun 20 2010, 04:21 PM)QUOTE (Mara @ Jun 20 2010, 01:30 PM) It would bother me big time. I don't mind the triggered samples, as the guys are still doing the bulk of the playing. Not crazy about the sampled Geddy choir when they use that, but I can deal. Electronic alteration of vocals is something best left to people like Britney Spears who really aren't good enough to be performing live. Bad news, but as someone who has run sound boards, I can tell you that nearly EVERYONE uses some vocal processing pitch correction like Anteres Auto-tune for arenas and most headlining bands even use it in clubs. I am somewhat ambivilant on this as they are the performers. BTW, I think you are giving Britney Spears benefit of the doubt. I believe she is likely synching most if not all of her vocals. I remember reading an interview (around the R30 tour timeline) with the live sound engineer for Rush (I forget his name), and the interviewer asked how much "manipulation" or technology is used to keep Geddy on key. His answer was emphatically "zero". They use none of the available products or production techniques to keep him on pitch, which according to this concert engineer is not very common anymore, no matter who the artist is. I would be voting against using any sort of octave enhancer or expander.