The Mighty Dudad

TSOR was a great pleasant surprise. Loved the "here's one you might recognize" intro. For my money, the highlight of the night was Headlong Flight. It is a killer song live. The driving pace, dead on chops, Neil's nice little mid-song solo, the lights, the string ensemble rocking hard...all of it. To my ears, this song earned the greatest response and cheer from the crowd. Just amazing!

Nothing quite like waking up in the morning knowing that before you go to bed that night, you'll have spent 3 hours with 12,000 or so of your closest friends rocking out to the greatest band in the world. All the bullsh!t talk of set lists, "too much 80s", yadda yadda yadda, goes away on show day because you know the boys are going to play +/- 25 songs with furious abandon, precision, and care. As a casual fan told me after seeing Rush for the first time a few years ago, "these guys rock harder than bands half their age, and attack each song like it's the last time they'll ever get to play it." That's what we're in for tonight!

Just checked StubHub, and they only had 20 tickets available for tomorrow night. That's gotta be a good sign. Hoping that section 109 is a standing and rocking one!!

QUOTE (mk2112 @ Sep 13 2012, 11:51 AM) Maybe It's David Campbell who did the string arrangements? aaahhh...I bet you're right. I do recall reading something before the tour started about him maybe being part of a few of the early shows if possible. Wonder if we'll see him in Chicago?

Looks like there is an additional person in the string section "conducting" them. Don't recall seeing that in pics from the other shows. Any idea about that?

QUOTE (Big Fan 2112 @ Sep 12 2012, 07:36 PM) Pat Travers was the opening act for the show I saw in 78. Life in London was the record he had out. Thing that gets me is all these years later I can remember that show like it was last week. Can almost remember the setlist too. Started with Bastile Day, anthem, FBN, then mixed in the FTK stuff. This was the first show they cut Bytor and mixed in Xanadu at the end. Question on big stage productions for everyone. Do you think its better up close or further back where you can see everything they are doing. Eg. I saw Roger Waters do the Wall at the United Center in 2010 and was only 15 rows back, but always wondered If I missed the grandeur of the production being so close. Any thoughts? Well, I've seen Rush from the second to last row in the nose bleeds of Madison Square Garden (RTB tour) and from the front row of the floor (Time Machine, Chicago), and everything in between. My experience from the front row was unlike anything I had ever witnessed. The "production" was completely irrelevant to me from that close. It was me and band, with the rest of venue pretty much disappearing for me. Very intense and very personal. What's lost , of course is the "whole package". I couldn't tell you about any of the videos on the background screen, because I never looked (other than intro/outro videos), and the lights were simply a swath of colors that the boys were bathed in. Sitting in the nose bleeds for RTB tour was a great way to experience the production, being able to take in the whole thing without having to look left and right. Having done both, my attitude now is if I can't get within the first 10 rows or so, I'd prefer to be halfway back or more off the floor to enjoy the complete show. Anyway, that's just me.

QUOTE (mmm_donuts @ Sep 12 2012, 02:20 PM) Gosh darn internet...takes all the imagination out of wondering what Brittany Spears' hooch looks like. Oh great...now I'm going to have to go Google that. Thanks a lot. QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Sep 12 2012 @ 04:19 PM)# of threads complaining about negativity > # of negative threads Now that's funny! Sad, but funny.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6282/tumblrllsaaybxfl1qgsr7g.png You post an opinion - good, bad, or indifferent - on this (or any) forum, and generally one or more of three things happen: 1. some people ignore it 2. some people agree with it 3. some people disagree with it #1 happens to me all the time. Lots of posts that I think are interesting, or funny, or discussion-provoking, get glossed over (like this one maybe). Just keep doing your thing, my friend. I happen to disagree almost 100% with your original post, but that's cool. Believe me, this world would be a truly awful place if everyone thought exactly the same as I do.

Thanks for the perspective and thanks also for those great pictures. When you look at the band from 1978, playing their hearts out in smaller venues with a very modest stage production...and then look at them 34 years later still playing their hearts out with the backing of a huge stage production, well, it simply leaves me in awe. See you in Chicago! Section 109

Well, if you are in Pittsburgh tonight, you're getting them both! Per RIAB and other thread here, SCOG replaced WTW tonight.

QUOTE (CygnusGal @ Sep 11 2012, 08:20 PM)[snipped] Alex's URL for his gear Stoopid Rush. [snipped] The URL actually works, btw. Totally worth typing it all in. Of course, you can just click on it over at cygnus-x1.net and their transcribed tour book, but what's the fun in that?

Just saw something at RIAB that said they played 7 Cities. If true, then that's a mix of A and B played tonight.

QUOTE (marlinsfan @ Sep 11 2012, 01:33 PM) QUOTE (The Mighty Dudad @ Sep 11 2012, 01:20 PM) QUOTE (marlinsfan @ Sep 11 2012, 06:58 AM)[snip] ...she suggested I spend the money I would've paid for her ticket and the babysitter and get myself as close to the stage as I can Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! I did this on the last tour for the rescheduled outdoor Chicago show. Scored 2nd row in front of Alex on StubHub 7 days before the concert for much less than 2 tickets plus babysitter. Good luck! I never bought a ticket on stubhub. Any tips or suggestions? I looked today and anything close to the stage is around $2000 or more! $2K is really steep. How far out is the show? Sellers get more flexible with the price the closer you get to the date, especially if the venue isn't otherwise sold out. I don't really have any magic tips for working StubHub...that was my one and only purchase from it. Maybe I just got lucky. If you're willing to take a gamble, I've heard that a venue will sometimes open up great seats day of the show (usually tickets returned from corporate sponsors, radio stations, etc.). Again, I've never done it myself, but if the venue isn't sold out and you know you can always buy a "regular" seat if no great ones are available, that may be another option.

QUOTE (marlinsfan @ Sep 11 2012, 06:58 AM)[snip] ...she suggested I spend the money I would've paid for her ticket and the babysitter and get myself as close to the stage as I can Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! I did this on the last tour for the rescheduled outdoor Chicago show. Scored 2nd row in front of Alex on StubHub 7 days before the concert for much less than 2 tickets plus babysitter. Good luck!

QUOTE (jjgittes @ Sep 10 2012, 02:11 PM)I don't think they are playing at the Casino proper. I believe they are playing at what used to be known as the San Diego Sports Arena and now just carries the casino name. The arena is in San Diego proper whereas the casino is sort of in the boonies, about 30 minutes away. Maybe someone from that area can confirm?? Yup, this is correct. The show is at the Valley View Casino Center (Sports Arena Blvd in San Diego), not at the VV Casino and Hotel. The show is already listed on the Valley View Casino Center web site, www.valleyviewcasinocenter.com.

I swore...SWORE...that since I had tickets for the Chicago show, a mere 8 days after the Manchester opener, that I would stay spoiler free and experience the show on 9/15 with virgin ears and eyes. That lasted until about 8:30 PM Friday night when I inexplicably and uncontrollably found myself drawn to TRF and the inevitable "live as it happens" update thread. "Ok," I told myself, "you f'd that one up and now you know the set list. Ok, but at least you still don't know what the show will look like...the stage setup, the lighting rig, etc. At least that will still be something new for you on the 15th!" And it would have been too...if I hadn't actively sought out all of the various uploaded pictures on Saturday... So then I tell myself, "Knowing the set list? ok. Having an idea of the visuals? ok. But at least you don't know what it really looks, sounds, and feels like. A list of songs titles and bunch of pictures can't spoil that part for you!" ... ...just finished checking out all of the YouTube uploads from Manchester... So now I am as "spoiled" as one can be. But you know what?? Chicago is still going to f'ing ROCK!

QUOTE (ThinkingBig @ Sep 10 2012, 06:52 AM) Is Chicago an A night? If they are doing a simple alternating of the A/B set lists, then yes, Chicago will be an A night.

I guess it all depends on the child, but 4 1/2 seems too young to me. Listening and liking the songs on the radio is way different from the sensory overload blast she'd get at a concert. From the people to the lights to the volume to the pryo/flashbombs...it may be overwhelming for her. I took my oldest to the TFE show when we was 7 and he barely made it to the intermission. If I had a vote, I'd say no.

I happen to love the set list. Is it the 25 songs that I would have chosen? Of course not, but then again they didn't ask for my input, did they? I can't wait to see Analog Kid, Grand Designs, Territories, and CA in Chicago next week. There have been rumors of some rotating songs, so 7 Cities and BU2B lovers may get their wish...probably at the expense of HE and WTW.

You can listen to a pretty lengthy sample of the audiobook and audible.com, here. It may be all of Chapter 1. Neil is not a "professional reader", but I've got to admit it sounds better than I thought it would (voice performance, can't really comment on the story).

QUOTE (ShlappinDahBass @ Sep 7 2012, 09:05 AM) QUOTE (The Mighty Dudad @ Sep 7 2012, 06:01 AM) While I agree whole-heartedly with both of you, you know we're going to see a rash of set list complaints from the usual suspects. Heck, we're already seeing that in another spoiler thread, and the band hasn't played a single note yet! As has been discussed ad naseum, with a band with as long a history and deep a well as Rush, the chances that they will play your ideal set list is essentially zero. I only have to wait one week before seeing them in Chicago, and will try to avoid the set list threads and be as spoiler free as possible. I shall see you in Chicago, my friend. We'll find out about the setlist in the same stadium together. Can't wait!!

QUOTE (HalfwayToGone @ Sep 7 2012, 07:47 AM) I'd be happy if they just played "Digital Man" for a change. Amazing chops on that one. Hmmm...didn't they play Digital Man on the first leg of the SNA tour? I recall it being like the second or third song of the set...and that it sounded really sloppy and muddy to me. Sounded way better on the SNA Live CD.

While I agree whole-heartedly with both of you, you know we're going to see a rash of set list complaints from the usual suspects. Heck, we're already seeing that in another spoiler thread, and the band hasn't played a single note yet! As has been discussed ad naseum, with a band with as long a history and deep a well as Rush, the chances that they will play your ideal set list is essentially zero. I only have to wait one week before seeing them in Chicago, and will try to avoid the set list threads and be as spoiler free as possible.