analog guy

Kind of glad I didn't waste my time with this Hard Rock thing. Sounds like I missed nothing. Last time I was in a Hard Rock was in Melbourne, Australia.... and they had a Geddy autographed Hemispheres LP there. A weird experience if only because barely anyone there knows Rush.

Something to do with the Calgary Stampede maybe?

I spent most of yesterday in Grand Lake. Drive was two hours up, two hours back. Every time I saw a motorcycle (and I saw a bunch) I would look once, twice, three times :)

Everything +1000. It was so good. So, so good.... Geddy nailed everything. Everything. That felt like a special performance, maybe one you only get two or three times in a tour.

Believe it or not a few people a few seats down from us in Philly left during the acoustic beginning. I'd forgotten about that until just now. I actually got high to test my theory and I still don't get it. This is why we love you! I wonder if the audience isn't just more mellow than most because of the weed. They're playing great, but I'm not seeing the enthusiasm in the crowd. Some dipshit shows up halfway through the first song and sits down right next to me (of course) and literally does not move for the entire first set. No clapping, no swaying, no dancing, doesn't say a word. Stared straight into oblivion for the better part of an hour. If I didn't know better I would have thought he was in a coma. I mean, he did NOTHING. He was older, probably around 60; had white hair tucked under a cap, glasses, a Wilford Brimley mustache. Just sat absolutely still. He actually was creeping my wife out big time, so we moved down about four rows for the second set. He left at intermission and we never saw him after that. We get some very odd concert going folk up here.

And Eddie Trunk was in the audience tonight, apparently.

I think I'm getting a contact high.

Geddy's on fire.

Denver: "A Higher State of Mind" No blue horse.

I'll be in the building :)

That would've been better for KC. How about "Hello Denver! Let's Get Rocky Mountain High!" Yep, I made my mind up a long time ago that it would be a pot joke, to the point where I'd be shocked if it was anything else. I've also got my money on the creepy blue horse at the airport making an appearance. Only about 20 more hours until I find out! http://vigilantcitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/devilhorse.jpg

I kinda hoped robes and fake sideburns would come out for the encores, but that's just me :)

Signals and Counterparts, for pure humor, and Moving Pictures, for all the wonderful puns.

I don't think you can discount its importance, because if it hadn't succeeded, Rush might have been over and done a long time ago. But I've heard it so much, on radio and live, that it's almost becoming in danger of being overplayed and overthought. When I do listen to it these days, I do it to hear the second side as much as anything. If I want to hear "Bangkok" I listen to ESL as I believe that to be the superior version.

I'm thinking they reset back to "A" after this break, which means Denver gets "B". My preference would be for B or C, so I'd be okay with that.

Two guys I knew in high school (in Wisconsin, no less) are at this show.... kinda fun to peek in on it.

Nice backing vocals, NY.

Well, that was a nice 10 seconds.

Hoping for "C" in Denver.

It seems like only the other week that it was diagnosed. Cancer is cruel enough..... but it usually gives you some time. I'm really stunned by how quickly this happened.

Huge loss. Geddy is Geddy in a lot of ways because of Chris Squire. The influence is unmistakable.

Lots of "Selling England By The Pound".

That's a good one!

The emotion is clearly visible on the band's faces during this performance....particularly the lyricist and the vocalist. Geddy sounds like he's almost in despair. I mean, they are, in various degrees, more or less living the song, literally. I don't think that feeling was lost on anybody there.

Denver was on track to be "A" but now I'm not sure what I will get. A would be my least favorite of the three, so I'm hoping this Toronto run changed the cycle.