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Houston, Texas *spoilers*

danielmclark

By danielmclark,
in On The Lighted Stage

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danielmclark

danielmclark

Posted
Posted

Just got home from the Houston show, just checked a few threads from earlier, and here I am to tell you how great my night was.

 

First, the crowd... packed. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that it was completely sold out. The place was just wall-to-wall packed with people - even the lawn looked completely full.

 

I was in section 103, row E, seat 14 (my wife in seat 13). I expected, looking at the layout online, that we'd be a fair distance from the stage. It turns out, I could have lazily tossed a softball to Geddy (at his keyboard stand) from where we were. We were amazingly close - only three rows (one of which was folding chairs) separated us from the stage because we were off to the side of the pit. Twice, Geddy came over to our wing of the stage, and he was - at most - ten feet away from me. That was awesome.

 

Everyone, and I mean damn near everyone was standing for the whole show. Even the lawn. There were a few pockets of people sitting, but really, almost everyone. Oddly, the people immediately in front of me sat for a fair number of songs. How do you sit within arms' reach of the band and sit down? Weirdos. Not that I'm complaining - I had a completely unobstructed view for quite a lot of the show biggrin.gif

 

The setlist was excellent. I reject the notion that there were major weak spots in the setlist. People that complain about Faithless followed by BU2B... the difference between the two songs, musically, made for a great pairing. Presto sounded incredible. Marathon blew me away. Time Stand Still was fantastic. And of course, Moving Pictures in its entirety was great.

 

I take back every negative thing I've said about Witch Hunt and Tom Sawyer (at least, in their live forms) because they were awesome.

 

Now... about Geddy's voice. Where are people getting this idea that he's losing it? He hit some high notes tonight that I never thought I'd hear from him again - even the bit during Freewill was damn near spot-on.

 

The difference between his voice in 1979 and 2010 isn't as simple as "he can't hit the high notes anymore". He can, mostly. But his voice is richer. Fuller. It's not as thin and reedy as it was when he was a young man. But he can still get it up there nearly as well as ever.

 

If I had one wish for the nay-sayers and the haters, it would be that they could witness, from up-close, the band's performance of La Villa tonight. The band was nearly perfect - even Alex. I've heard many versions of La Villa, and if anything goes off the rails, it's usually Alex improvising. Tonight was about as flawless as I've ever heard them play it. It was powerful, it was intense, and it would shut up all the haters, that's for sure.

 

What else.

 

Unlike the Robert Plant concert, I didn't make a list of band t-shirts because I couldn't - everyone was wearing a Rush shirt. Okay, not everyone; I spotted a Van Halen shirt and a Dream Theater shirt, and that was it. Probably it's because I was up front where the die-hards are... but even before and after, I didn't really see any other band shirts. Rush fans are the best.

 

The videos were awesome. And I fully expect to see a DVD of this tour... you don't spend a ton of money doing long video intros and a closing skit and not put the tour on DVD. It'll happen.

 

Only a couple of mess-ups, only one of which was majorly noticeable... Alex forgot to switch his guitar effects during Time Stand Still and had to jog over to the foot pedals to fix it. There was something else, but I honestly don't remember now what it was.

 

That's pretty much it, off the top of my head. Awesome show. My eighth, and the best I've seen so far. The new album and the subsequent tour are going to be fantastic.

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Skyhcky

Skyhcky

Posted
Posted

Great post and I agree 100% The show was INCREDIBLE!! Rush hasn't lost anything and I don't get why people don't like Neils Solo. He blew me away. It was different but he did some amazing stuff.

 

The only other mess up I heard was a timing issue on CTTH. Other than that they were Fan-freakin-tastic.

 

Greatest show I have ever seen and the new songs ROCKED!!

 

I was so proud to be apart of the houston crowd. At times the audience noise made it difficult to hear Rush but I didn't mind. Great crowd response.

 

My cousin and I got to know the security lady next to us. Her name was Mrs. Bobbie and she was the sweetest lady smile.gif Another staff member asked us what the name of a song was. It was Witch Hunt. He said, " I don't really know Rush but that song was awesome." a new fan maybe?

 

Great show!!!!

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ShowOfGlands

ShowOfGlands

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Posted

Just got back from the show. It was awesome of course. From where I saw it looked completely sold out. Even the lawn was full. Back in '08 there were actually quite a few empty seats, which could be the combination of the last minute date change plus the fact that it was the second leg of the same tour a year earlier.

 

The crowd was awesome. Lots of people were even singing along to many songs which I don't remember happening last time. Even I didn't know some of those lyrics. tongue.gif

 

But I have to ask something. Is it just me, or is the sound system really bad at the Pavilion? This is only the second time I've been there. The first was S&A in 2008. I was sitting in the third row (outside the pit) on Geddy's side that time. And tonight I was in one of the back sections only a few feet from the lawn.

 

And I gotta say both times the sound has just been really awful. Its just distorted noise and I wasn't even able to make out Alex's guitar or Geddy's vocals. Last time I thought it was because I was too close but this time I was way further back and it basically sounded the same. So I'm thinking this place just doesn't have a great sound system.

 

I'm actually thinking about heading over to San Antonio next tour to try an indoor arena.

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CountFloyd

CountFloyd

Posted
Posted (edited)

Absolutely the best show from the last 3 tours. Highlits for me in order are:

 

1. Working Man (ended the show) Alex tore it up

 

2. Camera Eye (Refreshing! and mind blowing)

 

3. Caravan!!! (wow I am an old fan... this is the best they have done in a very long time)

 

I caught a shirt that Alex through out smile.gif It says on the front, "Slobovich says ...The last time someone grabbed my sausage..."

 

Pics with my 8mp cell phone, 12 rows out.

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/Thethe1.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/the2.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/the1.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/Photo1101.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/Photo1142.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/Photo1088.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/Photo1080.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/a1.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/thethe4.jpg

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/RUSH%20HOUSTON%209-25-2010/thethe5.jpg

Edited by CountFloyd
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Skyhcky

Skyhcky

Posted
Posted

I thought the sound was great where I was sitting. It was a little muddy at first but most shows are like that. You can sound check all you want with an empty venue but once you add the people factor the sound guy has to make some changes. I thought that by the 4th song it sounded great.

 

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bigalfan

bigalfan

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Posted
new_thumbsupsmileyanim.gif Great reviews, thanks all! Man am I going to miss Camera Eye. I was a so-so fan b4 this tour...now they could play it 10 times in a row and I'd want more. The NY pic flash stuff was PERFECT with this song.
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danielmclark

danielmclark

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I thought the sound quality was really excellent, but I also think that with the Pavilion, it depends heavily on where you're seated. Our seats were directly under and in front of the giant speaker rig on stage left. My wife was initially concerned we were going to get our ears blown out, we were so close. Turns out, we heard everything absolutely perfectly - I've been to parties where the noise was louder. Now, contrast that to the Robert Plant show I went to a month or two ago, we were in the back seats right before you get to the lawn, and the sound wasn't good at all. I know there are other factors involved, but I can't help thinking that the Pavilion just isn't that even when it comes to sound distribution and quality.
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Bukaloo

Bukaloo

Posted
Posted (edited)

That was my first show, and all I can say is that they every hit up Texas with a tour again in the future, I am DEFINITELY GOING! Tonight was a blast! Our section was kind of lame(105, far left upper pavilion if you face the stage). But I can't complain, people sitting infront of me made my view better, haha.

 

I was really impressed overall, it seemed like each member was at the top of their game. It was brilliant to throw in a few gimmicky things during new songs(S&A, BU2B+Caravan) in order to keep the crowd interested. I thought the sound was fantastic and we had pretty bad seats as far as sound goes. I find using a small amount of tissue paper as an earplug cleans up the distortion and other noise quite a bit. I felt like I was listening to them straight off of an iPod.

 

Favorite part of the night: Working Man, that solo was ridiculous. YYZ had me smiling the whole time as well. Leave That Thing Alone was also very good.

 

Least Favorite: The intro video was not played on the side screens so we couldn't see it, but that wasn't a big deal. Neil's drum solo was a let down to me. In my opinion he should ditch the electronic part, or at least improve it or reverse the order. The first half of his solo was energetic, but the second was slow and didn't really mesh well. Also, he dropped a stick and took a few seconds to recover. I suppose it is hard to find the extra sticks when you hardly ever drop them. rofl3.gif

 

Anyway, one closing question I had for those of you who sat up close. What was thrown at Alex during Vital Signs(or maybe Witch Hunt, I can't remember). It looked like a lanyard or glowstick or something, but I saw him talking with a fan midsong, I think he even stopped playing a few notes.

 

Actually I lied, I have another question haha. Does anyone know if there was a taper there last night?

Edited by Bukaloo
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Astromancer

Astromancer

Posted
Posted

YES! I too was at Cynthia Woods Pavilion, section 109, seat 28. It was the greatest thing I've ever seen or been to, period.

 

When 20000 or so people sing along with all of Moving Pictures in its entirety, there is something special going on. And everyone going "hey" between riffs during 2112 was awesome as well. They sounded freaking perfect, and the new tracks are 1000 times more awesome live! I didn't expect the pyrotechnics, but they were a great addition.

 

I wonder how the Octoberfest pukes next door felt?

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osage2112

osage2112

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Posted

Yeah...if it was not sold out, it was JUST. The crowd was so integral...and you KNOW the band appreciated it.

 

I too thought Geddy was hitting notes thoughout the night.

 

On a couple of songs...I liked the way they jammed close together...enjoying the time.

 

I took my three kids (the tall red head can be seen in some of the posted pics (GREAT PICS)...they were 17, 12, 11. The 11 yo's first time and he was jamming out!

 

What a great show...will see them again on the TIME MACHINE tour.

 

Osage

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Dax

Dax

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Saw the show on Saturday. Highlights LVS (holy crap, I could put that on loop and love it), Marathon was incredible, as was all of MP. The best of all has to be Working Man...Alex's solo(s) were in-friggin-sane. I seriously think he sat there for 2-3 minutes shredding. Other than the two douchebags on either side of me and my wife, it was the best we've seen so far.
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Hatchet_Ax_Saw

Hatchet_Ax_Saw

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Wow, reading all your reviews and comments from the Lone Star state is making me sad now that it's been almost two months since the boys played in Seattle. I want to see them again! Can't believe that anyone can find anything negative about these guys. They are playing the best they ever have and their sound has evolved into nothing but perfection!

 

"Masters of their own domain!" Love that!!!

 

 

HAS

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CountFloyd

CountFloyd

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Have not been on since the show... Have not listend to RUSH...

 

Fired up Camera Eye tonight...

 

Chills...

 

What an amzaing show...

 

Its so much to take in, most miss it.. the music, the show.. so much to process. No band gives what RUSH does..

 

Reflecting, this was one of the best shows ever, harkens back to Signals, my first show. Serious, did the job of playing the songs spot on.. Geddy sounded better to me this time then the last 2 trips to H Town.

 

Neil and the solo.. damn near perfection... and Alex did it right, and then frekin gave it that over the top.. mind blowing 110 % on the final song.. Working Man.. the band worked so damn hard.

 

A huge Thank you to RUSH.. see ya next time! th1245.gif

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StanGetz

StanGetz

Posted
Posted

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Sep 26 2010, 01:23 AM)
Just got home from the Houston show, just checked a few threads from earlier, and here I am to tell you how great my night was.

First, the crowd... packed. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that it was completely sold out. The place was just wall-to-wall packed with people - even the lawn looked completely full.

I was in section 103, row E, seat 14 (my wife in seat 13). I expected, looking at the layout online, that we'd be a fair distance from the stage. It turns out, I could have lazily tossed a softball to Geddy (at his keyboard stand) from where we were. We were amazingly close - only three rows (one of which was folding chairs) separated us from the stage because we were off to the side of the pit. Twice, Geddy came over to our wing of the stage, and he was - at most - ten feet away from me. That was awesome.

Everyone, and I mean damn near everyone was standing for the whole show. Even the lawn. There were a few pockets of people sitting, but really, almost everyone. Oddly, the people immediately in front of me sat for a fair number of songs. How do you sit within arms' reach of the band and sit down? Weirdos. Not that I'm complaining - I had a completely unobstructed view for quite a lot of the show biggrin.gif

The setlist was excellent. I reject the notion that there were major weak spots in the setlist. People that complain about Faithless followed by BU2B... the difference between the two songs, musically, made for a great pairing. Presto sounded incredible. Marathon blew me away. Time Stand Still was fantastic. And of course, Moving Pictures in its entirety was great.

I take back every negative thing I've said about Witch Hunt and Tom Sawyer (at least, in their live forms) because they were awesome.

Now... about Geddy's voice. Where are people getting this idea that he's losing it? He hit some high notes tonight that I never thought I'd hear from him again - even the bit during Freewill was damn near spot-on.

The difference between his voice in 1979 and 2010 isn't as simple as "he can't hit the high notes anymore". He can, mostly. But his voice is richer. Fuller. It's not as thin and reedy as it was when he was a young man. But he can still get it up there nearly as well as ever.

If I had one wish for the nay-sayers and the haters, it would be that they could witness, from up-close, the band's performance of La Villa tonight. The band was nearly perfect - even Alex. I've heard many versions of La Villa, and if anything goes off the rails, it's usually Alex improvising. Tonight was about as flawless as I've ever heard them play it. It was powerful, it was intense, and it would shut up all the haters, that's for sure.

What else.

Unlike the Robert Plant concert, I didn't make a list of band t-shirts because I couldn't - everyone was wearing a Rush shirt. Okay, not everyone; I spotted a Van Halen shirt and a Dream Theater shirt, and that was it. Probably it's because I was up front where the die-hards are... but even before and after, I didn't really see any other band shirts. Rush fans are the best.

The videos were awesome. And I fully expect to see a DVD of this tour... you don't spend a ton of money doing long video intros and a closing skit and not put the tour on DVD. It'll happen.

Only a couple of mess-ups, only one of which was majorly noticeable... Alex forgot to switch his guitar effects during Time Stand Still and had to jog over to the foot pedals to fix it. There was something else, but I honestly don't remember now what it was.

That's pretty much it, off the top of my head. Awesome show. My eighth, and the best I've seen so far. The new album and the subsequent tour are going to be fantastic.

I have problems with my feet periodically and I may sit for a song. Thanks for calling me a weirdo. I appreciate it. I'm glad that I skipped the heat in Houston and drove to Dallas instead where the weather was fantastic.

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danielmclark

danielmclark

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The weather in Houston was great. Wasn't too hot, there was a brief spot of rain for a few minutes about an hour before the show that cooled everything off heading into the evening.

 

I hope you're not seriously offended at the weirdo comment. I mean... really?

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StanGetz

StanGetz

Posted
Posted

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Oct 6 2010, 08:07 AM)
The weather in Houston was great. Wasn't too hot, there was a brief spot of rain for a few minutes about an hour before the show that cooled everything off heading into the evening.

I hope you're not seriously offended at the weirdo comment. I mean... really?

No, not really. As you can read, my response was polite in tone. I just wanted to make the point that while your "weirdo" comment may be valid to some degree but not everyone falls under that same umbrella. I'm not handicappped and I wouldn't try to cheat and get one of those seats. Of course, I might be a weirdo because I would pay extra at any venue if they had a small section in the back that was a sit down only section. As it is, I don't complain and I just sit down every once in a while. It's worth it to experience Rush. Since I am 6'4", I would suspect that people would be happy when I sit down and not call me a weirdo (LOL).

 

You wrote a nice review.

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danielmclark

danielmclark

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QUOTE (StanGetz @ Oct 6 2010, 10:09 PM)
QUOTE (danielmclark @ Oct 6 2010, 08:07 AM)
The weather in Houston was great. Wasn't too hot, there was a brief spot of rain for a few minutes about an hour before the show that cooled everything off heading into the evening.

I hope you're not seriously offended at the weirdo comment. I mean... really?

No, not really. As you can read, my response was polite in tone. I just wanted to make the point that while your "weirdo" comment may be valid to some degree but not everyone falls under that same umbrella. I'm not handicappped and I wouldn't try to cheat and get one of those seats. Of course, I might be a weirdo because I would pay extra at any venue if they had a small section in the back that was a sit down only section. As it is, I don't complain and I just sit down every once in a while. It's worth it to experience Rush. Since I am 6'4", I would suspect that people would be happy when I sit down and not call me a weirdo (LOL).

 

You wrote a nice review.

Thanks man, I appreciate that.

 

Weirdo is such a soft, goofy word that I can't imagine anyone taking anyone that uses it seriously, so I was hoping you didn't really take offense to it laugh.gif

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