ak2112 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Just curious to hear from those that have seen Rush multiple times, what was your favorite show in particular and why? I have lived in Alaska since 1988 and so I havent been able to see Rush much since I left Dallas, but I have seen them once since I left (2007 in Portland for S&A) and I saw them 7 times while I live in Dallas (2112, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals and Power Windows and Hold Your Fire). My first concert was for 2112 and I was 7. I badgered my mother for weeks to take me to see the concert and she finally relented, even though she had no interest in the band. I have a truly awesome mother let me tell you as she took me to the next three tours until my brother took me to Signals and then I went to Power Windows with a friend as a junior in high school. What was my favorite show? No question, it was Power Windows (January of 1986 to be precise at Reunion Arena). Why? Well, first of all my friend scored us second row center tickets! I nearly wet myself when I saw the tickets! Secondly, the opening act was the Steve Morse Band and if you're familiar with any of their stuff, you know they were all amazing musicians in their own right. In fact they came on for 2 encores....the warm up band!!! Just amazing. As for Rush, they have never been as "on" as they were that night. It was just magic; something very special. You could tell they were really enjoying themselves and I think they were very happy with the new album (as was I). Something very special happened that night and I feel lucky to have been there. It is truly one of my fondest memories from growing up. I saw them in 1988 on the Hold Your Fire tour and while there were some great moments, the show as a whole seemed a little tired and the energy wasnt there. I dont think HYF was as strong as an album as well, though I dont know if that had anything to do with my perception of the shows quality. I must say though, that the S&A show in 2007 was pretty damn good as well and I'm sure a lot of that had to do with the fact that I had not seen them since 1988!! I can say without any shame that when the first chords of Limelight rang out for that show, I had tears of joy in my eyes. It was a wondeful moment to hear them again. Anyway, I'd love to hear other folks favorite shows as well!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 You saw the 2112 and Hemispheres tours live? Screw you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ak2112 Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Like I said, I had a very cool mom. I was probably the only 7 and 9 year old at those two tours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
presto123 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Definitely Power Windows for me as well. I waited OUTSIDE all night long in the middle of winter with temps in the single digits to score tickets. And it paid off. Two front row seats. Saw them at Market Square Arena in Indy and what a show. Marillion was the opening act. I'll have to look up the setlist but I know it was good. Was right in front of Alex so he acknowledged us all night. I was wearing an Expos baseball cap(on purpose) so when Ged came over there I pointed at my hat and he gave me a little wink because his hands were obviously busy. Never forget that show. Grace Under Pressure show at the same venue was killer as well. I remember Neil wearing the headphones on Red Sector A and when he played Red Lenses I remember thinking that is the coolest beat I've ever heard. Still ranks right up there with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMCXII Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 YOU SAW 2112 LIVE WHEN YOU WERE 7?? holy f*k bro that's hardcore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMCXII Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 my favorite show was probably Edmonton 08. I rolled into town with the RushTour banner to the fireside pub, just from the Regina show which was awesome too! Edmonton show was awesome and had a great party afterwards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driventotheedge Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Likely mine will be the one I'm going to attend on June 28 in Ridgefield, WA (Portland, OR area) as I will have 3rd row, center seats. I literally almost cried when I saw how good my seats were. Until then, it's a toss up between 3rd row in front of Geddy for R30 at the same venue and Power Windows in Seattle in '86...floor GA and stood within 15 rows and rocked HARD (first time seeing the band live). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kooma Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I loved all their shows how predictable right I will always remember their gig at the notorious Pinkpop Festival back in 1979... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snyder80 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Well, I'm thirty years old now and by the time I was old enough to attend a concert, Rush was in infinite hiatus. However, I've seen them at least once on every tour since Vapor Trails with the exception of R30 and it still kills me that I missed that tour. With that being said, I have to state with complete honesty that every show continues to exceed my expectations. Seeing Red Barchetta, Natural Science, 2112/Temples, Spirit of Radio, Freewill, La Villa, The Trees, Marathon, Digital Man, Subdivisions and many others performed live; most times within the first ten rows has been an amazing experience and ones that I will cherish for as long as I live. I'll be in Hershey on April 8th for the second time on this tour and I can only hope that they tour again in support of Clockwork Angels. They can't do it forever but once more would be satisfactory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbomb106 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 6-15-08. You just can't beat front row. http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk96/kbomb106/Rush%206%2015%2008/IMG_0216.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Toss up between the farewell tour and hemispheres tour ,can i have both? when rush play manchester it's the evening news arena, but these two shows were at the much smaller apollo theatre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pound of Obscure Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Hard one. Probably Test For Echo in Pittsburgh. Because it was the first tour with just the boys. Killer set list! Close runner up would be Vapor Trails. Seeing them step out on stage again confirmed it wasn't over. Great day that was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Without a doubt, my favorite is "Hold Your Fire" concert on January 15, 1988 at Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh. One of the reasons I remember it so well is because of leftover ice and snow from a storm that had moved through. The sun came out of the clouds just before the sunset and made the ice and snow look beautiful. while we were walking around before showtime, we hung out by the tour busses. A guy was cooking on a large spit for band members and crew. He was great talking to. and then after the show, I had left the tour program inside and went back to get it only to find that fans were outside waiting for the band to emerge. We were told the band had already left, but I'm not so sure that happened since I saw a guy with Geddy's unique hairstyle peek out the door quickly and disappear back inside. edit: "A Show of Hands" DVD helps me to relive that show in a way since it's from the same tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystic Slipperman Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Hard to pick one. I've seen them multiple times going back to the HYF tour, only missing the T4E and R30 tours. Can't nail it down to one, but I can pick two: LA Forum, Presto tour. Xanadu was amazing that night. Irvine, Vapor Trails tour. Just having the band back onstage was a miracle. Great setlist, great energy, great performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Rush Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Thats easy read my story here: http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?showtopic=28095&hl= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todem Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Man that is a hard question to answer. I have seen Rush since the 82/83 New World Tour. My first 2 shows were a back to back stint here in South Florida for Signals and I remember the elation but not too much else...bit's and pieces. So many shows and so many memories! I would have to say it is a toss up between the Test For Echo tour here in 97 where I sat for the very first time front row right smack in front of Geddy with my now wife (we were dating all of 3 months when we went to that show). It was a very windy and cold night in West Palm Beach and I remember every detail of that show. First off it was the first "An Evening With" tour and the fact we got 2 full set's which included 2112 complete, Natural Science and so many great songs plus the new stuff from T4E...it was really amazing. I jammed and made so much direct eye contact with Geddy the entire evening. During Red Barchetta we were practically hopping in lock step up and down as they came out of the guitar solo....really special moment. But most of all when the show was over after a sizzling hot version of YYZ with the Cygnus X-1 teaser ending Maryann turned to me and said in a exhuberent voice "That was the best concert I have ever seen". That was it for me. She passed the Rush test and I knew right there she would be my wife and here we are 14 years and a 6 year old Rush junkie son later going to the show tonight and meeting my heros to boot. As far as performance the other shows that I have to mention are the VT tour 2002 down here in WPB. Just a blistering performance and the best I had ever seen them play from the opening note to ending goodbye. Really a flawless performance by an obviously very hungary band. And quite the opposite from T4E in weather...it must have been with the humidity 100 plus degrees. 13th row for that gem And Snakes and Arrows 2007 in WPB was just steller. My favorite setlist of all time from the boys. Yeah even with all the Snakes stuff (such a great album IMO). Digital Man, Entre Nous, Circumstances, Mission....I had to pick up my jaw after the first 4 tunes as Limelight is also such a fav of mine and was IMO one of their best openers ever. Natty Science, Witch Hunt, Armor and Sword, TWTWB....Monkey Business..Mal Nar...sizzling live. 17th row for that gem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchetaxe&saw Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Toss up between MEN 2007(atmosphere and good company) and Holmdel 08(good company and just one of THOSE days) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micgtr71 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Counterparts because they played Hemispheres. The rest of the set was killer as well. They sounded fantastic on that tour. A close second would be the VT tour probably because it was so long since I had seen them (summer 97). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theanalogmiddleagedman Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 They have all been great, but I would have to say TfE 97' in Albany was my most memorable. Great friends getting together and we got to sit in the Govenor's box with free booze, food and an eagle's eye view of the 3 most awesome guys. If I remember correctly, the show was a little suspect as it was the first show of the tour, but it was still awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya_Big_Tree Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 All the shows I've been to have been great for different reasons, whether it be the company I had, friends I made, parties I went to, seats I had or the distances I traveled. Kinda sad Im not going to one this year but that mean I'll have to make up for it next tour! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjohnson30 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I first became a Rush fan during the time of Roll the Bones but wasn't quite to the point of spending the money to see them yet so the Counterparts tour was my first concert. I've also seen the VT tour, R30, and Snakes and Arrows. The show during the Vapor Trails tour was definitely the best. There was a whole different energy in the crowd that night due to them having been on their break. They sounded great that night too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apetersvt Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Probably being front row for R30 at the Virginia Beach show. Another coming to mind would be hearing 2112 in entirety (not knowing the setlist before-hand either). I don't think my jaw has ever dropped as low as when Discovery started following the standard Overture/TOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_L Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Best one for me so far was Time Machine at ACC last July. I flew from Edmonton to Toronto for the show with my friend (who had only been into Rush for about a month before the tour was announced - I showed the S&A live DVD). Great to see the reaction to seeing Rush for the first time, haha It was the first time I'd traveled anywhere for a concert, so that definitely added to the experience. Also those were the best seats I'd had for Rush (first section of lower bowl on Alex's side, 2nd row) and it was so great to be that close to the band while they did their thing - I also thought the Time Machine tour was the best stage production I'd seen from them. I'm going to the show in Vancouver at the end of June as well, to see that show again... my seats aren't as good this time, but I'm sure the band's performance will be impressive as always Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 It would have to be the 2112/All the World's a Stage tour in The Glasgow Apollo in 1977.......being my first ever gig aged 13 It's pretty special. In those days RUSH came to the UK every year '77 '78'79'80.....every one was something very very special but my 1st one has to win for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMCXII Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 QUOTE (Mark_L @ Mar 31 2011, 08:20 AM) Best one for me so far was Time Machine at ACC last July. I flew from Edmonton to Toronto for the show with my friend (who had only been into Rush for about a month before the tour was announced - I showed the S&A live DVD). Great to see the reaction to seeing Rush for the first time, haha It was the first time I'd traveled anywhere for a concert, so that definitely added to the experience. Also those were the best seats I'd had for Rush (first section of lower bowl on Alex's side, 2nd row) and it was so great to be that close to the band while they did their thing - I also thought the Time Machine tour was the best stage production I'd seen from them. I'm going to the show in Vancouver at the end of June as well, to see that show again... my seats aren't as good this time, but I'm sure the band's performance will be impressive as always hey I traveled from Edmonton to Toronto for that show too! I went by motorcycle though. Peart style! get this, I was in the second section of the bowl on Alex's side! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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