Rush anecdotes!

[Mika]

I thought I'd start up a thread about sharing Rush anecdotes - things that happen that are Rush-related, such as someone previously describing listening to 'Between the Wheels' whilst driving and having a rabbit dart across the road at the same time as the line, "You know how that rabbit feels, going under your speeding wheels". I like stories like this! So cool. (Well, almost not for that rabbit...!)

 

 

 

So, I was at the beach today. I swam out to a big sand bar / island, which in a few weeks will be mostly accessible by walking as the river water recedes, and found a sandy area that had some small pools of water left from the river. The shallow water was warm like bath water, so I dug a pool a little deeper and lay down on my front in the water.

 

The sun danced on the water surface, and the prismatic reflections sparkled on the surrounding small trees. It was very pretty. As I moved my gaze from the distance, I peered into the pool water, my hair floating like tendrils in the water. I noticed a tiny little shrimpy-thing clutching onto a single strand of my hair. I shifted to look more closely at it, causing my hair to move slightly; it lost its grip and struggled to find its hold again.

 

I watched tiny water beetles scurry in the water, and insects running across the water surface. In such a seemingly barren-looking pool, there was life teeming. I reflected how, in a matter of a few days, the sun will have evaporated the pool and the life contained within will be no more. I wondered how these tiny creatures had become trapped within - a few weeks ago this pool and the others would have been connected with the river, and gradually they've become cut off and diminished. I wondered if the creatures knew they were trapped, knew that their lives would soon come to an end when their pool fully evaporates. I wondered if they remembered the large river in which they used to reside (assuming they are more than just a week or so old).

 

Of course, all this thinking reminded of a certain Rush song, and the parallels between the song and what I was experiencing brought my appreciation of the song to a new level. Here's the first part of 'Natural Science':

 

When the ebbing tide retreats

Along the rocky shoreline

It leaves a trail of tidal pools

In a short-lived galaxy

Each microcosmic planet

A complete society

 

A simple kind of mirror

To reflect upon our own

All the busy little creatures

Chasing out their destinies

Living in their pools

They soon forget about the sea...

 

 

 

I hope I haven't bored anyone that has read through this! I like sharing these Rush-y things, and would love to read stories from others!

[HowItIs]

This past Saturday I went to see a Rush tribute band that plays here in the Seattle area. I met up with some Rush Rat friends there, too. One of them had brought a drumming hat like Bubba wears for the trib band's drummer to wear during the show. Which he did and they were (as always) great.

 

So after the show, the drummer came over to our group(ies?) to return the hat. But my friend told him, "I want you to keep it." It was an S&A hat, not easy to replace. I was so happy to see that! Another random act of kindness from one Rush fan to another.

[SUBDIVISIONS]

[Mika]

QUOTE (HowItIs @ Aug 10 2012, 06:02 AM)

This past Saturday I went to see a Rush tribute band that plays here in the Seattle area. I met up with some Rush Rat friends there, too. One of them had brought a drumming hat like Bubba wears for the trib band's drummer to wear during the show. Which he did and they were (as always) great. So after the show, the drummer came over to our group(ies?) to return the hat. But my friend told him, "I want you to keep it." It was an S&A hat, not easy to replace. I was so happy to see that! Another random act of kindness from one Rush fan to another.

Wow, that's nice of your friend to give away his hat! I don't know if I'd be unselfish enough to do that... maybe if I saw that another person's need was greater than mine.... Kudos to you friend for starting a chain of kindness!

[Animate]

This morning, 7:30 am I had to make a run to the 24 hr Walmart to buy milk for our coffee. I did not change clothes and so went in sweat pants and a 2112 starman t-shirt (disclaimer, not sloppy- they fit well and I did brush my hair though)

 

A 20-something year old college kid working there came up to me and goes "Whoa! Your shirt scares me! Is that, like, from a band or something?"

[drbirdsong]

 

My wife told me that when she was a teenager that the 2112 cover scared her too. She was certain that part of the Starman's "area" was showing between his legs.

 

Years later I took her to her first Rush show (Vapor Trails tour) and all was set right.

[DBJetsman]

When I listened to the song, A Farewell to Kings, for the first time ever, I got the s*** scared out of me when the electric guitar came in unexpectedly after the medieval acoustic gutar.

[mmclarney]

QUOTE (DBJetsman @ Aug 13 2012, 10:40 AM)

When I listened to the song, A Farewell to Kings, for the first time ever, I got the s*** scared out of me when the electric guitar came in unexpectedly after the medieval acoustic gutar.

The synthesized voice at the start of Cygnus X-1 always gave me the creeps when I was younger. I heard it the other day for the first time in a long while and actually felt a shiver. Brought back a lot of feelings from my younger days.

[goose]

I took my wife to Napa last week to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We checked into the hotel, only to be assigned room number 2112.

 

My wife smiled lovingly, knowing that her RUSH-geek husband was secretly thrilled. Later that night, we went out for a glass of wine. The pace was called "CRUSH", so of course I had to fold the napkin over so that it read

 

Another loving smile.

[LedRush]

At MSG last year, I was in row 11 in the center with a guy from RIAB. He left before the encore (waaah?) and left me in the perfect position for later in the show.

 

When Alex and Geddy started flinging T-shirts into the audience, I made a great catch, followed by a Rodman like defnse of a rebound.

 

The shirt has a picture of Slobowski with a sausage saying "the last time someone grabbed my sausage". I have yet to meet anyone that has gotten the reference while I wore my shirt

[Lost In Xanadu]

Was at a festival this weekend and a local "cover" band was featured, played everything... Chicago, Police, Genesis, Journey, Stevie Wonder, etc etc... I wore one of my Time Machine shirts and a woman came up to me and said "what a great idea - we should all wear our vintage t-shirts next year!" I said "not a vintage - look at the date, this was from last year." I think she knew I was speaking English, but I guarantee you, it made absolutely no sense in her head from her reaction. Pretty sure she thought Rush died 20 years ago.

[Lerxster]

My anecdotes usually revolve around 2112 sightings, but on a recent road trip a toll taker recognized my RASH shirt and I held up traffic for half a minute as we talked Rush. On the way home on that trip, I had a Time Machine shirt on and a mere slip of a girl behind the counter at McD's.. a teenager.. remarked that she liked my shirt. Then there was the time I was pulled over for speeding, the day after an S&A show, and the cop asked if Rush were still around. I says yes, just saw them last night! We talked some Rush. Nice cop. I got my ticket, but he took a few mph off so I got no points and just a small fine.

[Animate]

QUOTE (goose @ Aug 13 2012, 02:03 PM)

I took my wife to Napa last week to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We checked into the hotel, only to be assigned room number 2112. My wife smiled lovingly, knowing that her RUSH-geek husband was secretly thrilled. Later that night, we went out for a glass of wine. The pace was called "CRUSH", so of course I had to fold the napkin over so that it read Another loving smile.

That is cool and sweet!

[Animate]

QUOTE (Lost In Xanadu @ Aug 13 2012, 02:55 PM)

Was at a festival this weekend and a local "cover" band was featured, played everything... Chicago, Police, Genesis, Journey, Stevie Wonder, etc etc... I wore one of my Time Machine shirts and a woman came up to me and said "what a great idea - we should all wear our vintage t-shirts next year!" I said "not a vintage - look at the date, this was from last year." I think she knew I was speaking English, but I guarantee you, it made absolutely no sense in her head from her reaction. Pretty sure she thought Rush died 20 years ago.

It is funny how most people who know about Rush at all think they dropped off the planet in the 80's. Even people otherwise really in to music.

[An Enemy Without]

One time I went to a Rush concert and I swear Geddy and I made eye contact.

[Mika]

QUOTE (goose @ Aug 13 2012, 02:03 PM)

I took my wife to Napa last week to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We checked into the hotel, only to be assigned room number 2112. My wife smiled lovingly, knowing that her RUSH-geek husband was secretly thrilled. Later that night, we went out for a glass of wine. The pace was called "CRUSH", so of course I had to fold the napkin over so that it read Another loving smile.

Aw, that's really cute! And I can imagine myself folding the napkin to read 'rush' as well! (Though I don't think I'd get as much loving indulgence from my non-Rush-loving boyfriend!)

[-D-RocK-]

I'm wearing my Rush undies right now.

[LyndseyG]

For the past four evenings ive looked at the clock in time to see it turn 2112!

[Mika]

Thought I'd stick this li'l story here:

 

I was walking to work (takes me about 25 minutes), listening to my ipod as usual, which right now is packed with every Rush album song, set to random. A couple of songs played: 'Cut to the Chase' and 'Grand Designs', I think. Then 'Caravan' came on. It just sounded so good, so right. I turned up the volume a little and focussed a little more on the music and a little less on peripheral things like traffic and other people walking. Well, Geddy's singing started, and it just totally hit me the right way: the power and enthusiasm, the fact that this awesome music had been made by a near-40-year-old band... my eyes got these tears in them, and a couple of 'em snuck out and I had to discreetly wipe them away (lest someone wonder what's going on). There was such powerful emotion coming from that song and all it represented, and I was moved. When it finished, I put away my ipod, even though I still had time for another song or two, because I just wanted to breathe in that feeling.

 

It was a good walk, interrupted only when I got to work.

[sitboaf]

Last night, I was driving home with my wife through Manchester, NH, where the CA tour starts, listening to my MP3 CD of a jillion Rush songs (I believe Time Stands Still was playing) when an owl flew right in front of the car.

 

I immediately changed the CD to the song Fly By Night.

[av450]

That's funny because I was at the beach today. I swam out to a big sand bar / island, which in a few weeks will be mostly accessible by walking as the river water recedes, and found a sandy area that had some small pools of water left from the river. The shallow water was warm like bath water, so I dug a pool a little deeper and lay down on my front in the water.

 

The sun danced on the water surface, and the prismatic reflections sparkled on the surrounding small trees. It was very pretty. As I moved my gaze from the distance, I peered into the pool water, my hair floating like tendrils in the water. I noticed a tiny little shrimpy-thing clutching onto a single strand of my hair. I shifted to look more closely at it, causing my hair to move slightly; it lost its grip and struggled to find its hold again.

 

I watched tiny water beetles scurry in the water, and insects running across the water surface. In such a seemingly barren-looking pool, there was life teeming. I reflected how, in a matter of a few days, the sun will have evaporated the pool and the life contained within will be no more. I wondered how these tiny creatures had become trapped within - a few weeks ago this pool and the others would have been connected with the river, and gradually they've become cut off and diminished. I wondered if the creatures knew they were trapped, knew that their lives would soon come to an end when their pool fully evaporates. I wondered if they remembered the large river in which they used to reside (assuming they are more than just a week or so old).

 

Of course, all this thinking reminded of a certain Rush song, and the parallels between the song and what I was experiencing brought my appreciation of the song to a new level. Here's the first part of 'Natural Science':

 

When the ebbing tide retreats

Along the rocky shoreline

It leaves a trail of tidal pools

In a short-lived galaxy

Each microcosmic planet

A complete society

 

A simple kind of mirror

To reflect upon our own

All the busy little creatures

Chasing out their destinies

Living in their pools

They soon forget about the sea...

 

[SUBDIVISIONS]