How was the Test For Echo Tour?

[Pound of Obscure]

I saw the Counterparts tour in Pittsburgh. That tour must've been the beginning of the end.

 

I was there 3rd row. Great show. I'd say it was my favorite show.

[ALifeson85]

Test For Echo was my very first concert, ever. I saw it during the Summer '97 leg of the tour, with my dad and a couple of his friends. AMAZING show, and I still remember it just as vividly today as I did almost 17 years ago. (It's been THAT long ago already???!!) 2112 and Natural Science were indeed the highlights of that tour, for sure! But, considering it was very first time seeing Rush at the time, I also REALLY enjoyed the staples - Limelight, Freewill, Tom Sawyer, The Spirit of Radio, etc. I had never been to any event that compared to it, at the time. The lights, the lasers, the videos, the energy, the MUSIC...blew me completely away.

Also, this was the show the was responsible for my interest in wanting to learn guitar. Soon afterwards, I got my very first guitar, and have been jamming ever since! ;)

[ytserush]

For me the best four song run from that set was Resist, Leave That Thing Alone, Neil's solo and Natural Science.

 

And that jam at the end of Closer To The Heart was to die for. It really freshened the song up. Likely my favorite version of that song.

[Retrospective]

OP - I'm in the same boat.

 

I remember my dad putting the CD on in our 1990 Toyota Corolla! Same with Different Stages.

 

He went to the actual tour though - said it was amazing to see 2112. I wish they'd bring that back, but it never gets old for me to hear Overture/Syrinx/Grand Finale :7up:

[rushpepe]

It was an awesome show. The first "evening with RUSH" tour and also the first RUSH concert for my son. We had great floor seats right in front of Geddy.

[Wingmaster]

So, I know this may be random, but I'm watching videos from the tour and it seems like it was a decent showing. For those of you that were there in person, how was it? I'm really intrigued to hear how songs like Limbo and the entire 2112 suite went over with the crowd... I wish I could've been there, however, I was busy learning to walk and speak my first words around that time...

 

I don't recall how Limbo went over, but the 2112 Suite always goes over well.

 

I saw it in Virginia at the Nissan Pavillion, which today is called Jiffy Lube Live, it's one of those outdoor venues, not the best but decent enough.

 

That was the first tour I'd been to since the '80s. The crowd was bigger for that one than it was for Clockwork Angels IIRC. It was also bigger for Time Machine at the same venue than it was for CAs.

 

A very good show tho.

[Wingmaster]

I don't know...this was the first tour that I didn't see at all since my first show, during the Presto tour. What I've heard from it sounds excellent, even if I'm not a huge fan of the Test For Echo album. It's all right, but it's not great, in my humblest.

 

Agreed, Test for Echo was not the best album of theirs, but it has several excellent tunes tho starting with the title song. I love Limbo just as I love all of their instrumentals.

 

As I've said before, I'd pay concert rates to watch them jam and practice for a couple of hours.

[Wingmaster]

I have to agree that 2112 was the highlight. It was my first Rush concert, so I've been spoiled never having to sit through an opening act. It seemed that the majority of the crowd were "old school" fans, meaning that they probably hadn't listened to anything Rush put out after Signals I enjoyed the songs from T4E. I also remember being one of three females in my entire section. Boy how times have changed.

I

 

That's the same impression that I got, that the audience was mostly there for the early '80s and '70s stuff. But isn't that the way most of their concerts have been?

 

I mean even the CAs tour, the fans always seem to come alive during those songs while the CAs songs they seemed discontent with. People around me were talking and leaving more frequently during those songs despite the notion that IMO that was among their best overall albums and for sure one of their best in a long time.

 

IDK, I guess that's typical. If people go see any band, they always come for the pop faves, eh, despite how good the other material may be.

 

Some bands, like Journey, have a tone, so they can afford to do all pop tunes. Rush does too, they simply choose to mix it up, which is good.

[Wingmaster]

I've seen bootlegs, it's like any other rush tour - song after 1982 gets polite applause or silence, songs before 1982 crowd goes apeshit

 

Yep!

[Rushman14]

it didnt suck.

 

Dreamline (with "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" intro)

Limelight

Stick It Out

Driven

Half the World

Red Barchetta

Animate

Limbo

The Trees

Virtuality

Nobody's Hero

Closer To The Heart

2112 (complete)

(-Intermission-)

Test For Echo

Freewill

Red Sector A

Roll the Bones

Resist

Leave That Thing Alone!

The Rhythm Method (Drum Solo)

Natural Science

Force Ten

The Spirit of Radio

Tom Sawyer

Encore: YYZ

Cygnus X-1 (teaser)

[Rushman14]

I was at this show at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles. The stage looks so plain compared to what they got going on now.

 

http://youtu.be/SmRA_QoXozE

Edited March 10, 2014 by Rushman14

[drgrendel]

The Counterparts (Pittsburgh, PA) and T4E (NJ x2) tours were by far my favorite rush tours. The setlists were well mixed and there were no stupid films to sit through. It really is a shame that we will never get to have our own copy of the T4E tour. I will have lasting memories of watching both shows in NJ though (Continental Arena and PNC). It is possible to pleaase both worlds, but alas, i think it has become a lost art.

[Apollo]

2112 was the highlight - absolutely had the house going crazy. I liked it so much, I saw it 3 times. Seeing it was the first "evening with Rush" it was one hell of an experience.

 

Me too about the liking it so much I saw it three times. This tour will always be my favorite because it was my first. I had listened to Rush for about 15 years before this but had never got around to seeing them and when I heard about the Evening with format and a full 2112 I knew I had to make the time to see them and it was well worth it. Highlights were the full 2112 and Natural Science and I thought The Trees was well done here too. Lowlights were Half the World and Nobody's Hero, a huge pee break song. I have boots of all the shows I went to but unfortunately they all sound terrible, at least they made Different Stages. The Albany video boot is pretty good as I recall, haven't watched it in years.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Apollo

[Jaminbenb]

2112 was the highlight - absolutely had the house going crazy. I liked it so much, I saw it 3 times. Seeing it was the first "evening with Rush" it was one hell of an experience.

 

Me too about the liking it so much I saw it three times. This tour will always be my favorite because it was my first. I had listened to Rush for about 15 years before this but had never got around to seeing them and when I heard about the Evening with format and a full 2112 I knew I had to make the time to see them and it was well worth it. Highlights were the full 2112 and Natural Science and I thought The Trees was well done here too. Lowlights were Half the World and Nobody's Hero, a huge pee break song. I have boots of all the shows I went to but unfortunately they all sound terrible, at least they made Different Stages. The Albany video boot is pretty good as I recall, haven't watched it in years.

 

I have to agree that it was the first really great tour! My first shows were GuP, PW, and HyF, and in comparison, this one just blew it out of the water...

[rushpepe]

It was a great show, especially since it was the first "evening with Rush" tour with no opening act. To add to it, it was the first concert I brought my son to and we had 8th row seats right in front of Geddy. It was a great night. My son treated me to 2 shows on the CA tours. It pays dividends to be good to your kids growing up. LOL

[yyz211282]

All I remember was watching it on DVD age 9, and I heard a powerful voice, and saw a refrigerator in the background

Never saw them LIVE, however.

[CygnusGal]

I saw th show at the Gorge, btw.

I was at that show.

 

One of my greatest memories of that night (aside from 2112 and Geddy's bass solo in Driven) was the sunset. I remember watching it when Resist was playing (the only tour I've seen it performed as a three piece) and it was magical.

 

That was the first time I'd seen Rush twice on one tour since finances finally allowed for such an indulgence. George, WA and two days later Boise, ID.

 

Great memories. :cheers: