Rush, 18 August 2010 (Red Rocks Amphitheater)

I have never written about Rush before. I have never done this because my whole experience with this band and their music has been too overwhelming for me to form coherent words about. Why write about this show? Because it was the perfect night for a Rush show. I saw them on the 16th as well, but the 18th was special. I was late to the show because I was attending a late-night staff meeting at work. During said meeting, it was announced that our program is closing, and we are all losing our jobs. It was a little much to take in all at once, and Rush was the best distraction that could have been offered.

Unlike on the 16th, the band was basically flawless. I was glad to have seen the show on the 16th so I could catch some of the gems from the beginning of the set (especially "Presto" and "Time Stand Still" which I had never heard live), however they were musically off, and technology was giving them a fit. Everyone seems to agree it was not one of their best shows. At the same time, I secretly like it when they mess up... proves them human. The show on the 18th was every bit the musical and technological genius I have come to expect from these guys.

They did some things that they are not typically known to do. There was more than one incident involving Geddy Lee (bassist) and Alex Lifeson (guitarist) up at the front of the stage just wailing away, throwing caution to the wind. Their show was controlled and professional as always, yet it seems like they are letting go just a little. We all know how much raw talent each of them has, and it seems as though they are becoming more and more willing to let it all hang out instead of choreographing each note. For example, the third verse of "Closer to the Heart" was altered into this funky, jam-tastic triplet section. Don't even get me started on what they did to the entire stretch of "Working Man."

I cannot allow "The Camera Eye" go unnoticed. To my knowledge, this tour marks the first time this was ever played. Never before have I heard such an even-volumed wall of sound delivered. That is the drawback of a live show--depending on where you are sitting, you will hear either more guitar, more bass, whatever. These three guys know how to work a sound system. The slow 4/4 section that leads up to the first verse was so powerful, i had a cartoon-like vision of the music literally blowing everyone's hair back. It was loud, but not overly so. Just strong. Intense. And the video they paired with the tune was perfect.

Another highlight was the new tune, "BU2B." I like this one best out of the two new ones released, but I was not prepared for how incredible it would sound live. I forget sometimes how hard their style can be. The pyro and lighting that accompanied this tune brought power to it that cannot be achieved on recording. I was glad to see some of the lyrics incorporated into the video--due to the tune being new, I don't know the lyrics word for word yet. Of course, much of my draw to their music lies in the brilliantly written lyrics, so it helped to see them pointed out as I was already being physically affected by the music.

It's always good to hear the classics ("The Spirit of Radio," "Tom Sawyer," "Freewill," among others), and I feel like the setlist was pretty balanced between the big well-known tunes and others that aren't played as often. Hearing Moving Pictures in its entirety was a treat for any true fan and reminded me of cool tunes like "Witch Hunt" and "Vital Signs" that don't always immediately come to mind when I think of Rush.

Geddy's voice sounded good, although it seems as though he may have tour fatigue. Or altitude fatigue. He sounded strong and nailed the high notes, but he had some noticeable out-of-tune spots. Unusual for him. On the other hand, his bass tone was brutal (more so than usual), which made up for any weak spots in his voice. Alex was in rare form. His energy was higher than I've ever seen it, and he was taking risks with his solos that I'm not used to seeing him take. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but it was so cool to see him really putting it out there. And I have to give Neil Peart (drummer) credit. His solo was mesmerizing to me. He keeps pushing himself to achieve new rhythm combos, and the effort pays off. I found myself in sort of a trance-like state during the solo. I sure hope I can move with that much dexterity and agility when I am his age.

I'm thankful that I got to go straight from bad news at work to such a great musical experience. I took precautions to not further damage my hearing, and am happy to say that it didn't affect the intensity. In fact, I felt the music more than I ever have due to not hearing it with the same incredible volume. Perhaps I will start doing that regularly at concerts. We'll see ;)