Live Review: Rush Still Astounds, No Time Machine Required

July 21, 2010 – There are few bands that can seamlessly combine wacky humor and seriously stunning musicianship into one epic performance. But Rush makes it look natural. Yes, the three hour shows, the thousands of dedicated fans, and the chefs on stage – it’s all happening once again. The trio is back on the circuit with a couple new twists: time machines and moving pictures.

It was a true celebration of all things Rush at the Susquehanna bank Center on Wednesday night, both the humorous and the meaningful. The band took a break from touring last year, and judging by the sheer amount of Rush t-shirts being worn and lyrics being sung, they were missed. A lot.

It’s become law that all Rush shows must begin with a funny video clip. So in that sense, the opening video titled “Rash: The True Story of Rush” was simply for procedural compliance. The strains of “Spirit of Radio” were a key element of the video, so it was a bit of a shock when the song started up again but was being played now by the real deal, instead of the characters on screen. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson emerged from the sides of the stage and the rockout began with Neil Peart holding things down center stage.

Three men on stage have never been such a sonic powerhouse, but then came Rush. Peart’s intricate drumbeats mesh with Lifeson’s guitar pyrotechnics and Lee’s hyperactive bass style to create a sound that simply is offered nowhere else. Behind all the brilliant musicianship, the guys by all accounts seem to be having a party of sorts as they play. Alex brings his humor to the forefront at times, while his other personality seems to be the focused, guitar-faced axeman.

Rush always digs deep through their own past to dust off old obscurities, but this seemed like an especially fitting thing to do during a show focused around time travel. “Presto” and “Stick It Out” seemed to be favorites of Geddy, who sang brightly and thumped away on his bass with a little extra zing. And then others, like “Time Stand Still“, were just too fitting to be left out. Despite being far from ever seeing radio play, there was no shortage of fans who were able to sing along to the deeper cuts.

But it was those Rush classics that were consistently stunning to hear. Geddy gave it all his lungs could muster and then some to nail the high notes during “Freewill“, and Alex didn’t want his “Spirit of Radio” guitar solo to ever end. The only other song that came close to achieving the level of power of a Rush classic was oddly enough, a brand new song titled “Caravan“. Fans who downloaded the tune upon its release in June on iTunes were in on the secret of it being an explosive rock jam. It has a strong melody that’s meant to be played live, and is packed with moments of glory for all three players – but Geddy’s punchy bass line during the instrumental break just might have stole it.

All that music business aside, there was plenty of eye candy in the form of cool stage frills to be had. For much of the show, a myriad of shifting and rotating lights had the band swamped in vibrant colors. And the gear behind them could simply be described as a dream come true for anyone fascinated with time travel, or anyone who appreciates cool gadgets.

Lifeson’s amplifiers are enclosed in custom, antique-fashioned cabinets, complete with steam valves, small video screens, dials, and knobs with the sole purpose of – you guessed it – looking cool. It was a visual feast that complimented the superb sound of the band.

Rush is bringing one of its classic albums out of the time machine this year. You might be wondering how the 30-year-old Moving Pictures album holds up in a modern live show. The ethereal keyboard tones do sound lifted from another time, but they’ve aged more like a fine wine. From its hits to its seldom played songs, the performance of the album was heartfelt and cheered all the way through by fans.

The past was given plenty of homage, but current works were far from left out. Still receiving play in addition to the two freshly penned songs are three choices from 2007′s Snakes & Arrows album, and a pair of songs from 1993′s Counterparts (close enough to this decade).

Geddy Lee carried through the set vocally without many flaws, but no doubt appreciated the fact that his band has plenty of instrumental selections to choose from. “YYZ” brought out another level of energy from the band; it’s one rocker that just doesn’t get old. The sounds of the 1993 cut of “Leave That Thing Alone” put the crowd into a daze, but that’s not to say that the bizarre imagery of cartoon animals on the LCD screen didn’t help.

There’s never really been any sort of shortage of stamina among the members of Rush, and this concert was no exception. Peart’s endurance on drums was exceptional, his skill culminating in one of those drum solos that makes a jaw drop. Accomplishing the moody and earthy tones of “Marathon” and the downright heavy crunches of the new piece “BU2B” was a piece of cake for Lifeson. And although Geddy Lee is most known as the fiery bassist, his keyboard expertise can’t be forgotten.

Their catalog of music does span back more than 35 years, but its a living and breathing entity that seems to be given new life with every concert. There’s no need for a time machine to track down Rush performing in their prime – its happening right now.

 

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 11:42 am. It is filed under Concert Coverage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.