Rush: Classic or Dud?

da BA BA BA BA da-da

BA da BA BA BA...

subdivisions rocks
which counters all that i've been
told about this band

the lyrics are too
obvious but what can you
expect from hosers?

http://www.clevernet.on.ca/pierre_trudeau/images/pic_trudeau_beer.jpg

DUD thereafter

Space-jazz-rock-tronic
If rednecks didn't like them
They'd be Kraftwerk-hip

Geddyvox

Less boy or girl than
Alien; Precise
Enunciation

Great band, I think.

the wisdom in this succinct observation is humid. i loved rush until i discovered indie and punk rock in high school. hearing that particularly melodramatic cut "the trees" (i think that's the title) is still powerfully evocative of my 13-15 years, playing D&D, obsessing about securing issue # 202 of Spiderman, and committing to memory SNL lines. so i'll grant my meaningless benediction upon Rush in the same manner as the astute scott p.

NEER-neer-neener-neener
NEE nee nerr
NEER-neer-neener-neener...

That's my "Tom Sawyer" tribute. They should have collaborated with Gary Numan. Maybe there's still time.

(uh, not that i knew very much about 'em)

I do enjoy them
Since, unlike so much prog-rock
They have some real hooks.

And I don't mean to
Be facetious. That stuff was
Cool to a young me.

Alex posted a fake setlist on FB.

The 12th song - Drum Solo ( titled “ Eat it, You Sexist Fucknuckles”) - LOL.

honestly the thing is I've seen like 1000 supportive posts about Anika for every sexist one, feels like people invented this strawman based on a stereotype of Rush fans

The best sense of it is probably this:

* Dudes certainly can love Rush
* Time (far from standing still) has clearly shown it's never been all dudes in the fanbase, especially over recent decades
* Lots of people outside said fanbase responded to news of Anika coming on board by making jokes about 'oh an actual woman in the arena at the time they play?' as if it was clever
* THOSE are the people who deserve to be trashed

I just ignore idiots like that. It's been nothing but a warm welcome for the new drummer, as close to universal approval as I could've hoped for. Man, she hits hard.

Regarding the presence of fourth member Loren Gold, he was useful on tracks where Geddy would've been pinned down by his taurus pedals. Ged sure liked being free during Spirit of Radio, which was cute. The piano on The Garden was especially nice.

*hey what the hell you only live once, right??*

*checks out prices on Chicago tickets*

*faints*

srsly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsAgGYM8_-A

sheesh yeah, I remember seeing a couple for Chicago in the $150-200 range not that long ago, wonder if these videos have convinced a bunch of fencesitters to go

I don't know anything about the new drummer's background but it's refreshing that she doesn't seem to fundamentally be a prog metal musician. Can't stand all those Portnoy types, whatever they're playing you just know they want to bust out the double kicks and bore you to death. Good choice on Geddy and Alex's part.

her own stuff is primarily jazz fusion, not great but definitely not a metal thing

amusingly I bet most of those people would probably cite Peart as their biggest influence, but they seem to miss the fact that Peart was still a basher first and foremost, this new lady seems to be too

Yeah, she hits hard! One of the best things about her in this band is despite the fact that Neil's parts are all more or less through-composed, orchestrated and very specific, she still finds way to make her mark. Like how on "Red Sector A" in that clip she doesn't enlist v-drums, or elsewhere how her kit doesn't have Neil's really high-tuned toms, which encourages her to change up some of the fills.

Quite a difference in setlists between nights!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTdVBY4dpbI

This looks like the most joyful, celebratory tour ever, lol.

Don't want to admit how much of my current mental health is dependent on "Tom Sawyer" drum fill vids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR_x_vrSZBM

I know she's a professional and all, but watching that first show I was awestruck at Niles' ability to even *remember* all those parts, let alone nail them. Felt a bit tense in places but then they were ripping thru YYZ and it was joyous.

If you pay attention, you can see her jump with surprise when the fire pots go off during Red Sector A, pretty charming.

Unexpectedly overcome by night 2 videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K-y4SreyOk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTX7nTwwPIY

I love all of this so much. So wholesome!

Like, there is something really inspirational about it, they're doing something kind of amazing by going back out and playing these songs.

Last night they stuck a complete Moving Pictures performance right in the middle of the show. No big deal.

The way these songs and setlists are being juggled really reflects the fun everyone's having. What a gift.

ya given the situation they could be forgiven for playing the same set every night but the fact that they're switching it up and doing all the most difficult stuff is really something

also apparently Sabrina Carpenter was at this show, hell yeah

To nitpick - seems to be no Power Windows, little of HYF, Presto, Vapor Trails. Seems strange given the keyboard options onstage

Further nitpicking - I think it’s a decent shout that Neil was most responsible for the static setlists and although the rotating etc they are doing now is great, I think the full song list is a bit conservative - they have staples they must play basically but I think this was a good opportunity to *really* play whatever the hell they liked beyond the ‘hits’

I guess, but it also reminds me of how the Flaming Lips would always introduce "She Don't Use Jelly" as something many in the crowd had heard a lot before, but also a song that many newbies in the crowd have never seen performed before, so just be happy for them. In the case of Rush, this is their first tour in around a decade, which means most people under the age of, I dunno, 25 or so have probably never had a chance to see the band, not to mention anyone else introduced to them in the past 10 years. So hits, whole albums, epic songs, it's nice they're shaking it up as much as they are, since they're trying to appeal to everyone from the heads to the kids.

Rush played a chunk of Power Windows on their 2012 tour, and it was awesome. With a tour this long, I wouldn't put it above them to toss in a track eventually.

I think this was a good opportunity to *really* play whatever the hell they liked beyond the ‘hits’

I think a lot of these veteran bands, even if and especially when they have played hundreds of shows, have internalized that what gets the audience reactions is "good", in spite of their own tastes. Like Judas Priest saying that when they played a song from their first album, the whole audience just stared at them, or Townshend saying the Who wouldn't be playing "Slip Kid" because no-one wants it. If the response is less than rapturous, they think they've done wrong.
Also I don't know to what extent Geddy and Alex really would enjoy playing "Take a Friend" or "Stick It Out" or whatever third-tier track.

I wonder if it's because much of Power Windows (still my fave!) and Hold Your Fire require lots of drum triggering. Anika did some of that, but that doesn't really seem to be her thing. Hence the lack of v-drums.