Rush @ Target Center 9/24/12

I just got back from the show in Minneapolis at Target Center.

NIGHT A version 3*

Set 1:

Video Intro (Gearing Up)
Subdivisions
The Big Money
Force 10
Grand Designs
The Body Electric
Territories
Analog Kid
Bravado
Where's My Thing (with drum solo)
Far Cry
Intermission (Clockwork Angels String Ensemble enters)

Set 2:

Video Intro (The Appointment)
Caravan
Clockwork Angels
The Anarchist
Carnies
The Wreckers
Headlong Flight (with drum solo)
Halo Effect (with guitar solo intro)
Seven Cities Of Gold
The Garden
Manhattan Project
The Percussor (drum solo)
Red Sector A
YYZ
(Clockwork Angels String Ensemble exits)
The Spirit of Radio

Encore:

Tom Sawyer
2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx/Grand Finale
Video Outro (Office Of The Watchmaker)

The Highs:

a) Seeing some of the 80's tunes and RTB's stuff live. Although I probably would have taken the B set list with "Middletown Dreams" and "The Pass" instead of "The Body Electric" and "Bravado."

b) The String section when they could be heard namely on songs like "The Garden" and "The Wreckers."

The videos for the most part added stuff. "The Body Electric" and "Territories" come to mind.

The Lows

a) Target Center *supposedly* had a redesign in their approach to live music and has improved their sound quality. Uh, I'm not sure if they made it WORSE. Throughout the whole show there was a BASS AMPLIFIER that was jacked up so high, the String Ensemble was barely audible (at times not at all).

b) I saw the set list beforehand, although I failed to notice the fact BU2B was missing from the 2nd Set. A minor issue, but still, that song arguably is my favorite track off CA. I wonder if anyone knows why the band omitted it from the set. I'd trade songs like "Seven Cities of Gold," "The Anarchist," "Halo Effect" or even the "Title Track" and "Carnies" for it. I hope they do another leg and include it in the set list again.

c) Some of the arrangements seemed a bit extended/different. For one, "Manhattan Project," the 2nd half either was changed, or extended for the string section. Also Alex messed up in a few spots.

All in all, a good show. Rush still include a lot with the Visuals that are entertaining. Although not unlike a lot of other groups with a bit of a visual element, the BRIGHT LIGHTS really deter my enjoyment at times. I forgot to bring my sunglasses, but the frequent high-beam excessive flashes, that easily can cause Flash Burn is something I have never understood's purpose.

But compared to the other 6 times I've seen them, I'm not sure how well this show compares. Which is a little sad given their new studio record is the best thing they've released in quite awhile. And having the string section I figured would add all the more reason for this show to be HUGE. And perhaps if it had been at XCel or an outdoor venue like TCF Bank Stadium, it might have. But the people who are doing the sound at Target Center didn't give any evidence concerts there will sound any better than they used to (nor compare at all with XCel).

Rush to Tour with a STRING SECTION (Fall 2012)

billboard.com link

Not that this is anything visionary or new per say, but I suppose how Rush does it, compared to many others, does raise the bar of curiosity a bit. Also especially what potential songs from their catalog. Someone mentioned "Losing It," which is a tune many fans, including myself have longed to see performed live. The biggest thing about that one if memory serves, is they have been quoted (Geddy I believe) to only desire to play it live with Ben Mink (the violinist who plays on the studio recording). So unless that has changed, or if Ben Mink (of the Canadian band FM) were to come with Rush on tour, it doesn't sound likely.

That all being said, I can imagine a handful of others going over rather well if the arrangements are as they could be.

I might also add, how in the past, the clips Rush have used with South Park live (from an episode I believe), I would definitely prefer an adaptation/musical of the Clockwork Angels story by someone else other than Trey Parker and Matt Stone. But the odds of that happening seem rather low. I love Rush, but have never found South Park in the least bit funny. And I'm jewish and my name is Kyle, lol. But I guess it's a necessary evil if the Rush guys are such fans.

With "Clockwork Angels," its first new album in five years, just out, Rush is planning a tour that will surprise many of the Canadian trio's fans.

"Our intention is to take strings out on the road," guitarist Alex Lifeson tells Billboard.com. Orchestrations, arranged by David Campbell, feature on several of "Clockwork Angels' " tracks, and Lifeson says Rush will employ a small string ensemble, likely eight to 10 pieces, to recreate those pieces and to be added to some of Rush's older material. "It's just something different for us, and I can't wait to hear what it sounds like."

Lifeson says Campbell will be writing arrangements for the tour, which kicks off Sept. 7 in Manchester, N.H., and will likely appear at some of the shows as well. "Certainly in the beginning he'll be out for a bit," the guitarist says. "I think his intention is to use these musicians he's been working with for a long time, who he trusts, and once they're settled in he doesn't have to be around all the time and he can come out whenever he feels like it."

Lifeson says the production is "still in a planning stage" but promises that "it's a while new show. It's new staging, new lighting, everything is new and fresh about it. I would say that it's an evolutionary extension of what the (2010-11) Time Machine Tour was, but we are definitely freshening it up and bringing and there'll be a lot of new video stuff going on." And, of course, Lifeson and his mates expect to dedicate a considerable amount of stage time to "Clockwork Angels," a concept album that will be followed by a novel co-written by drummer/lyricist Neil Peart and Kevin J. Anderson.

"The set list is quite fluid these days," Lifeson reports. "We're dropping and replacing songs constantly, and that's the way it always goes before we get into rehearsals. There's a great deal of pressure on us now to do the whole record, which we don't anticipate. I think our intention is probably to prepare the whole thing; whether we'll do it or not we're still not sure, especially on the first leg of the tour. There's still a lot of older stuff we want to do, and we've got some great songs lined up from the past. We'd be loathe to drop them to add more of 'Clockwork Angels,' at least on the first leg. It's always nice to switch up on the second leg and make it a little different."

Lifeson hasn't read the "Clockwork Angels" novel yet, but says Peart was recently in the studio to record an audio version of the book. "That is all coming together very quickly and it will definitely be done in time for the tour, if not shortly before," he notes. As for other "Clockwork Angels" adaptations, Lifeson cracks that "maybe if we can get Trey and Matt (Parker and Stone of 'South Park' and 'The Book of Mormon' fame) to do the musical we'd have some success with it. But, you know, we're focused on the tour right now. The album just came out. The book is very important to Neil, and that's his little baby. But certainly for the three of us the album has been the most important thing, and what happens and comes of it, we'll see. We're preparing for the tour, and right now that's what our focus is. It's been very, very busy in the Rush camp for the past couple of months."

Rush: Interviewed by Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins)

nice interview with Geddy and Alex, that is around 50 minutes long. I hadn't heard about the fact on "The Wreckers" Geddy and Alex switched instruments.

The Smashing Pumpkins opening for Rush? as much as Billy sounds genuine and likable enough for that idea, I'd be rather surprised, at least in a full-scale tour, if that happens.

Of course personally, I'd love to see any number of other bands open for Rush, but I've come to believe it'll never happens as Rush along with their fans, enjoy the "Evening With" format a bit too much.

Rush - Clockwork Angels (2012)

Go stream the full "Headlong Flight" at this rollingstone.com link

digging the instrumental element, the vocals? jury=is=still-out. I'm not sure how good the vocal melodies Geddy comes up with in recent years ever become. Snakes and Arrows suffered from the same issue.

That being said, I am still optimistic after hearing this. The riffs are ballsy, which I dig no matter.

4/11/12 8:45AM

June 12th is now the release date.

Artwork, track list and a teaser for the song/single "Headlong Flight."

I guess there's a reference to "Bastille Day" (I haven't heard this yet)



1 Caravan
2 BU2B
3 Clockwork Angels
4 The Anarchist
5 Carnies
6 Halo Effect
7 Seven Cities of Gold
8 The Wreckers
9 Headlong Flight
10 BU2B2
11 Wish Them Well
12 The Garden

Billboard story

Rush will return this summer with "Clockwork Angels," the iconic prog-rock band revealed on Wednesday. The new album, due June 12, will be the trio's first studio effort since 2007's "Snakes & Arrows" and their debut for Anthem/Roadrunner Records.

For the new set, the band turned again to "Snakes & Arrows" co-producer Nick Raskulinecz and recorded in Nashville and Toronto. The conceptual set will trace a protagonist's journey through a world of steampunk, alchemy and an exotic carnival; drummer and lyricist Neil Peart is also penning a novelization of the album with prolific author Kevin J. Anderson

Between albums, Rush has kept busy with a series of tours, documenting their most recent dates with the "Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland" live album and DVD last November. (They also made an appearance as the object of Paul Rudd and Jason Segel's sonic affection in the 2009 film "I Love You, Man.")

The band is sharing an advanced taste of the music with a hard-riffing album trailer based on the "Clockwork" cover art.


2/20/12 1:07AM

As posted/linked here, the album is expected to come in May. Some stuff about it being loosely a concept, and stuff like the title track being a multi-part piece, has been posted before elsewhere, but still worth reading about/adding.

Am I expecting a prog masterpiece? no, not really. But I must admit, having liked "BU2B" and "Caravan" enough, I'm a little more intrigued by this, than I was hearing ":Far Cry" from Snakes and Arrows especially, a few years ago.

But as always, we'll see. I am kind of curious about the tour to support this record regardless.

Rush - Summer/Fall 2012 NA Tour dates

rushisaband.com

Sept 7: Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena
Sept 9: Washington, DC - Jiffy Lube Live
Sept 11: Pittsburgh, PA - CONSOL Energy Center
Sept 13: Indianapolis, IN - Klipsch Music Center
Sept 15: Chicago, IL - United Center
Sept 18: Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
Sept 20: Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
Sept 22: St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Sept 24: Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
Sept 26: Winnipeg, MB - MTS Center
Sept 28: Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Center
Sept 30: Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
Oct 10: Bridgeport, CT - Webster Bank Arena
Oct 12: Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
Oct 14: Toronto, ON - Air Canada Center
Oct 18: Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
Oct 20: Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
Oct 22: Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
Oct 24: Boston, MA - TD Garden
Oct 26: Buffalo, NY - First Niagra Center
Oct 28: Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
Oct 30: Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
Nov 1: Atlanta, GA - Verizon Wireless Ampitheater
Nov 3: Tampa, FL - 1-800-ASK-GARY Ampitheater
Nov 13: Seattle, WA - Key Arena
Nov 15: San Jose, CA - HP Pavillion
Nov 17: Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
Nov 18: Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Ampitheater
Nov 23: Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand
Nov 25: Phoeniz, AZ - US Airways Center
Nov 28: Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Nov 30: San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
Dec 2: Houston, TX - Toyota Center

Monday evening September 24th (the anniversary of my Bar Mitzvah by the way), they are at Target Center, a venue that is more or less infinitely inferior to XCel Energy Center, where 2 of their last 3 tours in Minnesota were (the other being at the MN State Fair).

I haven't missed a show of theirs since 1994, the 1st show they played in MN since I became a fan. I can't see myself a) missing this show b) paying more than my budget allows, hehe.