Hello kids, I am back after nine hours of driving back and forth from St. Louis and seeing Rush at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheater. This was the best freakin' rock show I've ever been to. Easily worth the hours of sleep I lost and the six hundred miles roundtrip that I drove.
The show was kicked off by "Limelight" and immediately you knew you were in for a good show. The band does not lose any quality when playing live, they sound just like they do on the albums. This is a band that has been playing for over 30 years and it shows. Alex, Geddy, and Neil were completely in sync with each other and gave off a high energy show with a great set that spanned their careers and managed to play several tracks off the new CD. About seven jumbo-trons were on display ensuring that even the folks in general admission had a good view. The stage effects included lasers, smoke, movable lights, and pyrotechnics that could make a FX Tech at Disney World drop his jaw. The three and a hour show had no opener, just Rush, and included "YYZ", "Tom Sawyer", "Natural Science", and "Digital Man." And, of course, it wouldn't be a Rush show without a killer three and a half minute drum solo from Neil Peart.
As the three fellas enter into what most consider the "Retirement Years", age has not slowed them down one bit. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson gave off great energy and stage presence, just running around and kicking just total a**. Neil Peart, as always, was enclosed within a drum set that had no visible exit, in fact, the second part of his solo required his drums to be fully spun around where he used electronic drums, bells, and sound effects before launching into a full-out jazz/swing number. This just goes to show when you have three of the greatest living musicians in a band together.
Bottom line, if you ever have the chance to see these guys, take it and run with it. I bought tickets to this show back in April, and this show was completely sold out, even General Admission. The money spent is worth every penny. Take care.
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