After hundreds of concerts performed over the course of 35+ years, Rush as a live band is a known quantity. The essential elements of a Rush show - top-notch musicianship, humor, and energy - were on full display last night in front of a capacity crowd at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ.
Despite the typical New Jersey summer weather (temperature in the low 90s as the show opened), the group's energy rarely waned during the marathon three-hour set. The crowd for the most part was enthusiastic, although the classics ("Freewill", "Subdivisions", "The Spirit of Radio", and "Tom Sawyer") predictably got the best responses.
At age 53, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee is still one of the premier performers in rock. He plays at the same high level fans have come to expect throughout the years, and his vocal range might be as good as it's ever been. Guitarist Alex Lifeson was as solid as ever, although he was the victim of a sub-par sound mix (particularly during the first few songs). Virtuoso drummer Neil Peart no longer plays with the raw intensity he used to, but is no less impressive as a percussionist. His latest drum solo was one of the better ones he has performed in some time.
The 27-song set list focused heavily on 1980's Permanent Waves, 1981's Moving Pictures, and new album Snakes & Arrows. In fact, only two songs from the 1970s ("A Passage to Bangkok" and a tuned-down "Circumstances") were played at all. An early highlight was "Entre Nous", played live for the first time ever on this tour. Once again, Rush staple "Closer to the Heart" was left out, which was no surprise as the band has stated they are tired of playing it.
The only soft spots in an otherwise excellent set were a pair of songs from Snakes & Arrows, "The Larger Bowl" and "The Way the Wind Blows." Although they were both accompanied by appealing visuals, the crowd was noticeably restrained during them.
Article comments
1 - BOB
PNC BANK ART CENTER WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!
DISTANT EARLY WARNING SONG AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!
IT IS RUSH!
WHAT MORE CAN I SAY REALLY COME ON!!!!!!
SEE RUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 - Isorski
Great review! I just caught the band in Portland on Saturday and posted a review on my Blog. We got Summertime Blues instead of Distant Early Warning - otherwise the same killer set list.
3 - Christine Iacoucci
Rush is amazing!!!! I've seen so many bands in concert and nobody touches Rush and their ability to WOW the crowd for 3 hours. Their musical abilities are second to none. They are so intense and they still amaze me every time I see them (eight times in all) Their new album rocks hard. Any band that can put out songs without words that are full of hard pounding rock are #1 to me.
4 - Mike Dallmeier
I saw RUSH in St. Louis last night (Aug. 24th) at the Verizon Amphitheatre. I've been reading a lot of reviews which people have whined because RUSH did not play this or play that. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed their set did not include some of my favorites. It came to mind that this is not their R30 tour and yes, they are promoting their latest cd, S & A. The new songs played live sounded great! The video intros to each set were good also. Like many others have said if you wanted to listen to your old favorites you needed to stay home and play Rush in Rio. All three of them were in top form and it amazes me that at their age they can still crank it out. I've seen them 7 times in concert and it gets better every time for this true RUSh fan. I only hope they tour again before they retire!