Tuesday, June 19, 2007




Rush hit the stage in Charlotte last night at the Verizon Amphitheatre.
It was hot. I wonder if they expected anything to ever be this hot. Can three guys from the Great White North ever be prepared for the hot humid stage outside in the southeast? Rush is from Toronto. Last time I was there in May it came a blizzard. But they took it in stride however. During the show, Geddy asked if the crowd could do him a favor. Since they were enjoying the hot weather and escaping the cold and snow of Canada, he brought out a video camera and asked the crowd to shout "Hi Canada" when he counted to three. The humor helped to keep thing even. Things like Alex’s "Barbie Doll" and Mr. Potato Head sitting on his amps. The racks in ovens filled with roasting chicken. These replaced the bank of clothes dryers from the last tour. Or the collection of post-it notes fashioned into a large sign. During Limelight, Alex was reading the notes and started cracking up ... he looked over to his roadie who was also cracking up. It was like the roadie had left the messages for Alex, who was seeing them for the first time. The show was relaxed and rockin’. The guys were having a great time on stage
The sound was nice and clear. Everyone seems to agree this is the tightest the band has ever been. Maybe it is the two months of rehearsal. Every song had freshness to it. The crowd seemed very receptive of the new material. Especially Neil's solo. It was different than any of his past solos. His new sound assortment for the electronic kit was a pleasant surprise. For you drummers keeping score on Neil's use of matched or traditional grip, He used matched 95% of the time and he held them normal with the tip hitting the head. He used traditional grip on 3 songs with the snare but very briefly. He can still beat the hound out of those drums.
The multi media interludes were fresh and very cool too. It was interesting to know so many younger fans enjoying the show. For some I am sure it was their first concert. What a way to start. No other show will ever come up to that standard.




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