AndyO Blog

Cameron and I woke up late on Friday. (And when I say "late," I'm talking 11:30 a.m.). I opened the curtains and was blasted with pure, Canadian sunshine. Below, the streets and sidewalks were teeming with life.

Across the street at Teck Emergency Centre, patients dragged their IV carts (or dialysis machines) outside so they could steal a smoke. There were also strange phallic balloons poking out of hospital windows. At first I thought this look like some kind of bizarre procedure going on inside that room. Then, I wondered if it was an indication of a negative pressure room. From what I read, negative pressure rooms are used for someone with tuberculosis or another condition that requires a respiratory isolation protocol. (See picture below.)

Anyway, after we got showered and dressed, we headed out onto the crowded Vancouver sidewalks. The first thing I noticed was the modern, gleaming design of the Sheraton Wall Centre hotel. (Too bad the service level didn't match the architecture.)

As we walked toward our destination of Canada Place, two BMW motorcycles drove by at a casual pace, one red and one black. I knew from the look of the bikes that this was most likely Rush drummer Neil Peart and his riding partner Michael Mosbach.

I'm always amazed by the synchronicity you experience on trips (like running into someone you know). Not only were Cameron and I going to the Rush concert that night, but were actually meeting Michael Mosbach before the show.

But I'm getting ahead of the story...

Memories collide on the Vancouver Waterfront

One of the crown jewels in Vancouver (at least for me) is Canada Place. We'd once stayed there for one of Brenda's business conferences at the wonderful Pan Pacific Hotel. Cameron had only been 6 or 7 months old.

It was during that that trip that my Grandpa Olson had passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. I'd seen him only days before, although he was mostly unconscious (in hospice care at his home). 

I remember getting the call from my Mom in the morning that he had passed. Brenda was gone at the conference, so I couldn't talk to her. I felt a little cut off (and guilty) for not being there with my Dad, Grandma, and family. So I took Cameron out on the sidewalks of Vancouver in his stroller. As anyone knows, you can't stay sad around a baby for very long.

On this current trip, my 13-year-old Cameron and I walked around Canada Place, looking at the shops and exhibits and cruise ships. 

One cruise ship in particular was gigantic: Royal Caribbean's The Radiance of the Seas, pictured here:

Later I looked up the specs on the Royal Caribbean site:

With acres of glass enclosing the nine-story central atrium, elevators facing the sea, and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, you'll never be at a loss for an incredible view.

Radiance reminded me of the Titanic, mostly because of its size and extravagance (although I know there are ships that are bigger and more extravagant).

Historic Gastown

We strolled to Historic Gastown so we could enjoy another Vancouver tradition: eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory. (It's also become a sort of tradition before Rush shows -- at least in Canada. When I travelled to Toronto in 2007 to see Rush in their home city on two different nights, we ate at the Spaghetti Factory on both nights!)

During our lunch, Cameron secretly listened for a genuine Canadian "Eh?" He wasn't disappointed.

After eating a plate of pasta for our first (and only substantial meal) of the day, we went back to our hotel for a break before the Rush show. I knew we'd need to conserve our energy.

Of course the maids hadn't cleaned the room, but that really shouldn't have surprised me. I was starting to think the Sheraton really didn't want us staying there again.

Bonus photo: The view of the city from Canada Place

Labels: Rush, Travels, Vancouver B.C.

For the second time in two years, Rush brought the Clockwork Angels Tour to the Pacific Northwest. In November 2012, they'd played downtown Seattle at Key Arena; but this time around, they were playing Vancouver B.C. (Friday) and the Portland, OR, area (Sunday).

Being the Rush fan I am, I usually try to see all the shows in the area. But I was leaving for a family reunion in Yellowstone on Saturday, which meant I could only see the Friday show. My 13-year-old son was also going with me, so I decided to extend the trip into a few nights, instead of driving up and back in one day. (I was also wary of crossing the border on a Friday.) 

With our plan in place, Cameron and I set off to Vancouver around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, a 2-1/2 hour drive.

It was a perfect night for traveling with clear skies and light traffic -- until we got to the U.S./Canadian border. Since we were driving on Thursday (and not Friday), I was expecting 15-30 minutes to cross into Canada. But it took over an hour.

At least the view was good:

After crossing the border and driving for a little while, I looked in my rearview mirror. There I saw the moon peeking over the horizon, red and ominous, like the Eye of Sauron.

This isn't my photo (after all, I was driving!), but this is what the moon looked like (thanks to Luis Argerich for taking this one):

Arriving in Vancouver: Sheraton Wall Center disappoints

We arrived at our hotel around 11:00 p.m. after 4 hours in the car. As we climbed the escalator to the main lobby, we heard the strains of Latin piano drifting from the bar, accompanied by a rhythm track. A few older couples were dancing smoothly. Cameron noted how "everyone is dressed up in fancy clothes."

We had to wait to check in, as only one person was working at the front desk (and the man in front of us was asking a lot of questions). Finally, it was our turn, but as we were checking in the woman at the front desk said, "Your room with one king bed is in the south tower -- "

"Wait, didn't I book two beds?" I asked.

"You did, but I don't have any rooms left with two beds. Also, Mr. Olson, it is after 11:00 p.m."

Even though she was right (I was arriving at 11:00 p.m.), it was almost comical to hear this tone coming from someone in the hospitality industry. I think she must have realized how she sounded, as she said we could call the next day to check for an alternate room.

After that, we went downstairs again to get our bags and waited for another five minutes for the valet (a long time when you're really tired). Then we walked to the "south tower," which meant going back up the escalator and walking about 100 yards.

Once in the south tower lobby, we waited five more minutes for an elevator (due to a large crowd). On the sixth floor, we walked though a labyrinth hallway to our room.

But our key didn't work.

As I kept trying the key, doubt started to creep into my exhausted mind that we were in the right place. I pictured a couple waking up in their king-size bed, wondering who was trying to break in. So I decided to haul all our bags and weary bodies to the south tower lobby again.

I didn't see anyone to ask in the lobby, so I went outside to interrupt the valets wearing fancy hats in the midst of an important midnight conversation. They looked at my key and verified that we were indeed in the right place -- then went back to their important conversation.

Back at our room, the key opened the door. As we unpacked and settled in, I realized how much I yearned for hospitality and customer service after a long day of travel. And I if I'm paying over $300 (U.S.) per night, I kind of expect that level of service. (I would find out later through reviews on Expedia that many people reported similar experiences at the Sheraton Wall Centre -- even though it averages 4 out of 5 stars.)

Cam and I went to bed around 12:30. He fell asleep right away, but I was up until around 2:00 a.m..

For some reason, Vancouver is one of the loudest cities -- especially when you're right across the street from an emergency room. I cranked the air conditioner to try to drown it out, but it still sounded like periodic battles on the streets below.

Labels: Rush, Travels, Vancouver B.C.

This was my first show on the 2011 "Time Machine" tour, and my third for both legs of the tour.

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I flew down to Phoenix to visit my friend Dan and family and see a Rush show. On our last adventure in 2010, Dan and I traveled to Las Vegas to see Rush at the MGM Grand (Rush hadn't played in Phoenix for the 2010 leg). That had been an amazing show -- and quite a contrast from the outdoor show I'd seen in Washington State at White River Amphitheater.

This time, Rush was playing the indoor U.S. Airways Center instead of the usual outdoor Cricket Amphitheater (or whatever it's called these days). Given the oppressive Phoenix heat (only 110-degrees Fahrenheit!), I thought this a wise choice� until I walked in the venue, where it felt like a sauna. (And it never cooled off throughout the night, so I'm assuming the AC was broken.)

Before the show

Like the Vegas show, Dan and I got some excellent seats right off the floor -- but on Geddy's instead of Alex's side.

Since we were an hour early, Dan and I sat, talked, and did a lot of people watching. Dan spotted the professional golfer Rocco Mediate backstage, talking to some of the Rush crew. Given that Dan is a huge golf fan (and excellent golfer himself), he was excited to see someone like Rocco there.

When Rocco walked from backstage onto the floor Dan called out to him, and Rocco waved back. A few minutes later, Rocco walked up the steps from the floor, and he stopped to say hello. Dan asked if he'd been golfing with Alex Lifeson that day (on Thursday), but Rocco said they'd golfed the day before. Rocco asked if we'd seen the show, and commented on how amazing it was. (Weeks after this encounter, whenever I mentioned to golfers that I met Rocco Mediate at a concert, they think I was lucky. I guess the playoff he had with Tiger Woods in 2008 was a big deal in the golf world.)

The next celebrity we spotted was Randy Johnson, former MLB fastball pitcher for (my) Seattle Mariners, (Dan's) Diamondbacks, and the Yankees (among others). He was talking to Gump and a few other Rush crew members backstage. When the other photographers gathered before the show, Randy gathered with them holding his camera. He shot photos during the first three songs, but also took pictures throughout the show (at one point, he took photos behind Neil's kit). Read more about Johnson's love of music and photography here.

Set One

After the opening video (which I still find hilarious), the band blasted through "The Spirit of Radio." The crowd around us was supercharged for the first two songs, with guys high-fiving and hugging each other. After that, they seemed to settle down. (Of course they settled down...it was 85 degrees in the building.)

When Geddy greeted the crowd, he also commented on the heat:

A friend of mine, Paul Secord, had mentioned how "dialed in" Rush was at a show in Chicago earlier this year, and now I knew what he meant. Not only were they playing tighter, but there was a more relaxed feel to what they were playing. It seemed like Rush had arrived at some new level of musicianship, something that had started during the Test for Echo tour.

For Neil Peart in particular, he seems to have found the sweet spot of playing composed drum parts with fire, fluidity, and some improvisation. This difference in feel is one of the reasons the songs have such a nice groove on this tour.

Geddy has always maintained a high level of musicianship, and I've rarely seen him make mistakes (which is amazing, when you consider all he has to do). While he's been working on his "Flamenco" bass style since Counterparts, the way he locks in with Neil is one of the signatures of the Rush sound. And he's not afraid to add improvisation at the right moment: At the end of "Leave That Thing Alone," he started ripping on the bass, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Afterward, he apologized for his "self-indulgence."

Alex Lifeson also seems to have found a new groove on the "Time Machine" tour. While not as precise as Geddy and Neil, his playing is like an emotional current racing across the rhythm section. In the older songs, like "La Villa Strangiato" and "Working Man," he played solos that made my jaw drop. As I commented to Dan, "Alex is the the most underrated guitar player out there."

Dirty Dancing at Rush

Concerts are always an interesting place to people watch, but some of what I saw at this show was new to me.

Right in front of me stood a very attractive woman and her male counterpart. Not only was she dancing along to every song, she and her companion were dirty dancing. After a few too many beers, the dancing  got so sensual and provocative that even the Rush crew started to notice. The woman finally made the guy stand in front of her so he couldn't run his hands all over her anymore. (You can actually see them change places in the video above.)

Set Two

Then came the second part of the show, the part where Rush plays Moving Pictures in its entirety. I wondered if I would grow tired of hearing this album by the third show, but I didn't.

During "The Camera Eye," I noticed that Geddy wasn't playing anything on the keyboards. The entire keyboard beginning of that song is sequenced (which I understand given that Geddy probably wants a short break ). But on this night, some of the keyboard parts were out of sync somehow -- and Geddy wasn't happy, as he motioned for the guy on the side of the stage to fix it. I've seen this before with Geddy, where he gets visibly frustrated. During moments like this, you get a sense of his perfectionism.

Drum Solo

Neil's solo was once again amazing -- probably the best I'd ever seen. The looser, more fluid technique helped propel the beginning improvised section. I especially noticed during the "floating snare" section.

The electronic section also sounded fresh, but I'm not sure how much he's changed it from last year. The triplet rhythms he plays across the on-the-beat tambourine part are really tricky, especially when he's playing the melodic part on the midi marimba. I'm always amazed how he keeps everything together.

And just when you think he can't do more, he shifts to the "Love for Sale" section. I remember getting a little bored with the horn sections he played in the 90s (like the solo on Show of Hands), but the Jazz sections of his solos since Vapor Trails have always kept my interest and are the perfect climax for the solo.

"Closer to the Heart" onward

From "Closer to the Heart" to the end of the show, the "Time Machine" set built to a crescendo. While I used to tire of "Working Man" on previous tours, I think the Reggae style at the beginning really helps to keep that song fresh. There are moments in "Working Man" where Rush seem like they're just jamming -- like you walked into their garage. While the solo section of this song isn't as structured as, say, the middle sections of "Free will," "Caravan," or "Marathon," it's no less interesting. I swear Alex almost set fire to his guitar with the solo he played.

At this point, I pointed out to Dan that the concert seemed sold out. There were people packed to the rafters, except on the sides, which were blocked off with black curtains (possibly due to obstructed views). (I've found out since the concert that Rush sold 10,777 out of 12,472 available seats.)

Dan and I agreed beforehand that we'd exit during the outro "I Still Love You, Man" film, since we'd seen it already and it would give us a jump on traffic. We dashed out onto the downtown streets by 10:50 and were home by 11:30. As is tradition, we stopped at Wendy's by Dan's house in Tempe. As I was eating, I realized I had salt stains on my t-shirt -- something that doesn't happen to me unless I'm playing drums at a concert.

I guess salt stains can happen at Rush concerts, too (especially when the damn AC is broken).

Labels: Concerts, Rush

Every Rush tour, I try to see a show with my friend Dan Martin in Phoenix. For this tour, the closest the band would get to Phoenix was Las Vegas. So we bought VIP tickets (I figured if we were traveling all that way, we might as well have great tickets).

This show came only a week after my first "Time Machine" show in Auburn, WA, which was one of the best Rush shows I'd ever seen. But I was curious if that had been a magic show -- or if the band was playing like this every night.

Seeing them in Las Vegas would help answer this question.

Flying to Phoenix

On Thursday, I flew down to Phoenix and Dan picked me up at the airport. Since the show was on Saturday, this gave us time to catch up. I got to visit with his wife Kim, his kids, and even do a little swimming. (I also had my face melted by the 110-115-degree heat.)

One funny anecdote: Alaska Airlines sent my luggage to Alaska instead of Phoenix. So we had to wait around at Dan and Kim's house on Friday for my luggage to be delivered. When it arrived, it had the following tag attached:

The road to Vegas

On Saturday, Dan woke me up at 5:00 a.m. and we headed out under a pastel dawn sky. (Dan wanted to wake me up at 4:30, but I told him that I didn't function very well before 5:00.)

Having been friends since third grade, Dan and I had taken many trips together (including my first Rush concert in Tacoma, WA, in 1984). In addition to sharing a love of Rush and many other rock bands, we enjoyed talking about movies, technology, books, computer games, and many other subjects. This trip was no exception, except we ended up talking about our kids as much as the other subjects. 

As we drove closer to the Nevada border, the scenery changed from flat desert to dramatic mountains and rock formations.

We stopped at Hoover Dam, which I'd never seen before. Hoover dam is part of Highway 93 between Phoenix and Las Vegas. There were traffic jams before 9/11, but now with the security checks, the jams extended for miles on bad days. But we were crossing early in the morning (one of the reasons Dan wanted to leave early).

To the south, we saw the new bypass bridge that will be diverting cars around the dam in early November, 2010.

Checking into New York, New York

Dan and I arrived in Vegas around 12:30 p.m. and went directly to the hotel. We used the time before our room was available to eat lunch, gamble, and people watch. (Dan said, referring to our gambling luck, "It would be better to just give the hotel our money upon arrival to save time.")

This was the third Rush concert I'd seen in Las Vegas -- the last two being the Test for Echo tour in 1996 (at Thomas and Mack Center) and R30 in 2004 (at the MGM Grand). Once again, we'd be seeing Rush at the MGM Grand.

Once our room was available, we enjoyed spectacular views of the New York, New York, rollercoaster from our window. After that, we just relaxed -- because we knew it would be a long night of standing -- and we had gotten up damn early. (Once Dan tuned into golf on TV, I started to feel sleepy.)

Showtime

Dan and I walked across the sky bridge between New York, New York, and the MGM Grand. Like the previous show, there was a current of people flowing to the arena -- and most of them wore Rush t-shirts. This current would sweep us past thousands of slot machines, the MGM lion habitat (about a month before a lion attacked a trainer), stores, restaurants, and finally the Box Office.

For some reason, we had to pick up our VIP tickets at the Box Office (as opposed to getting them in the mail). As we waited there with the other Rush fans, a parade of bikini-wearing young women walked by us (coming from the pool, I guess) -- as if it was normal to be walking in a "mall" with a bikini. It was entertaining to say the least.

Once we were inside the arena, we were met by the tuxedo-wearing MGM ushers. These are professional ushers -- not the temp worker security people you see at other venues. At the last show, I watched them take out concertgoers who would have gotten away with murder at any other venue.

After we ate some food, we peered into the arena. A fog hung over the dimly-lit space that made everything look blurry from a distance. Dan and I walked down to our seats.

As many fans know, these seats were not cheap. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed. Talk about a perfect sightline:

While we still had an hour before the show, time passed quickly. I pointed out Rush crew members to Dan, including manager Ray Daniels, keyboard tech Jack Secret (he seemed to have quite a few friends in the crowd), and lightning director Howard Ungerleider. We talked to the usher in our section, who told us Lady Gaga had performed at the MGM the night before (it was a mad house).

Set 1

The lights went out, the crowd exploded with energy, and the intro film started up. Unlike the show I'd seen a week before, this was indoors -- so there was almost total darkness, unlike the pre-twilight of an amphitheater show. Dan loved the opening film. But what he loved more was that the owner of the seat to his left (which was on the aisle) hadn't shown up. This left us with a lot more room to spread out.

The band ripped through their set with the same intensity I'd seen in Auburn. Neil, in particular, was playing with the same controlled fire, and, if anything, seemed even more intense. The other thing I noticed was the sound was much better than it had been at my previous show. I could hear everything perfectly and didn't need earplugs.

There were a few downsides to being on an aisle. First, we watched the battle between the crowd and the ushers. Obviously many of these people didn't know they were dealing with professionals who weren't letting them pass without a ticket for the front section.

Second, there was the constant distraction of people making beer runs (funny how no one from our VIP section was making beer runs). We saw the same thing over and over (like a bad joke): A guy walks down the stairs with two beers; has to put his beer down to get his ticket; can't find his ticket; has to go find his girlfriend who happens to be rocking out near the front row.

Then there was the woman who wanted backstage. She got so violent, the police had to be called in.

There was one guy in the seats above us that Dan pointed out who practically made my night: As he was dancing around, he seemed to be miming the lyrical meaning of each song with hand gestures and body movement. It reminded me of something I'd seen at my only Grateful Dead concert. While I thought it was mostly entertaining to see someone displaying this type of musical interpretation, there was also something kind of pure about it.

Finally, the guy who owned the seat next to Dan showed up on the last song of the set. Dan and I were both wondering how someone who paid that much to see a show could arrive that late. I'm sure he had a good reason.

Through it all, the band played as well or better than the first set I'd seen in Auburn.

Set 2

As I watched Rush play all of Moving Pictures again, I realized that much of the magic from this tour was coming from the power of those songs. I think listening to those songs in order brings back strong memories for hardcore fans -- as well as people who just love that album. There's a feedback loop between band and crowd that grew in intensity with each song.

After it was all over, Dan turned to me and said, "That was incredible!"

Once Neil started his solo, I noticed a more improvisational flair than at the other show. It didn't hurt that we had a perfect view. I did see him throw in the double-hand crossover, which I hadn't seen in Auburn, which made me smile.

When Alex played his guitar solo, I took the opportunity to sit down for a moment (as many of the people did around us), and prepare for the final few songs and the encore. I was starting to feel my 5:00 a.m. wake-up time in my legs.

When the band got to their last song, "Working Man," I was more blown away than usual with Alex Lifeson's guitar solo. Alex isn't usually flashy, so when he starts shredding on an old song like this it becomes clear how underrated this guy really is. (And, hearing the Reggae version of "Working Man" again, I have to say it was growing on me even more.)

When the band was done, and the "I Still Love You, Man," outro completed, Dan said that he still hadn't seen that movie. I knew that we'd need to rent it before I flew back to Seattle (which we did).

As we walked out of the arena, I heard the polka version of "Closer to Heart," on the PA, which was starting to grow on me, too. I now had my answer about whether I had seen a magic show in Auburn or if the band was playing like this every night.

Dan agreed it was probably the best Rush show he'd ever seen.

Labels: Concerts, Rush

This review is from the White River Amphitheatre show in Auburn, WA, that happened on 8/7/10. It's taken me a while to write this, but here it is.

The short review: This was one of the best Rush shows I've ever attended. The band played at a level I'd never seen before; the stage design was imaginative and fun; the crowd was electric. What more could someone want at a Rush concert. Or any concert?

Pre-show: 5:05 p.m

I stood in the rain outside White River Amphitheatre with my 10-year-old son, Cameron, listening to the sound check. I hadn't heard Rush do a sound check since the Roll the Bones tour in Vancouver, B.C. (Gone are the days when they had jam sessions during sound check. Here's one that Billy Sheehan posted of a jam he had with Alex and Neil).

"Why does it sound so strange?" Cameron asked, referring to the booming sound echoing from the amphitheater.

"Because we're listening to it out here instead of inside," I said.

First, they played "Faithless," from Snakes & Arrows. Then came the title track from Presto, in its entirety. Finally, "The Spirit of Radio," from Permanent Waves, which would be the first song of the night. I heard a little bit of "Subdivisions" keyboard from Signals, and they were done.

Cameron and I gathered my wife Brenda and brother Erik from of the car and headed into the VIP entrance, the rain still beating down on us.

Living in VIP land

The VIP area at White River is a cordoned off section with a bar and free food (this is not the same thing as the VIP Rush package from Live Nation). We'd scored these tickets from Aaron, Erik's old roommate, and the VIP service came with them (thanks Aaron!). For us, this meant lounging around on a leather couch, eating BBQ sandwiches, chips, pretzels, and drinks.

After an hour, we left the VIP area and headed to the mile-long line in front of the merch tent. Fortunately the rain had abated. I bought a new blue Time Machine shirt, and Cameron got a Moving Pictures shirt.

Time Machine: Set 1

Once we got to our seats, I said hello to all my friends, Steve, Monica, Dave and Keith from B.C., Paul, his son Nich, and Jen. It was nice to catch up, but there's never enough time before a Rush show.

Here's the view from our seats before the show:

Here's a Photosynth that a friend of mine did from seats very close to ours, where you can see the entire amphitheater before showtime.

The show started with the intro film, which I'd seen on the Internet -- but it was even funnier with the anticipation of the show. And then Rush blasted into "The Spirit of Radio." A wave of energy released from the crowd, more intense than just about any Rush show I'd attended . 

Our seats were dead center in section 103, row two, which had its advantages and disadvantages. First, these were great seats (thanks again, Aaron!) -- some of the best I've had at a show, and they worked well for Cameron, since he only had one row in front of him. However, because we were in front of an aisle, it was a little distracting to see a constant stream of people flowing by.

As Rush played through their set, which I'd read beforehand but hadn't memorized, I realized how different this show was from the previous years:

• "Time Stand Still" hadn't been played in 16 years.
• "Presto" had never been played live.
• The funky, eclectic instrumental "Leave That Thing Alone" was back after a few tours, and it sounded better than ever. 
• The opening riff to the new song "BU2B" was heavier than just about anything Rush had written in years, and the background visuals were stunning.

By the time the band got to "Marathon," I started to notice a confidence in Neil's playing that was fresh and exciting -- even a little dangerous.

As most fans of Neil's know, his style and technique is always changing. When he joined Rush, his playing also had an adventurous quality, like Keith Moon, but more controlled. But as he and Rush developed over the years, his playing became more and more composed and confident. Since studying with Freddy Gruber before 1996's Test for Echo, I've heard a more improvisational style of playing creeping into Neil's performances.

On this particular night, Neil seemed relaxed behind the kit, with new drum patterns emerging where another fill or beat once had been. I knew it wasn't just me: my brother and I kept sharing looks of disbelief. These new elements had the effect of lifting a song's intensity, and I think this is one of the reasons "Marathon" sounded so good.  

Rush ended the first set with "Subdivisions," which felt as smooth and powerful as ever. Geddy made the comment that Rush were "no longer spring chickens" and needed a rest, and it was intermission. I was surprised by how fast the first set had flown by.

Time Machine: Set 2

As the intermission came to an end, you could feel it in the air: the anticipation of hearing Rush's1981 breakthrough album, Moving Pictures. As many fans have pointed out since Rush returned to playing live 2002, they've played every song off Moving Pictures except "The Camera Eye." They've also played most of the songs off Permanent Waves, with the exception of "Jacob's Ladder" and "Different Strings." I was curious and excited to hear the original sequence of the the songs on Moving Pictures. After all, this album was from an era when song sequencing was an art form -- each song building on the last, like the stories in a book of short stories.

After the hilarious intro film, Rush tore through the songs of Moving Pictures as if they were as excited to play them as we were to hear them. They all sounded great, but for me the real gem I was waiting for was "The Camera Eye." I wasn't disappointed. In particular, I enjoyed the visuals, showing scenes of New York and London -- "Grim faced and forbidding, their faces closed tight" vs. "Wide-angled watcher of life's ancient tales."

Once again I noticed how Neil changed fills or beats throughout "The Camera Eye." One of the most interesting was the way he expanded the "double-ride" beat bridging the two parts of the song (he usually goes into a more conventional Rock beat about halfway through). They also cut some of the more repetitive sequences.

In short, the performance of Moving Pictures exceeded my expectations. I wondered if they could play it with this level of intensity every night (I knew I'd soon get a chance in Las Vegas to compare).

The new song "Caravan" also sounded great live, with a jam session in the bridge reminiscent of "Free Will." The visuals on the screen were also jaw dropping -- a perfect backdrop for the music.

Drum Solo

After reading Neil's August, 2010, blog entry, I was curious how he would approach his solo. In his section about traveling: "I: The Art of Improvisation," he wrote:

This tour I have deliberately designed my drum solo to be more improvisational than ever before, and that has led me into some "adventures" that have their analogues to the art of traveling…

My solo is built on three rhythmic foundations, which I think of as "The Steampunk Waltz" (freeform melodies and rhythms in 3/4 time), "The Steampunk Stomp" (polyrhythms in 4/4 with upbeats against downbeats), and "The Steampunk Mambo" (a Latin ostinato, or repeating rhythm--regular readers will recall its root in the Italian word for "obstinate," or "stubborn"). Through a couple of different variations, including the electronic drums at the back, I continue to explore and stretch my limits in all of those frameworks, and all of them converge toward the end--the big-band climax of "Love For Sale."

On this night, the improvisation over the "rhythmic foundations" certainly made the solo a lot more unpredictable -- even though I recognized patterns and melodies. Considering how many years of solos Neil has played, it's impressive that he continues to change and refine it.

Mr. Ray Daniels

One of the interesting things I noticed at the show was how Ray Daniels, Rush's manager, was watching the show -- usually from the handicap section, which was right in front of us. He seemed to know a lot of the people there, shaking hands, hugging people. He also seemed to be patrolling around the front section of the venue.

Erik turned to me and said, "Is Ray Daniels now doing security?" and we both laughed.

This was the second time I'd seen Ray Daniels at the Rush show in Seattle. Perhaps he'd always been there, but I'd never noticed him. 

The Final Act

As Rush continued through their final songs and into the encore, I was once again surprised.

In the final verse of "Closer to the Heart," the band downshifted into 6/8 time (a fast waltz), stretching out the music and the lyrics. Gone was the long jam on three notes with Alex introducing the band.

"2112: Overture" and "Temples of Syrinx," followed by "Far Cry," created a wave of energy that took the band into the Encore. (One "nugget" as Geddy called it during "2112" is worth noting: During the "And the meek shall inherit the earth" bridge between the two songs, as Geddy tried to sing Alex played the wrong notes. Geddy finally exclaimed, "Where is that guy?" When they started playing "Temples," Alex hid behind his amps in mock shame, with Geddy and Neil laughing.)

"La Villa Strangiato" started off as a kind of post-disco Polka. Neil played bells on the midi-marimba during this section, too. I have to say I didn't recognize anything at all until the "La Villa" riff, which finally blasted into the heavy version we're all used to.

For some reason, I never grow tired of "La Villa." All of the different movements, all the amazing musicianship, it truly fits the subtitle of the song, "An Exercise in Self-Indulgence." Only "The Main Monkey Business" from Snakes & Arrows has come close to the same level of self- indulgence, but in a much more compressed way.

"Working Man" with its Reggae opening was a tour-de-force, and Alex Lifeson was particularly brilliant. While I know this song has been played much in the past 8 years, I enjoyed the new arrangement.

And then they were done.

The outro film, I Still Love You, Man, riffed on the move, I Love You Man, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, and I thought it was absolutely hilarious. The two Rush fans sneak backstage into Rush's dressing room, and then Rush arrives after the show. I especially like how Neil gets really mad, with deep sighs, steely-eyed glares.

Also funny was when they call Neil "Mr. Part." Neil says, "It's just Peeert."

"Are you sure?" the two fans ask. "Because we're pretty big fans."

White River blues

Trying to get out of the White River parking lot is an exercise in futility and patience. Unless you leave the show early, it's just a sad reality with this venue. The infrastructure isn't set up for 15-20,000 people trying to leave the parking lot at the same time.

It took us 40 or so minutes to get out of the parking lot, and my brother swore he'd never see a show at that venue again. I don't blame him.

I was home by 1:00 a.m.

Epilogue

The next day I slept in. I mean really slept in. Cameron had tried to wake me up several times because he wanted to play all of Moving Pictures in its entirety on the drums. My wife kept him at bay until 11:00 a.m.

Just to hear Cameron playing along to those songs in his own way was one of the great benefits of seeing that concert. That's Rush and Neil Peart -- inspiring on so many different levels.

And, as Jack Black said in the documentary: Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, they've still got the "Rocket Sauce."

Labels: Concerts, Rush

For my final Rush show on the Snakes & Arrows tour, I went with my brother and his girlfriend Helen. They picked me up around 2:00, and we drove straight to the amphitheater (only stopping off at Wendy's and a rest stop). As usual, Erik and I talked (Helen wanted to sleep in the back).

When we got to Clark County, three or so hours later, I stepped out into surprisingly cold air. I'd worn shorts, and I was trying to decide whether to put on my sweats. Instead, I just put on a North Face jacket, and then we walked to the venue.

Even though we had an hour or so before the show started, I ended up passing the time quickly by talking to friends. Monica told me that Ray had talked to Howard, Rush's lighting director, about the Gorge show the night before. Howard said that it had been a very difficult concert for the crew, and that he'd lost a bunch of lights and lasers due to the wind. He said that instead of going to the after-show party with the crew, he ended up going right to bed. He was looking forward to playing the show at Clark County.

Set 1

When the show started, Geddy came out wearing a long coat. He also had a scarf wrapped around his neck. Seeing this made me feel even colder than I already was. The band sounded great, and at close range they looked like they were having fun.

Almost right away, Alex acknowledged a group of guys standing in front of me, many of whom were wearing golf gear. (I'm guessing that he'd gone golfing with them during the day -- or at least seen them on the course.)

I spent some time pointing things out to Helen, as this was her first Rush concert. She seemed genuinely amazed at all the stuff going on, and recognized a bunch of the songs

As with every show at Clark County, the shortest man in the venue ended up standing behind Erik, who stands at 6 feet 7. The problem was, he really couldn't stand behind Helen or me, as we both stand at or over 6 feet. Somehow, he ended up moving down his row where he could see better. In general, people seemed to be moving around quite a bit.

During the intermission, I walked up to the restroom with my friend Keith, and we talked about what we'd been doing since we'd last seen each other. As we were standing in the mile-long line at the restroom, we saw a bunch of security people and finally Sheriff's deputies run into the bathroom. I never did see them pull someone out, but it sure looked exciting.

Monica told me that Steve had been shut down from taking pictures by Michael Mossbach, Rush's security director. He found it odd that he was the only one Michael targeted, as everyone around them was either taking pictures or video (or holding signs that blocked the view).

Set 2

During the second set, I wasn't getting any warmer. In fact, I think the temperature dropped into the low 50s (F). Geddy continued to wear the long coat and the scarf across his neck.

I noticed a lot of activity off the stage, with Rush security people scanning the audience. They seemed to be pointing right at me, although I wasn't taking any pictures or doing anything other than air drumming (when appropriate, of course). Sure enough, Michael inched by me and then waited behind a guy who was taking pictures. Then he tapped him on the shoulder, and, from what I could tell, erased every picture the guy had taken. What was odd was this guy was with the golf guys that Alex had acknowledged, and was wearing a backstage pass on his shirt.

When the band played Witch Hunt, I saw Geddy warming his hands on the fire, which I thought was funny. But I have to admit the heat felt pretty good. As the band got closer to the end of the show, some other interesting things happened.

During One Little Victory, Neil seemed to miss the hi-hat downbeat he plays along with the double-bass. He ended up switching the beat around until he found the downbeat. What was strange was at the end of the song, he did the same thing. It almost sounded like he was bored and trying to find a new way to play the beat.

During YYZ, Alex made some big boo-boos. During the chorus, he started on a wrong note. He looked back at Neil, who was laughing at him. He kept making self-deprecating gestures to the audience -- like holding his nose as if to acknowledge his poor playing.

Making Memories

This show marks the end of my Snakes & Arrows tour. The band is going on to play many more shows, but between the 2007 and 2008 tours I've seen Rush nine times -- including my first ever Toronto shows and Ottawa. I remember when I used to see these guys once every two years.

People always ask me why I attend so many shows, and I guess the simplest answer is that Rush's music makes me happy. It reminds me of why I picked up the drum sticks. It inspires me. It gives me an excuse to travel to places I've never been, and see friends I haven't seen in a while. There aren't too many things that can do that for me.

So, for those who want to know, here were my favorite shows on the tour:

1. Toronto 2 (2007)
2. Phoenix (2008)
3. Clark County (2008)
4. White River (2007)
5. The Gorge (2008)
6. Toronto 1 (2007)
7. Vancouver B.C. (2008)
8. Clark County (2007)
9. Ottawa (2007)

Labels: Concerts, Rush, Snakes and Arrows 2008

I wasn't originally going to take Cameron to the Gorge show, but then I ended up buying some box seat tickets that someone advertised at work. This would allow Cameron to be able to see over the crowd, as the box seats were elevated behind the floor seats.

On the day of the concert, Cameron and I met Monica and Ray (who had flown in from New York) at Monica's house. A light rain was falling, so I brought my rain jacket. We piled in Monica's car and drove off to Eastern Washington.

Ray had never been to the eastern side of the state. We drove over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 through a dramatic mountain landscape. Seeing that familiar road through Ray's eyes made me appreciate it more than usual.

Descending from the mountains, we passed from the sea of green trees into the pale desert of Eastern Washington -- finally turning off at Ellensburg. This city, home to Central Washington University, was usually a place where I stopped off for food, gas, or a bathroom break, but this time Monica wanted to drive the back roads to Ginkgo Petrified Forest. In all my trips from Seattle to the Tri-Cities (where I grew up), I'd never traveled this back road of rolling hills, sagebrush, volcanic rocks, and wind farms.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest

I had stopped at Ginkgo Petrified Forest only one other time, when I was a kid. From what I found out at the interpretive center, it was formed about 15 million years ago when ancient forests were covered with volcanic ash, which gradually replaced the tree trunks with minerals in the groundwater. The petrified trunks were protected by basalt, until the Missoula floods eroded the basalt at the end of the last ice age. These petrified trees weren't discovered until 1927, and when they were done excavating them in 1938 they had discovered 50 species of trees on the site -- including (you guessed it) a ginkgo tree.

We watched a movie about the discovery of these petrified trees, and enjoyed the stunning view of the Columbia River from the visitor's center.

Welcome to the Gorge

After Ginkgo, we drove on the last leg of our journey to the Gorge, near George, Washington. Now, I'll be the first to say that the Gorge is not my favorite place to watch a concert. Except for the backdrop of the Columbia River Gorge, it's out in the middle of nowhere, and the facilities (parking, bathrooms) are sub-par. But the other thing I'd forgotten about -- until we pulled up around 6:00 p.m. -- was that Eastern Washington wind. This is the kind of wind that can blow you over, as my son tried to illustrate several times. It's also the kind of wind that can blow speaker cabinets and lights all over the place.

Cameron and I found our box seats, and we talked with the other people sitting there (a father and his daughter). We soon found out that we had some special VIP amenities that came with our box seats, like a private restaurant called the Cliffhouse that had (gasp!) real bathrooms! We also had our own waiters. I ordered a $15 dinner (sandwich, chips, drink). Cameron didn't want a sandwich -- he wanted popcorn and a pretzel, which we got from the good old concession stand.

Then we waited for the show to start, while the wind continued to howl.

Set 1: Swinging speaker cabinets

The band started pretty close to their 8:00 p.m. start time, and from the first note you could tell that this would be a very different Rush show.

Those swinging speaker cabinets caused the sound to fade in and out and lose clarity and power (at least from our seats). When they turned on the fog machine, the fog dissipated across the stage in a thin, violent stream -- losing any kind of effect that the band had intended.

Yet, the band soldiered on. Alex continued to look up nervously at the speaker cabinets and lights through the entire show, while Geddy and Neil seemed energized by the elements. When Geddy first talked to the audience, he said something about possibly "being blown off the stage."

I watched the lighting operators riding the rigs like bullriders, and saw the lights and other equipment crashing together high above the band. Whenever the camera showed Neil from above, the image moved back and forth like he was being filmed by drunk cameramen. The lights that usually come down to the stage in "Between the Wheels" and "Limelight," didn't really move on this night.

Set 2

By the time the second set started, the wind kept howling. Cameron, who had been dreading the explosion in "Far Cry," was a little disappointed when there were no sparks to go along with the explosion. God knows what would have happened if those sparklers had gone off with the wind.

When Geddy introduced "The Way the Wind Blows," he said it was apropos given how hard the wind was blowing on this particular night.

When it came time for Neil's solo, I have to say it was one of the finest I've seen him play on this tour -- or ever. I don't know if he was inspired or what, but he played some amazing beats in the improvised section on the high tom-toms. He also seemed to add some new fills in his "Drum Also Waltzes" African section.

As for the crowd at this show, they were enthusiastic. But there were a few problems. First, there were the guys in last row on the floor standing on their chairs (and security only telling them once to get down). Then there was the father and his son in the box seats directly below us, standing and rocking out.

Finally, there was the asshole who threw a glow stick from the grass area from about 200 feet above us. It happened during "Spindrift," when I was looking through my binoculars. I saw a green flash out of the corner of my left eye. When I looked up at the light, I knew it was a glow stick -- and it was moving at Mach 2! I moved my head slightly and the stick just missed me. Cameron nudged me and said, "Did you know that glow stick almost hit you? It almost hit me, too!" I started thinking about what I would have done had that glow stick hit Cameron or me. I think one of us would have been hurt pretty bad, as it had been thrown from at least 200 feet above us. Now I had another reason to hate the Gorge.

In the end, it was quite a concert. Despite the sound problems caused by the wind, I thought the band played exceptionally well -- and there was that drum solo.

On the way back to Seattle, first Cameron conked out, and then Ray. And then it was up to me to keep Monica awake as we drove through the mountains and finally into the Seattle area.

Labels: Concerts, Rush, Travels

This was my second show on the 2008 leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour. The first was in Phoenix, AZ, at the outdoor Cricket Pavilion. This time, it was at the indoor GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, with my wife and eight-year-old son, Cameron. We drove to Vancouver from Seattle, which is about a 3-1/2 hour drive. Unfortunately, it took much longer, due to traffic leading into the George Massey tunnel as well as the construction on Cambie street.

Vancouver culture

After we parked, we walked to GM Place to pick up my tickets from Will Call (yes, I lost them so I had to get replacements). Then we walked around the venue so I could show Cameron Neil's bus. Cameron felt a little nervous, as if Neil was going to pop out and tell us to leave.

After that, we went to dinner at a mall on Abbot street. The only thing that looked good was Chinese food. Cameron was more interested in going up the gigantic escalators. He dragged his mom up, and then he wanted me to go. I have to admit that with a chronic fear of heights, these escalators made my hands sweat. Of course, Cameron thought that was hilarious.

A different view

The main reason for going to this particular show was so Cameron could sit on the side and see the band (he was upset at White River last year when his view was blocked by people standing in front of him). The seats, twenty or so rows up in section 119, were OK -- but with the new binoculars I purchased on the way up to the show (in Bellingham), I could see a lot of stuff that you don't usually see when you're in front of the band. For instance:

• Lorne, Neil's drum tech, sits on a drum throne and watches Neil the entire show -- waiting for a problem to happen.
• Neil goes through a pair of sticks about every 2-3 songs. After each song, he checks the stick for problems. When he's done with a stick, he throws it to Lorne, who places them in a drawer. Neil grabs a new pair of sticks right before Malignant Narcissism and the drum solo.
• Neil often rests his left foot on his double bass pedal -- even when he's not playing it.
• Neil's setlist is on his bass drum. (You can see a photo of it here.)
• Alex's setlist is on his pedal box.
• The TelePrompTer that Geddy uses for the lyrics scrolls a few lines at a time and then stops. At the end of the lyrics is the next song title.
• On the last song, all the techs start packing everything up.
• One of the computers used for mixing (on Alex's side of the stage) is a Windows Vista box. Tony Geranios, Geddy's keyboard tech, has a Mac. The slideshow that plays when he's not using it has personal pictures of the band and other places.

What's that smell?

During this show, the band played at the high level I've seen for most of this tour -- with very few, if any, mistakes. Geddy and Neil seemed particularly fired up. The arena was at about three-quarters capacity. Unfortunately, the place where we sat is where many of the party concert-goers like to sit.

First, I had to explain to Cameron about the pungent smell wafting by us about every 10 minutes. (Later, when I told people in Seattle about the abundance of pot smoking, most said, "What did you expect, you were in Vancouver." I guess I wasn't aware Vancouver was the pot smoking capital of North America.)

A few songs from the end of the first set, an Amazonian woman and her date sat to my right. The guy decided he was going to talk to the woman instead of watch the concert. Usually, this wouldn't matter too much -- but he ended up being louder than the music at times. Then, the woman leaned over and asked who the bass player was. If I'd told her it was Paul McCartney, she probably would have believed me.

A group of teenagers sat in front of us, drinking from whiskey bottles, smoking pot, but not bothering anyone else for the most part. They disappeared after the first set, which leads me to my next topic...

A lapse of security

Security seemed adequate for the first half of the show, stopping fights, nabbing some of those pot smokers or picture takers, and moving people out of the tunnel entrance just to our left. But something happened during the second set. I guess security decided to take a break, because the floor became a much more crowded place. My friends Monica and Steve, standing in the fifth row, said that security did nothing about people who snuck onto the floor in the second set.

During intermission, I waited in the longest food line of all time. By the time I got up to the counter, they had run out of pretzels (and Cam wanted one). I ordered a couple churros instead and got into the arena to hear half of "Far Cry." I decided to wait until after the pyro explosions to walk to my seat.

Setting records on the run

When the show was over, we got out to our car in record time and tore out of the parking lot. We were out of the GM Place neighborhood and driving up Cambie street 10 minutes after the show was over. Cambie street, currently in the middle of being torn apart for a train project, was much easier to navigate at midnight than at 6:00 p.m.

When we got to the U.S. Border, I told the border guard, "We went to the Rush concert." His response: "How was it?" Sometimes these border patrol types can be a little serious (even before 9/11). But two adults and a kid in the back probably don't fit their profile for people bringing contraband across the border.

After Brenda and Cameron fell asleep, I settled into a relaxing drive through northwestern Washington. After we picked up Drew from my brother's house, we got in the door at around 2:15. And I had to get up for work the next day. As I was falling asleep, I was thinking about the lyrics from Dreamline, "We're only at home when we're on the run..."

Labels: B.C., Concerts, Rush, Vancouver

Dan and I arrived at Cricket Wireless Pavilion with about an hour to spare. We parked, and then had to walk around to the opposite side of the venue to pick up our tickets at Will Call. Once inside, Dan and I made a few stops and then made our way to our seats. It always feels a little strange to keep walking closer and closer to the stage, as I'm used to sitting farther away. But tonight we had fifth row seats, right in front of Geddy.

Here are my notes from the show (SPOILERS!):

• Two women are sitting on Geddy's side of the stage. They have their own monitor, and are holding radio station signs. Dan said they had a contest at the local radio station for a meet and greet with Rush. I guess the private seats on the stage were part of the deal.
• Dan spots Randy Johnson backstage, perusing the drum kit (behind the curtain), talking to the crew. I tell Dan that Randy is friends with the band and is a drummer himself.
• In general, there are more women at Rush shows these days. I bet this seems a little strange to the band.
• Lots of kids at the show. Looking around, I can see 4 with their parents in my immediate vicinity. One is sitting next to me.
• Once the show starts, Alex doesn't hold the note in Limelight. I'm glad they dropped the whole Alex-waits-for-Geddy-who-is-eating-chicken-backstage shtick. Everyone I talked to on the last leg thought Rush was making a mistake -- that Geddy really was late to the stage.
• I'm getting used to the new arrangement of Digital Man now. The end of the song rocks.
• It's nice to hear Ghost of a Chance again. The band has changed the arrangement quite a bit. However, I'm not sure switching out Entre Nous with Ghost was a good idea, especially because Mission, another mid-temp song, follows.
• Geddy makes a comment about how much they love it in Phoenix. (During the day, Dan and I heard on the radio station that Geddy had been at the Diamondbacks game on Wednesday night, and that Alex was golfing in Scottsdale.)
• Neil is especially into the show tonight. He's hitting hard, grimacing. I can tell when Neil is into it, even from far away.
• I keep pinching myself, because these are some of the best seats I've had a Rush show. Not too close, and not too far away:

• Geddy is right in front of us much of the time. His bass playing is astonishing at close range. I noticed that sings his bass parts, too.
• Geddy: "We have to drink lots of water cause we're from Canada. We're used to shoveling snow."
• Security cracks down on everyone taking pictures.
• Right before intermission, Geddy says, "We need to take a break. As you can see, we're no spring chickens."
• During intermission, I look back into crowd. The place is packed:

• I also see that the ceiling fans are still (last time they were spinning like airplane props in August heat). That's because a cool breeze is blowing. Perfect night for a concert.

Set 2

• The new lead-in to Set 2 is hilarious: "Harry Satchel in 'What's that Smell?'"
• In Subdivisions, Neil has problems with his hi-hat clutch (the piece that locks the top hi-hat to the rod, so that he can open and close it with the pedal). Lorne Wheaton, his drum tech, does a quick fix and then in the intro to Natural Science does more work as Neil takes a break.
• Also in Natural Science in the Tidepools section, Geddy is clearly having problems with his in-ear monitors. He keeps motioning for the soundman to fix things, and he finally steps back and fiddles with the knobs on his remote. Since I'm so close, I get the feeling that he's angry. I see how important it is to him to give the fans the best show possible.
• Next, it's Alex's turn. In Witch Hunt, right after the intro, Alex goes to play the opening riff -- but there's no sound. He looks over to his tech. Still nothing's coming out. I can almost feel Geddy Lee's frustration. But then the Witch Hunt riff fades in. As Alex is playing during the song, he looks back over at his tech, who smacks his head in a "D'oh!"-like way. Alex just smiles.
• By the time the drum solo comes around, the gremlins seem to have been chased away. As always, Neil is amazing -- especially watching from such a close vantage point.
• In The Spirit of Radio, Randy Johnston comes out with a chicken mask on his head and bastes the chickens in the Henhouse. When he bastes Neil's chicken on the cymbal stand, Neil gives him a smile.
• I'm happy to hear 2112 Overture and Temples of Syrinx again. Those songs always get the crowd pumped up.
• Right before the encore, Geddy and Alex throw shirts to the crowd. Just like the last time I saw Rush in this venue during R30, a shirt sails right toward me... and the guy in front of me grabs it. So close.

After the show, after getting out of the parking lot, Dan and I somehow made it back to his house in 35 or 40 minutes. I asked him to stop at Wendy's for a burger, as concerts make me really hungry -- especially when I'm air drumming half the time.

I sleep well.

Labels: Phoenix, Rush, Travels, Vacation

I woke up today at 6:30 a.m., still feeling sick from the cold-that-would-not-die. I actually thought it was a good thing, waking up this early, since Dan said he was going in early to work. I figured I could just go with him. But when I walked around the house, everyone seemed to be sleeping.

So I went back to bed.

I didn't wake up until 8:30 or so, when Kim came in to get Preston's shoes. She told me Dan got up at 5:30 and went into work.

Once Kim and Preston left, it was a strange feeling to be alone in a house with no kids, no adults, and no plans (for at least a few hours anyway). It felt kind of like... vacation! I called Dan and told him I was up, and then I just lounged around, surfing the Internet, eating peanut butter toast, and watching TV.

A visit to renderTHIS!

Dan owns a company called renderTHIS!, which creates 3D renderings of buildings before they're built. Check out this amazing work they do:

I'd never seen his new office, so he took me over to check it out. The office was dark (the shades pulled tight against the Phoenix sun), and it evoked a creative, modern mood. My favorite part of the office was a preview room, complete with high-definition projector, screen, chairs, and 5.1 sound system. Dan played me the beginning of No Country for Old Men so I could see this preview room in action.

P.F. Chang's

After the renderTHIS! office, we picked up Kim and drove to P.F. Chang's. I don't know if it's because I live in Seattle, which has a crazy highway system, but the grid system of Phoenix and surrounding area always confuses me. Everything looks the same to me with miles of sub-highways that only connect at right angles to other highways. And it always seems like people are driving way too fast.

We had to wait 15 minutes at P.F. Chang's to get seated. The topic of the lunch conversation was the challenge of raising kids. Between Dan and Kim, they have four kids (including one teen). We mostly talked about the challenges of having a teen in your house, which I'm not looking forward to.

A movie before Rush

Dan thought it would be a good idea to drive out to the Cricket Pavilion area early, which is in Glendale. Even at 3:00 p.m., we encountered heavy traffic. Sadly, I was right at home again.

When we got out to Glendale, we still had a few hours to kill -- so we decided to see a movie. We stopped at WestGate City Center, a beautiful outdoor mall, with one of the biggest AMC movie theater I've ever seen. We wanted to see Iron Man, but it didn't start until 7:00 p.m. Instead, we opted to see 21. Dan enjoys playing poker, and I enjoy watching Dan play, so we thought it would be a good choice.

We were the only ones in the theater until a couple joined us right before start time. (I must admit, it's always a little strange to have a semi-private showing of a movie in a theater.) The movie was just OK (two stars out of four), but it was still fun to see a flick with Dan -- something we haven't done together since Star Trek: First Contact.

On the way out to the car, we stopped at McFarlane, which is a company that Todd McFarlane started in Phoenix that makes detailed models of characters from movies, comics, musicians, and more. Todd McFarlane is the creator of Spawn and has one of the largest sports memorabilia collections. Dan had never heard of McFarlane, and I'd only seen a few of his toy creations (the Predator alien). One thing's for sure: the craftsmanship of these toys is amazing. They even had some figures from Lost, the TV series. We didn't buy anything, but we made a note to try and visit one of the McFarlane stores before I went back to Seattle.

After that, we drove to Cricket Pavilion to see Rush.

Labels: Phoenix, Rush, Travels, Vacation

I flew down to Phoenix from Seattle today. It's a relatively short flight of two hours, but it felt longer for some reason. Maybe it was all that turbulence. Because it gets so hot in Phoenix, the air gets pretty choppy by mid-afternoon and early evening -- so the final approach can be a little rough.

On the flight down, I talked to a nice woman who was knitting a hat. I'd never seen the type of knitting instructions she was using, so she showed me how it worked. I found out she was flying down to Phoenix because her 80-year-old mom was getting a pacemaker.

After I arrived, my friend Dan (we met in third grade) met me at the airport and then we drove off into the horrendous Phoenix traffic. Of course, it didn't bother me much being from Seattle and all--where the traffic is probably worse.

We drove to his home in Tempe, hung out with his kids, ordered pizza, and watched "Deal or No Deal" for two hours. Neither of us knew why we spent that much time watching the show -- except that there's something pleasantly annoying about Howie Mandel.

Dan put me in the "Princess Room," and when I turned out the light the ceiling glowed with stars. I'm always surprised at how stars on the ceiling make me happy. What didn't make me happy was the cold I'd caught from one of my kids before I left Seattle. But that's just part of the job of being a parent.

While I'm here in Phoenix, Dan and I are going to catch the Rush show at the Cricket Pavilion. We ended up fifth row tickets, which is closer than I've been in a while.

Labels: Phoenix, Rush, Vacation

This was the last day on my east coast Rush tour.

Here I was again, in the ACC, sitting with Monica about 15 rows up -- only this time on Geddy's side. The concert hall was filling up fast, and there was a noticeable charge in the air.

Geddy's daughter was once again walking around backstage with all her friends. The last section for the audience on Geddy's side seemed to be reserved for Kyla's schoolmates, as we saw lots of kids and their parents. Behind me, I could hear people talking about what it was like to have Geddy Lee as a parent at your kid's school ("He's just the nicest man," I heard.)

And then the lights went out, the band took to the stage, and they performed the most intense, passionate show I'd seen on the Snakes tour so far (show number five for those who are counting) -- and probably one of the best Rush shows ever for me.

A few notes:

• When the chefs came out to baste the chickens, there was an entire group right in the front who put on chef hats. The last chef to come out was, we think, the producer of Snakes & Arrows, Nick Raskulinecz.
• It seemed like it was "guys night out" all around Monica and me. Groups of guys were high-fiving each other every time Rush played one of their big hits.
• Marijuana smoke seemed more noticeable -- especially during Bangkok. I guess if you're gonna do it, that's the song.
• The band seemed genuinely pumped up and appreciative of the reception in their home town.
• During intermission, while I was waiting around in the foyer, I talked to a couple. They happened to be from Seattle, which we all found incredible.
• Rush played Distant Early Warning even though they'd played it the night before in Ottawa. They did this so the audience could see a different show than the first show in Toronto (yes, many Rush fans go to multiple shows).
• Lorne Wheaton pulls a "fire blanket" over himself during the pyro in One Little Victory. I'd never noticed that before.
• Subdivisions once again got one of the biggest ovations from the crowd.

And then it was over.

Here are a few pictures from the last show from my decent digital camera.

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Acknowledgments and special thanks

Thanks to my good friend Monica for planning this trip and giving me the nudge to go. Here we are enjoying the intermission at the last show:

Also thanks to Ray for all his hospitality in Buffalo, and great conversation in the car. Here's Ray during one of our gas stops somewhere on our trip from Buffalo to Ottawa:

Finally, thanks to the citizens of Toronto.

Labels: Concerts, Rush, Rush east coast tour 2007, Toronto, Travels

This was day six of my east coast Rush tour

This morning, while Ray slept in, Monica and I got up and ate a continental breakfast at the Country Inn Suites. Practically everyone in the room had been at the Rush show the night before, including a family with two young girls, whom I'd seen at the show. I thought about how much easier it was to attend a show without your kids.

Snorefest 2007

When we went back upstairs, Ray was already up. Now, it must be said that before we went on this trip Monica told me that Ray was the best snorer she or her husband Steve had ever heard (enough to drive Steve to sleep in the bathtub on one trip). So, I knew I had some serious competition. But then Ray told me, "Andy, you had a gold medal performance last night." I'm not sure if that's an award that I want, but it's always nice to be recognized by one of the best ;-).

Highway 7 to Toronto

We left the hotel a little later and stopped by Tim Horton's again (for Ray), and then we drove out of town. I knew I'd only seen one small part of Ottawa and hoped to return one day to walk around the actual city.

The drive between Ottawa on Toronto on the two-lane Highway 7 was beautiful, with the Fall colors starting to ignite across the countryside. Here are some pictures of what it looked like:

Toronto traffic jam

When we got outside Toronto area, we found out that the road we wanted to take, Don Valley Parkway, was closed. My GPS couldn't seem to figure out any other way to go, so we stopped and asked for directions.

Once we started driving again, we found that we (and the rest of all Toronto drivers) were stuck in a mess of a traffic jam, trying to get into downtown. Ray asked several drivers out the window if there was any other way to get into downtown, and they all said there wasn't. Most of the time we were driving on Danforth street and even passed the famous "Danforth and Pape" crossroad (the name of a section in the Rush instrumental La Villa Strangiato).

Earlier in the week I'd talked to Ed Stenger, who runs the amazing Rushisaband.com website, about meeting in person. Given that we both run Rush-related websites, we end up periodically talking in e-mail, and I thought it would be fun to meet. But the traffic ended up ruining our initial plans of me getting dropped off at the hotel. I called Ed and told him to meet us at The Spaghetti Factory, which he thought sounded great.

Spaghetti Factory - take two

Ray had called in reservations for a semi-large party of people. It was a good thing, because unlike the night of the first show, the place was packed. After we got our seats, I walked out into the lobby area and found Ed. I actually recognized him from the picture on his website.

Dinner was great again. Monica's friend Heidi joined us, too, whom I'd met at several other Rush shows on the west coast. Ed and I talked "webmaster" shop, and also talked about other shows on the tour -- namely the show he'd seen in Cleveland, which Heidi also attended.

In Toronto, Ed was attending RushCon, and he told us about some of the things he'd learned there. He'd met Sam Dunn, who was filming a documentary about Rush. Dunn's earlier documentary was Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, which I haven't seen yet.

After dinner we walked to the Air Canada Center. Here's a picture of Ed and me standing in front:

Now I was ready for my last 2007 Rush show.

Labels: Concerts, Rush, Rush east coast tour 2007, Toronto, Travels, Vacation