RUSH R40: Epic band, epic show at Moda

After attending this bands performance at Moda Center in Portland OR, I give my fair review of one of the most underestimated bands of all time. Yes, I am a fan.

RUSH R40: Epic band, epic show at Moda

As fans who follow this band, (dare I say, “religiously”) can tell you, RUSH delivered an aural sermon unlike any other Tuesday night at Moda Center in Portland.

Lead singer Geddy Lee would inform the nearly sold-out crowd, they were there to best represent their vast catalogue of music over the past 40 years (hence R40) and did just that!

Starting the show with their sense of humor, in a cartoonesque manner, they launched into the new music from “Clockwork Angels” that included “The Anarchist” and “Headlong Flight” that of which would whet the appetite for would-be Peart air drummers with a mini drum solo. 

The rich, full sound of Geddy Lee’s bass and distinctive vocal wail, the unmistakable anchoring of Neil Peart’s heavy hitting drum charge would set up Alex Lifeson’s guitar virtuosity. They ARE quite the power trio. This album was the return of that trademark, after getting lost in the mire of finding themselves amidst experimentation over the years. But I digress.

The show Tuesday night (July 21) was not without problems early on. Geddy’s ear monitor and a mixing issue had the sound a bit cloudy but were then addressed and resolved as the band forged ahead. “The Main Monkey Business” and “One Little Victory” are just a few of the lesser known works that which still lend themselves to the band’s signature sound. They would close the first set with “Roll the Bones” with a humorous “Celebrity Rappers” video, “Distant Early Warning” and “Subdivisions.”

After what seemed to be an eternally long intermission (20 minutes) those wacky guys were to return to the stage ONLY after another poke of fun at themselves with a hilarious outtake video of “No Country for Old Hens” featuring Jerry Stiller and those kids from “South Park.” They would launch a triumphant return with “Tom Sawyer” “Red Barchetta” “The Spirit of Radio” “Jacob’s Ladder” PLUS “Closer to the Heart” “Xanadu” AND the entire “2112” trilogy.

Finally, for this now celebrated Toronto band, their encore included the last video: “Mel’s Rock Pile” starring Eugene Levy as a DJ, introducing RUSH as though regressing to their early days and closing out the show with “Working Man.” The entire show was presented in dynamic displays of color, laser and camera work. Tastefully well done!

For a true RUSH fan, this night, this show was a tad bittersweet. It has been talked about recently in Rolling Stone magazine (The band’s first cover in this iconic mag) of the very real possibility of this tour being their last…on this scale. Citing their need to spend more family time, and some major health issues that Lifeson describes, Lee is quick to let it be known, “It’s most likely our last tour,” “I can’t say for sure. But it doesn’t mean we won’t do another creative project.” Geddy states he has “ideas for shows we could do that don’t involve a tour.”

Forty years, a vast discography, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, much deserved recognition as a viable band who never “sold out” to the means of a record label’s pressure, and finally, a coveted spot on the aforementioned magazine cover. Go; go bask in the “Limelight.”

Reviews

[Relic]

I saw them eight times. Geddy's voice has suffered a lot in recent years, bordering on a yodel style. Still a great band though. You wrote this very well.

[DanielScanlon]

Thank you for the compliment. Yeah, Geddy has had to adapt a new "style" and keep as much falsetto as possible. Miss the old Caress of Steel high notes.