In case you missed the notice in the title, I will reiterate: Spoiler alert. Spoiler alert, spoiler alert. On everything. Merchandise, the setlist, stage production, and everything in between. Read no further if you’re planning to attend the Fifty Something Tour and want to be surprised.
With that said, let’s get on with the post!
It caught me off guard the other day when I realized that I had been a Rush fan for over 15 years. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but my mid-teenage years were heavily defined by them. I like calling my sixteenth year, the year 2012, the “year of Rush,” because that was more or less all I listened to in that time. Despite getting into their music at the tail end of their touring career with Neil Peart, I am glad that I got into them just in time to anticipate and experience the release of a new Rush album, said album being Clockwork Angels, their last studio album with Neil. My dad and I went to one Rush show together, on November 17, 2012, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, but even though I was a huge fan and knew virtually every song they played that night, my memory of that show is quite patchy, and I have only two super blurry photos taken from our seats in one of the higher sections in the venue. Here’s one, if you’d like to see for yourself:
Fortunately, phone cameras have evolved for the better over the last 15 years. Anyway, 3 years later, they came around with the R40 tour, and for some reason, I chose not to go. They played their last show at the Forum, and then 5 years later, we lost Neil. Knowing how fundamental Neil was to the sound and spirit of Rush’s music, being both the drummer and lyricist, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announced that Rush were finished, and I resigned to living with the regret that I did not go and see them again when I had the chance.
Now, nearly 11 years after that last show, and over 6 years after Neil’s passing, here I am. I’m 29 years old, and writing about having seen the new incarnation of Rush. Contrary to some members of the fan base, I reacted to the news of Rush returning to touring with nothing but excitement and enthusiasm. My travels brought me up to Chicago, where I scored tickets to not one, but two of their four scheduled shows at the United Center. I had missed out on the R40 tour, so I was very much in a “go big or go home” mentality, which is why I went for multiple shows.
This version of Rush brings back our beloved Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, while also making room for new blood. We have Anika Nilles, faced with the undoubtedly daunting task of taking the place of The Professor, but we also have a fourth musician, named Loren Gold, covering some keyboard parts. While the reunion was mostly met with support and joy from the fans, there were inevitably some that were (any maybe still are) skeptical about the group continuing on without Neil. I understand that, but the two shows that I saw have me reassuring you that you put your minds at ease. If you have any doubts about the workability of this version of Rush, don’t. Over two nights, I, and around 20,000 others were treated to a total of 2 hours and 40-something minutes of performing that had me coming away with three words pounding in my head: Rush is back.
I didn’t allow myself to splurge on much during my stay in Chicago, but I did when it came to merchandise. I weathered an hour-long line so I could get the chance to grab a few things to commemorate this special occasion. I’m an adult now with my own money, so I had every intention to take advantage of that.
Here’s what I came away with! I was ecstatic to see them offering a good quality ladies shirt, and the tote bag is one of the best I own. It’s spacious, has a zipper, has inner pockets, and was big enough to hold all of my merch, including the event poster! The item next to the tote bag was sold as a bandana, but I currently have it on my bedroom wall. The tour book contains some great photography of the band, as well as some touching tributes to Neil, written by Neil’s bandmates, along with by his widow Carrie and daughter Olivia. Geddy took the liberty to write the introduction at the beginning of the book, something that had traditionally been done by Neil.
The band had rehearsed around 40 or so songs for this tour, so there was no fixed setlist. That said, I will start by sharing what the two shows I saw had in common. They both began with a short intro film called “Where’s Rush?,” which involves three young people venturing into a gothic castle, and features cameos by Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, the South Park characters, and Geddy and Alex. July 20 was viewed from the first row of section 303, so I didn’t spend much time on photo-taking (The photos I will be sharing on here were all taken on July 22.) The video led into the opening song, “Xanadu,” a choice that clearly caught much of the crowd by surprise, myself included. The graphics and band were projected on a front video wall that moved up and down throughout the show, along with three LED walls behind the band. Even though both shows had their differences, they both covered Rush past and present, highlighting how Neil’s lyrics evolved over the decades, from fantasy and sci-fi themes, to more personal themes of philosophy and the human experience. Highlights from both shows included “The Spirit of Radio,” which closed the first set, several tributes to Neil like “Time Stand Still,” and “Bravado, and a personal favorite of mine, “Subdivisions.”
A quick word on Anika Nilles. She knocked it out of the park! I think she did Neil very proud, and it was touching to see everyone erupt with cheers each time she nailed one of Neil’s trademark drum fills, like during “Tom Sawyer” and “YYZ.”
I think this show would have been worth going to twice even if the setlist were the same, but the fact that there were substantial differences in each set made it even more worth it. On July 20, we were treated to a performance of Moving Pictures in its entirety, as part of the second set, with the second set for July 22 opening with a complete performance of side one of 2112. Getting to hear all of Moving Pictures felt like receiving some form of closure for missing the Time Machine tour in 2010, and even more closure for missing the R40 tour. But the thing I noticed most of all that brought such a heartwarming feeling to me was the fact that the band, especially Geddy and Alex, looked happy. These guys were having the time of their lives onstage performing those songs, and honestly, that’s all I could really ask from for a band who’s members are now over the age of 70, because when the band isn’t having fun, the audience isn’t either. I’ve been to shows like that, and it’s a dreary experience. I think this tour serves as an affirmation of the fact that music transcends time and continues to touch lives long after its creators have left us. Neil may be gone, but thousands of people were still singing his lyrics, and his surviving bandmates are still performing them to such excellence and precision like they always have. If you need anymore convincing that these guys are enjoying themselves on stage, then I will leave you with this last photo, my favorite one.
The Girl in the Scarf 
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