Opening night for RUSH in Toronto
Rush disappoints with Strangiato setlist
Rush in Toronto, Sunday October 14, 2012
3 stars out of 10
By Andris Pone
Starting with Signals in the early 80s, last night in Toronto was my 18 th Rush concert
over a span of 30 years. I love these guys. So I bring some perspective to the table
when I say that the show was a major, deflating disappointment.
Their new album, Clockwork Angels, truly kicks ass. And being a longtime fan, I know
that when Rush tours with a new album, they play a lot of it. So it was no surprise that
they played nine songs from the new release, all consecutively at the beginning of the
second set.
What did surprise, in a huge way, was the other songs they chose – and chose not to –
play for the remainder of the night. Frankly, it bordered on bizarre. Rush has released
20 studio albums over the course of 38 years, yet the first half of the show was focused
heavily on four albums – Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows and Hold Your
Fire – released in a span of just five years (1982-87). The setlist for the first half:
Subdivisions
The Big Money
Force 10
Grand Designs
The Body Electric
Territories
Analog Kid
Bravado
Where’s My Thing (with drum solo)
Far Cry
Among these songs, only Subdivisions and The Big Money would be considered Rush
classics. I am absolutely fine with them playing lesser-known, light-rocking songs like
The Body Electric and Grand Designs – if they are peppered throughout the night as
opposed to being representative of almost an entire evening of bona fide B and C tracks.
When the band finally started playing the “oldies”, as Rush bassist and singer Geddy
Lee put it, I assumed they would choose from a deep selection including The Trees,
Limelight, Freewill, Closer to the Heart, La Villa Strangiato, Working Man or Xanadu.
But what did they return with? The Manhattan Project, one of their lightest hits ever.
And then Red Sector A. Both of these tunes, again, from that 4-album, 5-year period
the band is so obsessed with all of a sudden – representing 20% of their albums and less
than 15% of a 38-year career.
Now the show is almost over. And we have heard absolutely nothing from the band’s
two biggest albums: Permanent Waves (1980) and Moving Pictures (1981). Nothing.
Finally, they launch into the classic instrumental YYZ (from Moving Pictures), but the
sound is ruined (in my opinion obviously) by the string ensemble still onstage from the
Clockwork Angels part of the show.
The strings were something new and interesting, and worked very well for the
Clockwork Angels songs. But for a song like YYZ, with its stunning, gorgeous sound, why
mix in violins that drown out the bass and guitar?
Then they play arguably their second-biggest hit, Spirit of Radio (Permanent Waves), and
say goodnight. They come back for the encore and crank out their biggest hit of all, Tom
Sawyer, and three songs from the epic 2112: the 2112 Overture, The Temples of Syrinx
and Grand Finale (“ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION…”).
Then the lights go up, and nothing has been played from pre-Permanent Waves:
nothing from their eponymous debut, nothing from Fly by Night, nothing from Caress of
Steel (not a surprise that there was nothing from these two…they historically have not
played them much), nothing from A Farewell to Kings and nothing from Hemispheres.
And let me say again: no Limelight, which along with Spirit of Radio and Tom Sawyer is
among the top three Rush songs, period.
In sum, a self-indulgent setlist – from a band that has, of course, given so much.
Kindly published with the permission of Andris Pone
Short URL: http://80slegends.com/?p=1659
Posted by
AH. A correction from the author: 2112 was of course released before Permanent Waves.
You realize that Geddy can’t sing the older stuff anymore, right? They haven’t played almost all of the earlier stuff (with vocals) for years.
I’d much rather have a tour with deeper cuts and new material than a setlist littered with songs that make their shows sound like a Vegas review. Show 13 for me was this year and there were songs that I hadn’t heard live. I’d take that over hearing Limelight for the 9th time.
Fuck man, it’s Rush. Anything they wanna play is fine by me.
One mans opinion obviously. Rush can and has played shows on their terms. To complain about this wasn’t played is futile and self serving. Although there are a number of songs I would have liked to have seen, I am happy they are still playing. And if you look at the songs played this tour they are mixing up a little more than the past few tours. And appear to be having a great time as well
The setlist was perfect. If you were the fan you imply that you are, you’d have long ago tired of the ‘gotta play’ songs like Limelight, Freewill, The Spirit of Radio. They have been played in sets for YEARS. True fans don’t want to hear the radio staples- they want to hear the Manhattan Projects and Body Electrics of their catalog. You lament not much played from Moving Pictures or Permanent Waves – where were you during the TIme Machine tour last year when they played MP in its entirety? No Permanent Waves this tour? They played fricking Entre Nous and other cuts from PW during the Snakes and Arrows tour just a few years ago. 3 out of 10? Please.
I agree 100%. total lack of diversity in the set list. Was really disappointed with everything after Big Money unti they played Analog kid. But rush have always been good a alienating their audience. No 70′s or 90′s songs in the first set list. I like the new album as well but found the CA set dragged on a little too long. Too much of a good thing? would have been better mixed into both sets. it didn’t work and the crowd on sunday night seemed a little bored of it.
Too funny (ironic, maybe?) that a website called “80-s Legends- keeping the 80′s alive” would blast a Rush concert for playing…. too much 80′s Rush and not enough 70′s Rush….
I don’t see the problem. How many times have you seen them? You want to go buy a turntable with a repeat setting. I’ve missed one new album tour since Moving Pictures. I like when they play these “random” bits. I don’t want to hear Closer to the Heart. That and Fly By Night have been beat to hell. If anything, I want to hear Fountain of Lamneth or Rivendell.
Most importantly, you say from a band that’s given so much…they’re nearing the end of their career. Let them play what THEY want, not necessarily what you want. YOU are being a La Villa Strangiato, man.
Hi All
80slegends is intended to be a site where fans can have their say. We feel honured that individulas take the time to post here, we are not here to judge and respect evrybodys right to freedom of speech.
It would be disrespectful of us to “doctor” a contribution just to make it sound nice.
The initial review is the opinion of the author and not that of 80slegends. We will pass judgement in May 2013 after witnessing the London O2 gig.
In the meantime we would like to thank all that contribute to 80slegends.
Hi everyone – I appreciate having a sensible discussion. The spirit of your remarks is nothing like the Witch Hunt over at Rush Is A Band’s Facebook page.
I am not a concert reviewer, and I never have been. I am simply a diehard fan of the band. While at the first Toronto show, I Tweeted that I was there (yes, for the 18th time in 30 years), and that 80s Legends, which I had never heard of before, Tweeted back and asked me if I would do a review. So I said what the hell.
I wasn’t trying to change anyone’s mind on what they thought of the show. I wasn’t trying to change anyone’s mind on what songs they should or should not like. I had no agenda but for self-expression.
The show was just SO different from what I’d seen before, I was really taken aback. I don’t have to hear the same songs every time: I thought Marathon, Time Stand Still and Presto were huge highlights of the Time Machine tour; I don’t recall having heard any of those for perhaps 20 years. And on the Snakes and Arrows tour, Entree Nous was a fantastic surprise – I had never heard it live – as was Circumstances.
So, I am all for variety. I would just say that the current tour does not give variety at all, but is dominated by a big block of songs from one era. Just a few days before the YYZ show, I watched Beyond the Lighted Stage again, and the band seemed unanimous that perhaps they overdid things in the synth era. Which added to my surprise at the show.
PS to Thom: I will NEVER tire of Limelight.
I thought the set list was refreshing. When you take into account that they’ve played all the songs you say you missed over and over again on the last three tours, it’s no surprise they decided to give them a rest and bring out some things that haven’t been played in a very long time. Certainly they’ve earned the right to keep themselves entertained on stage as well. They could play the phone book and I’d buy a ticket!
JAYDMAC..ID KLL TO SEE FOUNTAIN OF LAMNETH ONCE..SEEING THEM MONDAY IN BROOKLYN…LOOKING FORWARD TO A 80S RETROSPECTIVE AS I GRADUATED IN 85..THIS WILL BE A NICE MEMORY FOR ME
Did you notice in the Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage documentary that the majority of the 80′s was left out and not touched upon? The reason the band perhaps is performing a lot of the deeper obscure 80′s songs is to give that era a second re-evaluation of that particular body of work. I also believe that the band selected the songs for a reason on this tour as the themes touch upon issues that are current news events in the world today. They were ahead of their time. The band has done the same hit songs from ‘Permanent Waves’ and ‘Moving Pictures’ on every tour. It’s nice to give some of them a rest. It’s highly unlikely that RUSH is going to do deeper cuts from ‘Farewell To Kings’, ‘Hemispheres’ and the early albums. For one thing, Geddy Lee cannot hit the high notes on those early songs anymore, which is why the band plays ’2112′ and ‘Circumstances’ (from the Snakes & Arrows Tour) a whole tuning down. The band has said in interviews that they don’t want to become an oldies nostalgia act with playing only the hits the fans want. There are some that want to hear deeper album cuts. To me as a fan, it wouldn’t matter what the band played. As long I got the opportunity to see them while they’re still around, that’s what matters to me. I appreciate your review, but some of it was harsh in my opinion. Take care and have a good day.
You’ve been to 18 Rush concerts. Haven’t you seen the Moving Pictures songs enough? That’s what the last tour was for (last year). The Time Machine tour freed them up to perform songs they haven’t in decades. I’ve been to every Rush concert since Presto and I’m very glad they’re skipping some songs they’ve played on EVERY tour for some I have never seen. Awesome!
Caress of Steel is certainly my RUSH guilty pleasure. Lakeside Park, Bastille Day and I think I’m going bald are particular favourites (rightly or wrongly) Anyone else agree, or am I alone on this one??