From Deseret News archives:
Rush is nothing short of excellent
For three decades the three-man band known as Rush has taken its unique blend of intellectual progressive rock out to the world.
Wednesday night, bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and percussionist Neil Peart brought Rush's 30th anniversary tour to the USANA Amphitheatre, and it was a set nothing short of excellent.
In a set packed with songs that went all the way back to the Canadian group's 1974 self-titled debut to the most recent release "Feedback" (which hit stores on Tuesday), Rush held nothing back for the celebration.
The power trio walked into the sunshine and opened the set with an overture comprised of bits and pieces of various songs, including "Passage to Bangkok" and "Cygnus X-I." Without a word, they effortlessly slipped into the staccato introduction of "Spirit of the Radio" and "Force Ten."
The studio-quality mix was crisp. Lee's bass lines and Lifeson's leads, even backed by Peart's relentless, syncopated drumming, were clear and clean.
While all the ingredients for a classic Rush show were intact — a fabulous drum solo, heavy guitar leads, percussive bass lines — the band also threw in a couple of surprises.
First was the gliding "Subdivisions" and the dreamy "Mystic Rhythms." Next came the epic "Xanadu," based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's fantasy poem. And then, the intense keyboard-laden "Between the Wheels."
The band pumped out "One Little Victory" and "Earthshine" from its 2002 album "Vapor Trails," and played the trademark "Tom Sawyer" and "Red Barchetta" from 1981's "Moving Pictures."
Following Peart's obligatory but powerful drum solo, Lifeson and Lee emerged with acoustic guitars for the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul," lifted from "Feedback," and "Resist," from "Test for Echo."
"La Villa Strangiato" showed off Lifeson's on-the-spot "pirate" humor, and the condensed version of "2112" had the audience cheering approval.
"By-Tor and the Snow Dog," "Working Man," a remake of Blue Cheer's "Summertime Blues," Cream's "Crossroads" and the show's finale "Limelight" helped make this the ultimate set for a perfect celebration.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com
