TRAVELLi NG BACK i
By Andrew King
et ’ s be clear from the outset . While the
R40 Tour , which culminated with its final show in Los Angeles on Aug . 1 st , may have marked the end of Rush ’ s large-scale arena tours , it didn ’ t mark the end of the iconic Canadian rock band , or their musical legacy .
Still , fans can understandably be blue about it . For many , a Rush tour has come to epitomize the arena rock experience , and that reputation is refreshed and reinforced with each subsequent run .
Consider their penultimate Clockwork Angels Tour . Supporting the album of the same name , the tour was a truly awesome amalgamation of lavish , tasteful lighting , custom-created video content spread across various surfaces , and a spectacular steampunk-inspired set design . Oh , and the music was pretty good , too .
But touring on that scale – over 72 shows spread across three legs and eight countries – would take its toll on anyone performing close to three hours of technically demanding material on a given night , especially when they ’ ve been playing that material for decades .
Despite their god-like status in the eyes of music fans the world over , bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee , guitarist Alex Lifeson , and drummer Neil Peart are nonetheless mortal , and touring has taken its physical and emotional toll on the trio . Peart , for example , has been rather candid in his comments about wanting to stay closer to home and spend more time with his family .
But Rush wouldn ’ t be Rush without its legions of die-hard devotees – those fans from a surprisingly wide demographic that appreciate the band ’ s technical prowess , their continual quest to push the en ve lope , and the imagination that goes into each and every one of their creative endeavours .
In what can only be considered a tip of the cap to those faithful followers , the band embarked on one final run of hockey barn burners to commemorate the four decades since Peart first joined the band and cemented their lineup . It was a run that began in Tulsa , OK on May 8 th and lasted just under three months before the last stop in L . A . Thirty-five shows – five in their native Canada – and a set list that spanned over 40 years and every sonic era of this rock juggernaut .
The concept behind R40 is something of a trip back in time , revisiting an iconic catalog of rock songs in reverse chronological order . The idea was to divide the band ’ s career into five eras , those being : Clockwork Angels , big arenas , smaller arenas , soft-seat theatres , and finally , going back to their first shows in the early ‘ 70s , school gymnasiums .
Beginning with a handful of cuts from Rush ’ s most recent studio offering , 2012 ’ s Clockwork Angels , the set list progresses through a string of commercial hits and
[ 34 ] • CANADIAN MUSICIAN