who promises it will " scare the pants right off of your legs, or wherever you wear them." Moody Moving Pictures track“ Witch Hunt” observes humanity’ s base impulses toward mob mentality and the tendency to create enemies of outsiders. The live arrangement augments the song ' s haunting character with spooky sounds and eerie keyboards. Lee juggles his bass guitar, keyboards, and foot controllers while singing the surprisingly dance-floor-friendly paranoia reflected in“ Red Lenses,” another of the deep cuts from Grace Under Pressure, restored for this release. The song brims with Peart’ s colorful acoustic and electronic percussion before transitioning into a master class drum solo. The concert film now includes every track from Grace Under Pressure except " Afterimage." Also added is Signals ' synth-heavy portrait of youthful suburban alienation, " Subdivisions." Lifeson’ s bristling, cinematic performance on the unsettling“ Between the Wheels” is accompanied by Peart’ s intricate drumming and heightened emotion in Lee’ s desperate-sounding vocals. These hometown performances are dialed in but also playful and confident. Lee’ s bass skips and cartwheels during the coda to the newly present sci-fi auto adventure“ Red Barchetta.” The group stretches and explores the shape of the sing-along anthem“ Closer to the Heart,” building toward a euphoric peak.
Other classic songs include signature song“ Tom Sawyer,”“ Temples of Syrinx”
from the band’ s game-changing 2112 suite, genre-blending love letter“ The Spirit of Radio,” Toronto homage“ YYZ”( which should have won the rock instrumental Grammy over the Police’ s turgid“ Behind My Camel”), and the Police-ish reggae-pop of charting single“ New World Man.” The show concludes with blistering caveman rock singles“ Finding My Way” and“ In the Mood” from the band’ s 1974 debut, touching base with a distant earlier decade.
The box set is loaded with extras for fans. One new twist from prior anniversary sets is that the essay on the album is authored by Lee himself, perhaps emboldened by the success of his Big Beautiful Book of Bass, memoir My Effin’ Life, and baseball collection 72 Stories. Lee spares Lillywhite the embarrassment of being called out by name, but spends several pages describing the trials and triumphs of making the album. " Necessity is one mutha of invention, right?" he writes. Not long afterward, he questions the axiom " What doesn ' t kill you m akes you stronger." Ultimately, he expresses due pride in the work and says that the considerable struggle was all worth it.
– Jeff Elbel
8 RATBOYS Singin ' to an Empty Chair( New West)
Chicago-based indie-rock veterans Ratboys are back with their sixth full-length album and first for New West. Singer and guitarist Julia Steiner has revealed that creating Singin ' to an Empty Chair was a way to work
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18 illinoisentertainer. com april 2026