Madison Square Garden was locked and loaded this past Saturday, August 1st, ready for RUSH! This was the third show of the sold-out, four-show residency at MSG, part of their “50 Something” tour. As fans piled in, you could feel the energy and excitement fill the arena. You felt this the most as the entire venue started cheering at exactly 7:30, when the show was scheduled to start. As the lights dropped, the show began with a short film with a storyline of three fans trying to find Rush in a haunted house. Well, Rush was found, and as the film finished, they went right into “Xanadu” to open the set. Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee set the tone for the evening with a grand entry as they each sported their double-neck guitar and bass. As I looked out into the crowd, almost every person on the floor was air drumming along to the song. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, but as a drummer and a massive fan of the late Neil Peart, nothing could have made me happier. It’s beautiful to witness how much of an impact his drumming has had on so many people.
Anika Niles, the woman of the hour, was on point! Every fill and groove was executed with so much precision and power for the entire three-hour-long set. Geddy and Alex made the right decision by bringing her onboard. To take on Neil’s drum parts is no easy task. He is looked at by many to be one of the greatest drummers ever, but Anika honored him sufficiently. She has all my respect and admiration. One highlight from the show has to be how loud the crowd roared after Anika absolutely nailed the iconic ’Tom Sawyer’ drum fills. It shows that Rush fans have truly embraced her, as they should. No one will ever replace Neil, but thanks to her taking on this role, fans are able to experience Rush live again. Throughout the show, you could see Anika and Geddy exchange smiles and smirks, giving off a lighthearted vibe. It truly seemed like the band was so happy to be there. From the audience’s perspective, seeing the way the band interacted with each other, it almost felt like you were just sitting in on them having a jam session. This energy is infectious and inspiring. Rush also added another new member for this tour. Taking care of keys as well as backing vocals was Loren Gold.
What made this show even more special was that on this exact day 11 years ago, Neil Peart played his last show with Rush. They paid tribute to Neil at multiple points during the set. The band first played “Bravado” to honor “the Professor,” along with playing recordings of him talking about how important music and drumming were to him and how it became his identity. Later in the set, they jammed out “Time Stand Still” also in his honor. Before this particular tribute, they played other recordings of Neil explaining his style of playing and his thought process while drumming, which I found to be really insightful. Neil described himself as someone who liked to be well planned but also enjoyed spontaneity by comparing his style to “a well-packed suitcase with an undecided destination.” Saying, you can be prepared and have everything you need for wherever you may end. I really enjoyed hearing his insight on this and found his analogy to be in total alignment with his musical expression.
On this night, Rush performed two sets. The first set consisted of their hits “Anthem,” “Subdivisions,” “The Spirit of Radio,” etc. In the second set, they played their 1981 album, Moving Pictures, in its entirety. This is one of my favorite Rush records, so I was extremely grateful I was able to experience this particular show. Hearing these songs live, just like the way I listen to them at home, was a thrill. I have never been to a show where the band played an album in its entirety, so it was definitely a new and unique experience. The band finished off night three at MSG with an encore of “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” and “Working Man.” This served as such a great wrap to the night; they got the crowd amped up one last time before taking a bow and leaving the stage.
This was a show of a lifetime, and if you go to any shows this year, this absolutely has to be one of them. It was a night full of energy and passion from both the band and the audience. It’s incredible seeing Rush still making history 50-something years later.
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