By TIMOTHY FINN
Rush was born in 1974, when FM radio had fewer commercials and more airspace
to fill and when the average listener had an attention span longer than
three minutes.
Those days may be long gone, but the demand for unapologetic progressive
rock isn't. The three-man prog-rock army from the Great White North brought
its 30th anniversary party to the outdoor music bowl in Bonner Springs
Sunday, putting on a show that exceeded three hours for a big crowd that
largely worshipped the band's every move.
The show began with a film, a computer animated/live-action video that
showcased every Rush album cover. Then Jerry Stiller (Frank Costanza to
"Seinfeld" fans) appeared on screen, complaining and wondering when the band
was going to get the show going. Then Rush came out and got the show going.
The band opened with an instrumental medley (including bits of "Bangkok" and
"Cygnus") before gliding into "The Spirit of Radio," a song about an
industry that hasn't had much to do with Rush for the last 20 years or so.
Two clothes dryers and a vending machine sat on stage between drummer Neal
Peart and his mates, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson.
The food in the vending machine spun around all night; every once in a
while, a stage hand would run on stage and feed coins into the dryers, which
would come into play much later.
The visuals were a big treat throughout the show. The light show was
spectacular at times and the wide-screen video showed an array of images,
including some early footage of the band.
Lee may appear like he has been in a rock band for 30 years, but he sings
like he always has: in a powerful one-of-a-kind voice built to fill
stadiums. Likewise, his colleagues seem fit as ever, especially Peart, who
does so much of the heavy lifting.
For the casual fans, the highlights were the "hits": "Tom Sawyer," which
followed the brief intermission, and "Limelight," which ended the second
set. Also a big hit: the well-known covers drawn from the band's upcoming
album - songs like the Who's "The Seeker," Eddie Cochran's "Summertime
Blues" and the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul." All three were recognizable
but packed with Rush's signature prog-rock crunch.
For the diehards, the better moments were the rarities: the true version of
"Red Barchetta," "Xanadu," featuring Lifeson on double-neck guitar, "Mystic
Rhythms," with Lee on bass and keyboards, and the bristling instrumental
"YYZ."
Toward the end of the second set, Lee and Lifeson emptied the contents of
the clothes dryers - souvenir T-shirts - and tossed them to the people in
the best seats, many of whom were already wearing Rush apparel. Nothing like
having your cake and eating it, too, especially at someone else's birthday
party.
The Kansas City Star