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TIME MACHINE TOŒR PICTURES
Charter One Pavilion - Chicago, IllinoisTIME MACHINE TOŒR PICTURES
July 5th, 2010
The "Time Machine 2010-11" Tour spanned from June 29th through October 17th, 2010 and March 30th through July 2nd, 2011
| Tour Dates | --- | Set List | --- | Tour Book |
"Three-Hour Set Shows Rush Not In Any Hurry"
There are any number of reasons why the Canadian power trio Rush has been able to outlast most of its peers, surviving intact for more than three decades. First, the group's kept itself creatively engaged, constantly evolving without losing sight of its identity. Then there's the nature of the songs themselves, compact compositions dense with musical information: riffs, fills, solos. But most of all there's the fact that the self-proclaimed "world's most popular cult band" remains an all-or-nothing proposition: if you like one Rush album, you'll likely find something to enjoy in all of them.
That's partly what made Rush's decision to play its 1981 album "Moving Pictures" in its entirety at the Charter One Pavilion Monday night (the first of two shows) such a curious proposition. While a classic, the disc's not a uniquely cohesive album in the group's catalog. Then again, without anything new to promote, the band needed something to anchor the show, and if much of "Moving Pictures" regularly gets aired live, it undoubtedly contains many of the band's most beloved tracks, songs such as "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight" and the manic instrumental "YYZ," the latter of which got a particularly enthusiastic reception.
The start-to-finish "Moving Pictures" suite landed right in the middle of Rush's near three-hour set, a prime chunk of real estate for a band with plenty of back catalog to explore, but having that anchor there ironically freed the band to otherwise explore and stretch out perhaps a bit more than usual. Songs the group's never played live before, including "Presto" and "Faithless," were finally aired, poppier but not regularly played songs such as "Marathon" and "Time Stand Still" got dusted off, and for the first time the group performed a pair of tracks from a future Rush album that showcased the heavier, more economical turn the group's music has taken.
Best of all, the band ? while still mostly improv-averse ? had fun messing with the arrangements of such warhorses as "Closer to the Heart" and "Working Man." Indeed, guitarist Alex Lifeson, drummer Neil Peart and singer/bassist Geddy Lee (in strong voice) somehow found space for new flourishes in their formidable arrangements. Peart in particular has grown efficient with his sprawling kit, so much so that all the (literal) bells and whistles have never seemed more superfluous save during his epic solo. But at this point who really needed a solo showcase when the group's prodigious interplay on tracks like "La Villa Strangiato," "Far Cry" and "Leave that Thing Alone!" served up the whole impressive package?
-Joshua Klein, Chicago Tribune
The following photos from the July 5th, 2010 show in Chicago are courtesy of Scott Collier
