RŒSH
TIME MACHINE TOŒR PICTURES
Charter One Pavilion - Chicago, IllinoisTIME MACHINE TOŒR PICTURES
August 23rd, 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 |
"Emotional Feedback on Timeless Wavelength / Bearing a Gift Beyond Price, Almost Free"
Back on July 7th, 2010 Chicago Rush fans waited anxiously for the band to take the stage amidst the rain when the announcement came; the show would be postponed to a new date later in the summer. Cancellations and delays are dreadful for anything, but concerts it's a large pain in the you know what. People travel, rent hotel rooms, pay for parking, and sometimes get tickets from other sources than Ticketmaster which makes the new date sometimes impossible to attend. Cancellations seem to be reaching new highs as of late and when the gig finally takes place, there's rarely a mention of the previous cancellation even though it has surely cost the fan some money in one form or another.
However, last night, amidst a perfect summer night in Chicago off the lakefront Rush delivered and then some. Acknowledging the technical/weather snafu's that plagued the last show, they made their way through a spirited 11-song first set that opened with the sprawling "The Spirit of Radio", a wonderfully wistful "Time Stands Still", a new song from their 2011 record "BU2B", an airy "Presto", a clamorous "Faithless" (not played before this tour) and a sinuous "Subdivisions".
After they joked about their age and needing a break before continuing, a local radio DJ took to the stage. He announced the band and their management have made special one-of-a-kind baseball hats for the crowd as a "thank you" for coming back for the rescheduled show. On the back of it, stitched in was "The Rain Date Chicago-2010", making this an immediate collectible.
Did they have to do this? No. Is it nice? You betcha! In a day and age where it feels as if ever band is gouging you for the last cent out of your pocket, this was refreshing. Actions speak louder than words. It's akin to being seated later than normal at a restaurant and being given a free appetizer or desert. In short, it's called Customer Service! Rock n' roll and respect for the fans hasn't gone hand-in-hand for quite some time, but Rush proved a cynic like me wrong for once. Can you honestly believe an act who says "thank you" for coming while charging north of 4-figures? Make no mistake Rush tickets are by no means cheap ($49.50-$150), but they delivered every way imaginable by playing one of their classic albums in its entirety (Moving Pictures) and even playing a pair of songs from their upcoming 2011 record.
-Anthony Kuzminski
