Rush at Time Warner Arena

It was a brisk night in downtown Charlotte, but it’s gotta be better than Ohio and New York and that pesky hurricane.

The show, to put it simply, was amazing. Their playing has lost nothing over the years. They still have all the power and technique, perhaps more so than most bands who are just getting started these days. The Steampunk theme looked beautiful and there was even the addition of the "Clockwork Angels String Ensemble" who played on multiple songs during the second half of the show.

Just like before, I was filled with emotion and memory. As Force Ten played the original art worked played in the background, I remembered watching the Show of Hands concert footage on VHS during my college days.

I remember asking Donna, who is now my wife, what Joie de Vivre meant as it pertained to the lyrics. She was 17 at the time. We lived in Colorado. Our getting together would come many years later.

The highlights of the night were Alex and his many facial expressions and apparent conversations with members of the audience, as well as Geddy becoming lost in a cloud of fog. The smoke machine went berserk and for a short time he literally disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Neil and Alex played on despite hysterical laughter at Geddy’s plight. True to form, Geddy didn’t miss a beat, the music played on and he emerged triumphant.

The String Ensemble was an amusing addition. At first, they seemed a prop, something to liven up the background show. But no, they are indeed the real deal and played on multiple songs. They added an interesting dynamic.

While there wasn’t the usual drum solo of epic proportions, there were multiple mini solos done in the middle of songs the way it used to be. When Neil break out on his own, it was wildly eclectic arrangement full of strange and wondrous sounds.

But all too soon it was over. It was a great night though, and I enjoyed the hell out of it.