Rush to See RUSH

By Ben York
Posted: Nov. 23, 2012

They've been called one of the greatest live bands in music history, and the reviews on their "Clockwork Angels" tour seem to back that assertion up perfectly.

Check out the hugely complimentary quotes below from their recent tour stops, and see them perform live at US Airways Center on Sunday, November 23.

Have we mentioned the band will be filming the concert in Phoenix for an upcoming DVD release?

Be there.

Boston, October 25:

"Their stage, an elaborate yet humorous take on the raging steampunk phenomenon served as a visually compelling backdrop equipped with every quirk one could imagine, right down to a working popcorn machine, as if to say, sit back and enjoy the show."

"The ambitious two-set performance served as a reminder that even though Rush are widely remembered for their individual outstanding musicianship and plethora of radio ready hits and deep reaching discography, they continue to remain relevant in the rock world, and have finally, yes FINALLY, made it to the short list of the he Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s nominees!"

Cleveland, October 29:

"Though everyone in the arena knew what the next two hours would bring, "Big Money'' showcased the complexity of a group that is more than a power trio. The three players are acknowledged as among the best on their instruments. But it's Peart's style of drumming -- kind of a jazzy fusion variation of rock that sounds like an entire drum line instead of a single player -- that has no peer. His syncopated beats and accents are light years beyond the simple backbeats in the usual rock song."

"Even in the live shows, Rush is able to almost perfectly mirror the lush arrangements initially created in a studio by virtue of tape, effects and samples via devices and pedals controlled from the stage by the three players. The group's collective insistence on being able to do that offered an added bonus to the mostly late baby boomer crowd: The sound probably was the best ever produced in the acoustically challenging Quicken Loans Arena."

Anaheim, November 19:

"By choosing to make their latest album the centerpiece of their epic three-hour show, as opposed to merely dropping in a few new tunes, the prog icons further proved why their faithful legion of enthusiasts will always return for more – because this is a band that pushes its audience the same way it pushes itself."

"As Rush's Clockwork Angels tour has been proving night after night, this is a band that not just understands its audience, but also is firmly in touch with how to evolve, remain fresh, relevant and in touch with the core of what makes them so special in the first place."

"Geddy Lee's vocals still soar, and he still dances playfully about the stage, alternating between bass and synthesizers. Guitarist Alex Lifeson's crunchy rhythms and soaring solos are all as tasteful and tuneful as ever. Then there is the stone-faced Neil Peart, who sits nobly behind the largest kit in rock 'n' roll - he is a wonder to behold; stately and machine-like, still producing sounds no other drummer on the planet can approach."

Los Angeles, November 20:

"Simply put, Monday’s sold-out show at the Gibson Amphitheatre was another triumph for a band that never seems to deliver anything but."

"The Clockwork Angels Tour has the venerable band reaching deep into its midcareer archives for songs absent from the live stage since the Reagan and elder Bush years. All that was missing was a DeLorean that runs on 1.21 jigowatts."

"As great as the playing was, this show was equally memorable for the content. Whereas the Time Machine Tour was highlighted by a complete run-through of Rush’s 1981 album Moving Pictures, this one offered a surprising slew of mid-’80s nuggets that served as a perfect preamble for a heaping dose of its terrific new Clockwork Angels album. Nine of its 12 tracks were deployed, drawing big cheers, not just polite applause."