Last night, I was looking through some of my Rush-related memorabilia, and I found a few items from October 2012. That may not seem like such a long time ago, but that month turned out to be a very momentous time for Rush and for their many fans; and it was nice to reminisce about it all.
One reason October 2012 was worth remembering was the Clockwork Angels tour was heading for Boston at the end of the month, and I could hardly wait.
And another reason I was looking forward to it, in addition to seeing the band, of course, was that my friend Pegi was going to be there. If you ever met her, you know what a dynamo she was-- an essential member of Rush's management, I had known her almost as long as I'd known the band. She had been battling cancer, but she told me the treatments had been successful, and she would be able to come to Boston for the concert. That was wonderful news; we had shared a lot since the mid-1970s, and I was eager to give her a big hug. She told me there would be two tickets waiting for me, and that also meant I'd be able to take a dear friend of mine along-- Meg, who was a local journalist and a devoted Rush fan. Before the show, I joined a get-together of Rush fans at a nearby Dunkin' Donuts-- they included some folks I'd known for a long while; for the past several years, some of us had been gathering for an annual event we jokingly called Ratcon (we were the "Rush Rats"). But now, they were here in Boston, and it was sort of like a mini-reunion, complete with Steampunk attire.
Before the show, my friend Meg and I went to the meet-and-greet, where we saw Geddy and Alex; Neil seldom if ever showed up for these things, nor did we expect him to. There were some fans who had won backstage passes in a radio contest, as well as some friends of the band who were there to say hello just like Meg and I were. But even though it was brief, it was still wonderful to spend a few moments with Geddy and Alex and catch up on how they were doing.
And then, we went to our seats (I generally watch the show from the mixing booth, where the view is better, and I can enjoy not just the music but the amazing lights-and-special effects from Howard Ungerleider). I won't bore you with the set-list (easy to find it online), but suffice it to say that "The Garden" has always been one of my favorites, and it got an excellent response, as did "Spirit of Radio," "Subdivisions," "Bravado," and so many others. This tour also featured a string ensemble (I had the opportunity to chat with one of the members, a talented violinist named Gerry Hilera; later, we kept in touch for a while). It was an incredible night of great music, and the fans seemed especially enthusiastic.
Meanwhile, what many of the fans didn't know was that in early October, I had gotten the word that FINALLY, after years of calling, and writing, and petitioning, and doing everything else I could think of, it looked like Rush would be nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That, however, is a story for another day. The story for this one was about seeing my friends, seeing Pegi, seeing Alex and Geddy and other members of the crew, and feeling grateful to be part of the extended family of Rush fans, able to share another outstanding concert tour. Of course, none of us had any idea that several years ahead, many things would change-- for me, for Pegi, for Rush, and for the fans. But on this night, it was a celebration, and I looked forward to the next one.
Thanks for sharing this recollection Donna. The Garden has become my favorite arrangement from the boys. So touching…
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like one of the nights you never forget. Great story..
ReplyDeleteSounds amazing! Love all their work. They have brought so many good people together with their incredible music. @robbvinut
ReplyDeleteI should have been at that concert. My dear wife bought tickets for our son and myself (plus flights from the UK and hotel reservations just outside the city) as a 50th birthday gift. One year prior to this I had been made redundant from a the company I’d been part of growing for the previous 17 years. Our son was in his 2nd year reading music at University…he, like me was ( and still is/am huge Rush fans. For us this was a trip of a lifetime. Someone very special within the Rush camp who I’d luckily become acquainted with whenever the band had toured the UK since I first saw them live in 1981 was aware of our impending trip and suggested we might even meet up. The week before the gig, our son revealed he had a critical submission deadline to hit thus could not make the trip. I tried (unsuccessfully) to find a replacement travel companion, but given the short notice, was unable to find anyone to make the trip. In the end we had to sell the concert tickets… and lose the costs of the flights and hotel. Our ‘trip of a lifetime’ was not to be.
ReplyDeleteOur ‘friend’ without the camp suggested that the Clockwork Angels tour hit the UK, Iwe might still have the chance to meeet up. We did..and thanks to his generosity we were able to experience a soundcheck and experience the gig from the best seats in the house. To this day we remain eternally grateful. On a bittersweet footnote…my dear wife, so thoughtful, so generous in gifting our son and I this unique opportunity has spent her entire career in Cancer research… more specifically in drug discovery. Her mentor, was the lead scientist in the development of Temozolimode (Temedol)….still the most effective therapy against the scourge of glioblastoma. Thank you Donna for bringing Rush to the attention of the world, to Howard (you know why), to Tracey and Professor Malcolm Stevens for your continued invaluable work…and Canada’s finest for finest catalogue of music created within my lifetime.