What We Can Learn From Paul McCartney

I was just thinking about how in a few days, Rush will begin their new tour. That in itself is amazing: if you had told me a couple of years ago that there would be a new Rush tour, I wouldn't have believed it. And yet, it's about to happen. There are actually some mixed feelings among the fans. The vast majority are excited to see the new iteration of the band, and eager to watch them perform live. But there are also some who believe the band should not have hired a new drummer and committed to a new tour; they see it as disrespectful to Neil's memory. (It's worth noting that Neil's widow and his daughter do not subscribe to this view: Alex and Geddy spoke with them, and had they not been okay with it, I doubt things would have moved forward.)  

But if we're all being honest, many of us are a little nervous too: we've all seen bands that performed well past their prime. They could no longer hit the same notes, or play with the intensity they were able to summon thirty years ago. And while we trust Geddy and Alex's ability, we worry about if they'll be able to do what they did in previous decades. After all, they're in their 70s now, and about to embark on a grueling tour schedule. Will they be able to live up to their own high standards?     

A couple of days ago, my friend from the Washington Post, Geoff Edgers (you may recall him from the Rock Hall: he was there to interview the guys when they announced they were getting back together) wrote a wonderful article about Paul McCartney. Geoff is a very insightful observer of pop culture, and I never miss his articles. He began by acknowledging that he thought about writing an article criticizing Sir Paul's somewhat mediocre performance on Saturday Night Live; a lot of online trolls were trashing the performance, observing that his voice was thin, he had trouble hitting some of the higher notes, and he sounded every bit of his age-- nearly 84. 

But Geoff decided not to write a critical article after all. Instead, he focused on McCartney's newly released album: "roughly his 40th album if you count the Beatles, Wings and his solo career. And the record is a lesson in what it means to grow old and refuse to make concessions." The record had many good songs, reflecting who McCartney was now. The vocals were fine-- many were excellent, and even those where his range was less than it used to be still sounded good. (By the way, his version of "Hello Goodbye" that he performed on the final Stephen Colbert Show was wonderful.) 

And having listened to the new album, Geoff found himself hoping that McCartney would go out on tour and perform it live. "Because that’s what our heroes should be doing. Aging naturally and without fear." And as for his performance on Saturday Night Live, the online world may have been critical, but the live audience who saw it was far more enthusiastic. "Nobody watching in Studio 8H was counting how many notes he missed. They were standing to the side, jumping and clapping and feeling the joy of watching a true living master make music."

I have no doubt that Rush will put 150% into everything they do in their new tour. They always did before, and I'm certain they will continue to do that. And whether they are flawless (which they may well be) or not, it's a privilege to know they are still with us, still ready to entertain, still determined to put on a great show for the fans. Like Paul McCartney, the members of Rush are living masters too, and if going on tour in their 70s brings them joy, why shouldn't they do it? I'm certain there are many fans who can't wait to see them and are wishing them well. It will be a great adventure, and whether or not it's perfect isn't the point. Rush want to bring their music to a new generation. Count me among the many who are cheering them on. And I can't wait to see what they do.