Complex Numbers

Another Concert

I've burned through my concert budget for this year, already. I hope Bruce, Dar, Gogol Bordello, or, well, anyone else doesn't come to town over the next three and a half months, because I might have to divert drinking funds, and we wouldn't want that.

How did I blow the rest of my budget?

Last night, on these guys:

(That's Rush, the Canadian prog-rock band, not Rush, the Big Fat Idiot.)

That's a fan-made video of a song from 1981. I found fan-made concert footage from last night (Bristow, VA) already up on YouTube, but it sucks ass compared to being there, so I didn't link it.

Some people don't like Rush. I get that. Really, I do. Geddy Lee's voice just doesn't do it for many people. They're not my favorite band - you all know what that is. Still, I know musical genius when I hear it. And even more when I see it.

There is no doubt at all that Neil Peart is the greatest drummer alive. He might be the greatest drummer who ever lived - I don't know; I suspect he'd say that honor goes to Buddy Rich, to whom he paid tribute in his signature concert drum solo. Neil's also a kick-ass lyricist.

The other guys don't suck, either. Okay, that's an understatement. They fucking rock. My friend tells me that someone once asked Alex Lifeson, "So, when did you know you were a rock god? Was it when you looked down and everyone was playing air guitar?" Supposedly, he replied, "No, it was when I saw they were getting the chords right."

And they have this excellent, subtle sense of humor that almost never comes across in their songs, but really comes out on stage.

Even if you're not a Rush fan, you need to see them, just once. Preferably before Geddy Lee turns into a baritone.