7/2/2016 - A year and a day have passed since this event and I finally get to put down words regarding my memory reminiscing on the glory that hindsight can achingly paint and yearning for previous greatness of which a void may be falsely filled due to wishfully galvanizing the remembrance of a positive picture in the minds eye of an event of the most highly statured nature.
Yet my mind does not play tricks on me.
THIS CONCERT KICKED ASS.
The iPhone 4 screensaver.
Captured on the day and being my long standing screenshot for several months.
Of this text my memory is dim but it appears to concern the fact that FRANK WAS DILLIGENTLY AT WORK TO SECURE US RUSH TICKETS !!!
On the night and in the building.
Two happier campers you would be hard pressed to find. We were amongst the crowd of twenty thousand to celebrate our boys victory year of 40.
Yep they made it folks against much critical adversity and changing musical climates, we were and shall remain Proud Fans of RUSH.
Pre concert is when I prefer to purchase my takeout food item souvenirs as there can be a larger mob post concert and the goal is to get back out into Manhattan's gasoline drenched, germ permeated air in haste.
Aside from an R40 t-shirt I also scored a program of which I collect and as a "trinket" a five dollar R40 lanyard (or was it ten dollars).
This was the "Night of the Soaked Program" mystery debacle wherein I found myself exiting the arena only to find my program which was in the supplied shopping bag drenched in Beer or some such liquid, yet being keen observers Frank and I noted no beverage drinkers in our proximity during the performance. My latest theorem is someone on the escalator accidentally dripped liquid into my bag by accident.
Anyways, I tried a few vendors after the fact for a fair exchange of said drenched item to no avail and the "old timer" at the last stand was downright rude, he exclaimed "We Dont Sell Them Like That, You Probably Found It !!!"
The customer is always right and he basically called me a liar but I just took it like a Rush Fan/Man and purchased another program, They weren't going to let me leave empty handed, I will show them,...
hey waitaminnit.
In the arena perched in our front row seats (section 226).
The Tickets (photo courtesy A.O.F. archives)
The show was cleverly designed in linear reverse/backwards time machine format BLAHBLAHBLAH encapsulating the sense of humor that is RUSH BLAHBLAHBLAH and from the looks of the stage gear at this juncture here we find them somewhere in the early 80s or late 90s BLAHBLAHBLAH.
Since this entry concerns the R40 Tour let me say that it was one of the finest concerts I have ever been to (as of this writing and most likely of all time).
Here we find the boys in mid-70s mode BLAHBLAHBLAH during a track from "Fly By Night" if I am not mistaken.
FOODS TO BE HAD.
GYRO ll - A longstanding mainstay of GoingToAConcertAtMadisonSuareGardenAndGettingABiteToEatBeforehand.
Gyro ll is pretty much an Gastronomical institution of the lower midtown area. I can only imagine the brouhaha and zaniness that has occurred when the Grateful Dead has come to town across the street from this fine establishment.
Gyro to Infinity and Beyond. Perfection abounds and I doubt that can fall exclusively to their extra touch of a powdering of Paprika atop the White Sauce.
As difficult as it was to resist I kept my "in camera" video footage capturing to a minimum preferring to actually Enjoy The Concert and Be There. Here are the two clips I took home as souvenirs as I knew I would be "jonesing" to relive the experience awaiting the impending DVD release.
The aforementioned "impending" DVD release.
Frank & I are awaiting to get together at his sprawling palatial estate to enjoy this film together in glorious 5.1 Surround Sound.
Frank tempted me to peek at the setlist online and try as I might I gave in after a few hours. Hemispheres (prelude) and Cygnus X-1 had me entirely stoked and I inwardly predicted "Xanadu" of which I was correct and gratefully so as part of the song selections on this most Amazing Tour.
