Overcoming tragedy, Rush returns to form

TAMPA -- Rush loyalists know the travails the Canadian progressive-rock band has faced in the past five years. Goodness knows, it certainly helped to be one of the band's die-hard fans to enjoy Thursday's epic performance at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The trio of virtuoso musicians -- singer-bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart, all of whom are 49 -- blasted out of the gate with a note-perfect Tom Sawyer.

Aren't you supposed to encore with your most famous tune? Testament to the band's energy, Rush continued to hold its audience spellbound for three more hours. (It helped that there was no opening act and fans refreshed during an intermission.)

New World Man soon followed, with Peart banging his enormous kit -- roughly the size of a small studio apartment -- with ferocity. One of rock's greatest drummers and the band's lyricist, Peart was set back by tragedy in 1997, first losing his wife to cancer, and shortly thereafter, his teenage daughter died in an automobile accident. After a hiatus, Rush this year released Vapor Trails, its critically acclaimed 17th studio album. Rush performed just a few songs from the album, including the single One Little Victory, instead concentrating on the tried-and-true older material. After a 30-year career and sales of 35-million albums, it wasn't hard to keep the favorites coming.

Fans relish -- and critics often malign -- Rush's sprawling compositions, quirky time signatures and those oh-so-lengthy solos. Thursday night found both Peart and Lifeson indulging in several spotlight solos. Peart had the stage to himself for close to eight minutes in a polyrhythmic frenzy that incorporated jazzy snaps with East African beats.

Lee's high-pitched yodel of a voice was in excellent form. The lyrics Lee sings revolve around his bandmate Peart's obsessions, bleak futuristic themes about technology and, especially on the landmark 2112, the tenets of the American philosopher Ayn Rand. It makes Rush's material brainier -- some would say more pretentious -- than your average three-chord arena rock band.

Those in the crowd impressed by the first set's lack of stage fanfare -- the only decor consisted of, inexplicably, three side-by-side functioning laundry dryers -- were likely surprised by what came after intermission. The band returned with huge columns of fire crackling behind them, lively blasts of light and pyrotechnics and seemed to have even more energy as fans thrust their fists in the air for The Temples of Syrinx and sang along to Limelight, glad to find their favorite band back in it.

-- To contact Gina Vivinetto e-mail gina@sptimes.com.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright