Vapor Trails Tour News Archive

"From the White Sands, To the Canyonlands, To the redwood stands, To the Barren Lands"

Album News Archive - 'Rio' DVD News - Lerxst's Rants - Tourdates & Setlists

In Their Own Words

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"There's just too much material, we can't not do 'an evening with...'. We thought it might be fun to actually play with an opening act again, and find a band that we really like to work with. There was some very-very-very preliminary talk, very casual talk really, about maybe doing some dates with Tool, which would have been really a lot of fun I think. But in the end we decided that, to get as much material played as we can, we need to play 'an evening with'." - Alex Lifeson, KLBJ Interview, Apr. 10, 2002

"...it is also important for us to pick songs that we won't get bored with over the course of a long-ish tour and we're talking about having some surplus songs where we'll just add them in on a nightly basis and switch [them] around to keep us on our toes. And I think we're going to drop some of the older classics that we've played for a long time and replace them with other old songs that we've never played before or at least haven't played in a long time. ...'Closer to the Heart', for example. We've been playing it for, my God, 25 years -- every tour, every time! And I think we have like four different video versions of that song and its appeared on a few live records, so that's one I think it's time for retirement." - Alex Lifeson, CNN.com, Mar. 28, 2002

"'The Camera Eye' just would have taken up too much time in the setlist that we already had designed with 'Natural Science' in it. We did not want to drop 'Natural Science' and we wanted to play enough Vapor Trails material in the show so we had to sacrifice. 'Camera' would have taken up three song spots and we knew that was a song that the hard-core fans would love to hear but we need to play to a wide audience and please everyone...including ourselves. I think the setlist works really well night to night. I am happy...We actually had rehearsed almost 4 hours worth of show material to fall back on if we decided to change up either mid-tour or whenever. We did change it up a bit by adding 'Freewill' and 'The Trees' along with 'Ghost Rider' on the opposite nights. That keeps us on our toes...there was also 'Test For Echo' and 'Animate' that we really like playing but ran out of time in the scheme of things. We had gone through 'Bangkok', 'Nocturne', and 'Vapor Trail', some more were there but we just really were inching closer and closer to the full 3 hour mark. We have unions to answer to ya know! (laughs)...[The complete 'Fear' set] would have taken up so much time. Literally we are able to play so much more material right now in their place. We went through it and it just did not seem to flow right with the rest of the material live. It kinda was sounding all over the place. I agree 'Freeze' is a very strong song but it just did not make the cut." - Alex Lifeson, West Palm Beach Fan Interview, Counterparts Message Board, Oct. 11, 2002

"I think 'Secret Touch' is my favorite song on the record, and I love playing it live. It's got a great intensity about it." - Geddy Lee, Contents Under Pressure

"Unfortunately, we didn't get any offers from British promoters....it doesn't make sense for us to come for just 4 or 5 dates. We thought that once the new record, Vapor Trails, came out it would create a bit of interest, but it didn't." - Geddy Lee, Classic Rock Magazine, Aug. 2002

News and Reviews

Lerxst's Vapor Trails Rants

Similar to the band introductions for the Counterparts tour, each night Alex performed a unique "rant" during "La Villa Strangiato":

  • Opening night in Hartford (6/28) he discussed a "Barbaritta", 'What is a Barbaritta you may ask, well, I'll tell you what a Barbarritta is, a Barbaritta is, a barbarritta is....a....'.
  • Scranton (6/29), "a walk...selling a cat for 50 cents" and introduced the band as "that guy" (Neil) and "that other guy" (Geddy).
  • Charlotte (7/1), "oh why would anybody use words, there are lots of words, some words are really short, and some words are LLLOOOOONNNNNNGGGG" and Alex jumps back into the song after the word long is spoken."
  • Virgina Beach (7/3), "going to a zoo, a German zoo and seeing all the animals getting angry at him and then shooting them and then being taken to jail in a tiny car, interrogated by a big black guy with a big black beret and being tossed back into a jail cell with all of the animals he had shot - but that they left the door on the cell open and he busted out to come an play for us."
  • Raleigh (7/4), a "Happy Birthday" song to America which concluded with North Carolina (in a southern drawl). In addition, at the close of the show, the big screen flashed "Happy 4th of July from Rush".
  • Saratoga (7/6), Alex began with a coughing spell, mostly like coughing up a lung, with some rambling, then introduced the band as "On drums we have....that guy over there, and on bass....that other guy there. And, of course, the beautiful, sexy leader of the band....couldn't make it tonight"
  • Darien Lake (7/7), he discussed going for a walk with Commander Tom, an old tv personality from Buffalo, and Professor Bleep and then bumping into Colonel Klink, but "... that's another story for another time..." Then he went on about seeing a fire, "A big fire! I don't know where it was, but it was somewhere! Maybe in Lackawana! Or East Tonawanda! I don't know where, but there was a fire! Lots of fire! FIRE FIRE FIRE!"
  • Bristow (7/9), "The wicked witch, the wicked witch is dead....but which witch is dead?...Why would anybody want to write a song about a witch?"...."Mr. Bass (to Geddy)...I want you to play" (then plays a riff which Geddy tries to copy)..."Mr. Drums (to Neil)," etc.
  • Holmdel (7/11), "taking a walk in Central Park, finding a pond, a clear and beautiful pond, and washing his laundry in the pond, and swimming in the pond, then taking a taxi across the street to come to the show".
  • Mansfield (7/12), "I tried to quit smoking the other day .. ohhh .. I love to smoke .. I tried to cut the filters off and puff away. I even split the cigarette in half so I can smoke two at a time . . ohhh .. I like that. I tried smoking other things ... I tried smoking my socks and shoes .. that didn't taste good .. and then someone gave me this other stuff (acts dizzy, laughs from Ged and Neil), wow ... that was great ... and now I am never going to try to quit smoking again ...."
  • Camden (7/14), "here's a scary story, a really scary, but somehow satifying one...", goes into prolonged coughing fit, Neil laughs and looks questioningly at Geddy, and Alex never does tell story.
  • Wantagh (7/15), walking the beach with a metal detector, finding the body of Jimmy Hoffa.
  • Toronto (7/17), "Buenos Nochas mein froinds. I was dreaming, and I saw a snake. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but then I heard a strange voice, and it whispered to me, 'Snoring...'. I continued dreaming, and this the time the strange voice said to me very loudly, 'SNORING! Please, don't snore anymore!' I sat there in bed like this-- (shot of Alex's eyes on the big screen popping wide open)-- and then I decided to take a walk. And I was walking and walking and walking, and then I met these guys, and we started walking and walking and walking, and we came to Ontario Place, and then we ended up HERE!"
  • Milwaukee (7/19), "I had a dream and the ground was the floor and the sky was the ceiling and the lake was... well, I guess my toilet, and I looked around and I realized I was in hell!...a lot like Milwaukee...hot and humid..although its a dry humidity...this is a REALLY LONG STORY...somebody HELP ME!!!"
  • Tinley Park (7/20), "I dreamed about porkchops chasing me and all the best food in the world. I ate a giant Marshmallow. I woke up and my pillow was gone!"
  • Kansas City (8/1), Alex rambled in a Snaggletooth voice and included comments about his guitar and a short rendition of the chorus from "Kansas City" including "they've got some crazy little women there and I'm going to get me 5 or 6!" He then went in to a "trance" and requested that the band "play something happy" and Ged and Neil played a little riff, followed by "play something mysterious" to which Ged and Neil played a very similar sounding riff, and then he said they should play something with the 5 basic emotions but maybe save that for later...
  • Maryland Heights (8/2), he sang happy birtday to KSHE radio (it was their 35 birthday party), and then followed up by making a series of Ugghhh sounds and said "that was a seal singing jazz." He proceeded to make the sounds again and said "that was me making funny noises."
  • Cincinnati (8/4), he started off with what sounded like a Police song-"EEEE-OOOO.....OOOOOOO.....", then something like, "AAAAAHT-AAAAHT-AAAAAHT..." and then he started marching in place yelling "NOW LET'S HEAR SOME....ARMY! MUSIC!!" to which Neil started in with some cadence snare drumming while Alex snapped off several mock salutes and yelling "...HUT..TWO! THREE! FOUR!!..." like an over zealous drill sergeant.
  • Burgettstown (8/6), he rambled about taking a walk to Primanti Brothers (Pittsburgh restaurant famed for serving sandwiches with fries and slaw on them) for a "sammich" (Pittsburgh-ese) and an Iron City, and then "I had a Suzy Q, and I started feeling really funny, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital. I had an overdose of Suzy Q's. That happens when you have like 14 Suzy Qs. That doesn't happen when you eat a gob."
  • Columbus (8/8): Alex sang Happy Birthday to QFM96 radio (their 25th anniversary bash). He then started sing "ya-ya-ya..yayay..yaya..Thats what The Beatles really wanted to sing...was the Ya-Ya song..." Then he said he "never met O'Charley before, but he's no damn good with darts, and he lost $20.00 dollars at his pub. But O'Charley can't pay up, or play this" as they return to "La Villa..."
  • Noblesville (8/9), Alex sings, first gargling, then yodeling, and says "singing is easy, but I was to sing something different... How about something... mysterious?" and the band plays something mysterious with Alex singing sounds like choking "I don't know, that was kinda weird...how about something happy?" and Geddy and Neil play something happpy, with lots of happy tom and cowbell fills, and Alex sings in a silly high voice, and then Alex says "Wow, that was a waste of time!" as a they break back into "La Villa..."
  • Clarkston (8/11), Alex talked of floating over Detroit, Joe Louis Hall, Cobo Hall, the Michigan palace (which is gone), then he corrected himself saying it wasn't there.
  • Clarkston (8/12), Alex FORGOT to play "Limelight" following "Temples of Syrinx". As he began the intro to "La Villa", Ged walked over, smiled at him and said "What about 'Limelight'?". Alex got a horrified look on his face, pretends to cry and nodded. The rant, spoken in a German accent, was all an inside joke to his forgetting "Limelight": "...I thought I was someplace else, but I wasnt there... where I was supposed to be 5 minutes ago is where I'm going to be in 2 minutes..."
  • Nashville (8/14), Alex began by making bizarre noises, and then spoke in a Sigmund Freud-esque voice about dreams. "I had a dream that had a very profound effect on me. I cannot remember the dream... but I know that it had Kim Basinger in it! You know that sort of dream where you wake up and remember it for five minutes, and then it's changed into something completely different? Then your mind starts getting crazy things in it. Ya'know... Like that Charlie Manson guy. Remeber him? Marilyn's brother. Well he sucks. Not Marilyn... He's allright" He rambled on about dreams until Neil signalled to get on with it by hammering the drums, and he apologized for his "loquacity" and ripped back into "La Villa".
  • Woodlands (8/16), Alex began making bizarre noises and convulsions, and with eyes closed complained about his stomach. He asked Geddy and Neil to play some different kind of music, to which they responded by coming to a complete stop. This obviously caught Alex by surprised as he lost it and started laughing. Regaining his composure, he said that was nice and began making strange noises again, "ooooooooooooohhhhhhhh, ooooooooooooohhhhh, ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh, something's coming, something's coming...oh yeah, something's coming...(silence).....Uh Oh..." Neil's eyebrows raised and a sort of embarrassed smile sort of broke out over his face. Then he looked over at Geddy who was smiling broadly. When Alex said “uh oh,” he and Geddy both started laughing out loud. Next, Alex asked them to play some other kind of different music. Geddy and Neil played a short little riff, which Alex said was nice, but not as nice as the first music. Finally Alex introduced them, with Neil as Flip Wilson, himself as Brad Pitt and Geddy as "That Guy".
  • San Antonio (8/17): Alex looked out at the crowd for a couple of seconds, and then asked in a lisp, "Does anybody feel like dancing?" He then cavorts across the stage with his knees bent and splayed out, and with both armns in the air, elbos bant and hands wide open, kind of like a can-can dancer, I guess. He gets back to the mike and says, "You guys suck ...you don't dance at all. Oh wait, I know, you do the cool dance." He then just stands there nodding his head up and down in a perfect imitation of guys who get dragged onto a dance floor by the girlfriends against their will. Then he says, "I like the cool dance best because you can do it while lying down." He then falls to the stage and proceeds to do the cool dance while lying down. After he got up, Neil had had enough and gave the cue to go back into the song.
  • Dallas (8/19): Alex pretended to cry, then said, "okay okay okay okay la la la la. Hey play that song, play that part you played the other day." Geddy and Neil stopped playing. Alex whistled a little and then said, "You know sometimes you just have nothing to say, because there's nothing in your brain, nothing going on upstairs, empty empty empty"... back into La Villa.
  • Albuquerque (8/21): he sang an incredibly fast paced vocal skat, beginning with blues (ala Aretha Franklin), "a doo be doo be doo be doo bop bop bee bop", and then sequeyed to square dance style "doe see doe, doe see doe, doe do doe, doe see doe", and then a cool-jazz vocal solo "get down, so low, get down, get down, so low".
  • Salt Lake City (8/23): he went into a "Flick my Bic, Flick my Bic" song, then did alot of do-do-da-da's, sometimes going into a lower tone - Geddy and Neil waiting for him to finish, finally have enough and kick back into La Villa.
  • Denver (8/24): (In strange monotone voice) "Good evening my friends. This is the part of the show where I have to talk to you. It is the only time they (points at Ged and Neil) ever let me talk, not that I blame them, because I'M NOT WELL! (Covers his eyes) I have to close my eyes, because I can't talk with my mouth and see with my eyes at the same time--I haven't figured that out, yet. I don't have anything to talk about, except this (and he vocalizes the melody played by Geddy). How did I know he was going to play that you might ask? I don't know much else, except this..." (as they rip back into La Villa).
  • Vancouver (9/8): "Today I flew in an airplane across Canada and part of the United States. I landed here in Vancouver, and I noticed that it smells different here [the pot smoke was pretty heavy during the show...]. I LIKE how it smells here, here in BC. You know, I was born here in BC... in Fernie, BC. It's over there [points east] in the other part of BC. There are lots of mountains and rivers and rocks there. But it doesn't smell like it smells here. But I LIKE the way it smells here."
  • Seatle (9/14): His ramble consisted of whistling, humming and finally a story about going to the zoo, about how the animals at the zoo were all relaxing having lunch and smoking cigars, but they didn't know that the zoo was just about to open, and their wonderful day was about to be ruined by... PEOPLE! "I was the first one in," Alex said. He said he had decided to free the animals, but first he had to figure out how to open all the locks. Then once he got the cages open, the animals just stayed in the back of their cages and wouldn't come out. "That's how it is!" he complained. "It's always about the animals! The animals! Animals animals animalsanimalsanimalsanimals!" He said the word "animals" really quickly over and over until it turned into a silly, maniacal noise. Alex finished with the story saying he had just accidentally swallowed the quarter that he was going to use for a phone call to have a van come pick up the animals. Then he said, "And that's all." He paused, and said "I *SAID* THAT'S ALL!!!" and they all jumped back into the song.
  • Portland (9/15): "This is the part where we all dance...(he then dances a bit)...I suck at dancing...I want to tell you a story...a scary story...about getting attacked by a sandwich...I was walking down the street, there was happy music (he whistles...Geddy and Neil play a happy jig)...no, much happier than that....and I stop to get a sandwich...it was bread and salami and cold cuts and salami and ham and salami and mustard and mustard flavored salami...and...then...I ate the sandwich...which only goes to how...this is the stupidest story I've ever told..."
  • Concord (9/17): Alex ranted about "turkey and turkey things!", describing his lunch of turkey and was quite facinated with "turkey things" for quite some time before talking about..."California Meat Bee's that swoop down and eat a guys lunch". He then asked Geddy to "Make some Bee sounds", to which Geddy twiddled a little on the bass, then Alex said "Oh nevermind".
  • Sacramento (9/18): "This is the part of the show were I come out and say very stupid things ... stupid, stupid, stupid ... stupid. Stupid. Stupid...." (crowd starts chanting along to "STUPID" song for 20-30 seconds, then he mentioned that he had some hired help and would make them perform! "You two! Play something else! Play something ... mysterious, yet gay!" (Neil plays chopsticks on the glockenspiel) "PERFECT!"
  • San Francisco (9/20): "I've lost my voice, and I cant find it! Some people around here" (looks at Ged and Neil) "would say that's a good thing...I can't think of anything so I'm going make them play songs for you" (then says to Ged and Neil, "play some Spy music" (Ged and Neil go into something and Alex says) "I never knew Batman was a Spy!!!! Play something happy" (Ged plays a happy riff and he sings 'YO YO YO' like Sting used to do with the Police.) "now play something scary" (Ged stops, and Neil plays a scary beat on the toms, and he knocks on the Microphone and says) "Don't Open The Door!! Don't Go In The Basement!" He then starts to talk back to the crowd, when Ged and Neil start up 'La Villa' and a surprised Alex says to the crowd "I've got to go!"
  • Las Vegas (9/21): He began with a very long coughing spell, then attempting to clear his throat, said "Does anybody want to lick this mike?" (after much applause and a pause, he said) "My voice is changing. It sounds like Michael Jackson's voice. His voice now sounds like mine used to. Screw Michael Jackson anyway! (pauses, then he then begins whistling, then says) "everybody knows this one, join in!" (waves arms to get crowd to join in, then says to Ged and Neil) "now stop" (crowd is all whistling) "you guys are pretty good! Actually I have some very important things to tell you" (Ged and Neil start playing again) "but I'd rather hear what you guys have to say" (looks at Ged and Neil) "now stop" (encourages audiences to talk by waving arms, audience begins to chatter) "really? You don't say". Also during "Dreamline", Geddy emphasized Vegas with "She's got a sister out in Vegas" which received warm applause from the crowd.
  • Los Angeles (9/23): Alex started (again) with the meat bees (like in Concord), and described how he was eating a turkey sandwich and they swooped down and cut out a section of the turkey and carried it off. Then one came back and bit him and he felt like a vampire (which he shouted over and over until they cut back into "La Villa."
  • San Diego (9/25): He began by whistling a tune, and the crowd joined in after he said "everybody whistle!" Then he said "Let's see, what kind of story can I tell. Hmmmm. I have a really scary story about...the zoo! Let's talk about the zoo. The animals at the zoo like the blues. It's the zoo-zoo blues! (All 3 broke into a short blues melody)..."The animals fooled the zoo keeper with the blues. All the animals escaped from the Zoo. The moral of the story is never turn your back on an animal that listens to the blues!"
  • Phoenix (9/27): "I been sick....here...what's this? (points to his throat) stomach? sore stomach? no...sore throat....." He said his head hurt...and his throat hurt...and his eyes hurt (etc...). Then he said that he was sleeping soundly in the hotel when suddenly, at 3 am, he was woken up by a gentle poking. His wife was poking him, poking him... and she softly said "snoring...". The rant continues with him saying how she went from poking to outright hitting - he bapped the microphone to emphasize his point, and knocked the cord/endcap right out the back of it. For the rest of the rant he was struggling to hold the cord in place (thus, his voice was breaking up over the speakers) and kept saying (in a pitiful little voice) how his microphone was broken, all cuz of "snoring, SNORING!". He ended his rant by saying that he hoped the next time someone woke you (the crowd) up, that you tell them to go buy a new mic.
  • Irvine (9/28): Alex began with a bunch of mumbling, and talk about sleep and being woken up to poking and someone saying "...snoring", and then he said "and I turn over" (Ged and Neil stop playing) "and she said (speaks in a woman's voice) "do you think I'm fat?"
  • Mexico City (10/5): This was Rush's first performance in Mexico. Geddy greeted the crowd with "Hola, buenas noches, no hablo español (Hello, good evening, I can't speak Spanish)". Then he explained in English that they would be playing "mucho, mucho" (many, many) songs. Following "Freewill", he said they had "a special gift" for the fans of Mexico, and they played "Closer To The Heart". Before "Resist", he introduced Alex as "This is Mr. Lerxst, Alexjandro" (Spanish equivalent for Alex). Alex's Rant: another coughing spell as on other nights, and another story of waking up at 3 a.m. to someone saying "SNORING!". He then said he had the chance to sleep for two hours, three hours, and then again a gentle poking from his wife, who asked him "do you think I am fat?".
  • Tampa (10/10): (In a mellow, spaced out voice, similar to Tommy Chong's) "That was jazz, man. Jazz is, like... cool. Jazz is the easiest to play because you just play whatever you want and look cool. And say cool things like, 'dig it'. Cool jazz guys smoke too. They keep their cigarettes here (gestures to the tuning gears on his guitar) so they can just go (brings the guitar to his mouth to take a drag off the imaginary cigarette). Those are some cool jazz guys over there. That guy on the drums is... Bongo-head. The other buy we call 'Boom-boom Boom-boom'"...
  • West Palm Beach (10/11): "So I went to an aquarium zoo... it's a zoo where they have animals that are all underwater...they had lots of fish, big fish, little fish, shiny fish...then I saw the most dangerous animal in the whole world - the flying shark snake...and it's dangerous because it doesn't only have sharp teeth and shark skin and all that, but it's like a snake too! And, they're always in a bad mood! Well, I thought no problem, it's inside a tank. So then later I was driving, I was in a rental car, and I was stupid, because it's Florida, and I'm driving with the windows open, and it's like 95 degrees. So my arm is on fire - that's the only place I get any suntan. And then from behind me... a flying shark snake passes me! I was so scared, I peed in my pants!" (then as the song continues, he sings along a little in a kind of deep scary voice: "flying shark snake, flying shark snake!")
  • Atlanta (10/13): "Do you ever get so mad, that you just want to grab that guy, and rip off his ears, pull his hair out, poke him in the eye and punch him in the nose? Do you ever feel like that? I don't, I never feel like that. Instead, I just turn around and walk away (made prancing noises and did a funny walk back to his amps, then returned to the mike for "I always come back and kick him in the shin...but right now, I'm getting the cue, to introduce the band to you. On the drums, from his home town of Eth, in 'Eth'-iopia, the King of Ethiopia, the Emporer 'Highly Unlikely'". Then he said directly to Neil, "this is where you start playing the drums again, but more interesting than the solo!" (Neil played short solo, and Alex said) "Better, that's better...now he's getting good!" and then intoduced Geddy as "someone just was released from prison where he had been since he was 7 years old, Boom Boom-Boom Boom." (Geddy played short bass solo) "And then there's me, I'd like to play a little blues for you", and then played a few blues bars before returning to La Villa.
  • Baltimore (10/15): At the beginning of Resist, Geddy and Alex began with some "country music". For the rant, Alex talked about growing up hearing strange music in his house as a kid, then made farting sounds with the guitar and later went into the "HEY Bongo man" (Neil) and "Big Daddy BOOM BOOM over there, who we now refer to as 'Emeel'" (Geddy). He then carried the rant back into the song singing about "this is the song La Villa Strangiato" and began humming it... (Neil stopped playing for a moment as he was laughing too hard)
  • Rochester (10/16): Again before playing Resist, Alex began with a country riff, and Geddy joined in. They played for about a minute..and then they stopped and Geddy said "That's all the country music we know", as the crowd responded with a loud roar... During the rant, Alex started by playing weird sounds on his guitar, and said it was something that will be on the next album. He then introduced Neil as the latin singer "Shakira", and then went on to talk about her wonderful hips, and accompanied this commentary with a brief imitation of Shakira by swivelling his hips while Neil played along. and Geddy as "The Vivacious...Preston Manning" (former Canadian Politician, Geddy's face just went blank, Neil laughed). Alex then started screaming "Alex...Wake up...Alex Wake up..."
  • Montreal (10/18): Alex began with "I'd now like to introduce the band. Geddy meet Neil, Neil...Geddy." The crowd, and Geddy and Neil burst out laughing. He then talked about playing Jazz. He asked the band to play something jazzy and Neil and Geddy both started playing. Alex looked at Geddy and said "Not you!". So Geddy stopped playing (and appeared to be a little stunned - Neil was laughing). Then Neil played for a short piece and Alex told him "That is so retarded! But that's the great thing about jazz - it's retarded but, cool at the same time!". Neil is laughing quite hard at this point, then he asked Geddy for a bass fill but he didn't play much and Alex went on to play his little Jazz number that he just made up and Geddy had to tap him on the shoulder to get him to finish La Villa. (Rumored performance of "Nobody's Hero" on this night was determined to be false).
  • Quebec City (10/19): the rant was about a voice saying "wake up Alex" over and over as he slept, and then when he went out for a walk the voice kept saying "Keep walking Alex". As on the previous night he then said "I'd now like to introduce the band. Geddy meet Neil, Neil...Geddy." Then he called them by different names, referring to the bass player as Ricky. He told Neil to play a cool beat, and Neil played a little bit, then he he asked for a song from the "magnificent bass plaer, Ricky". Geddy half heartedly played a little ditty and Alex said "Awesome"...
  • Toronto (10/22): Alex began playing a weird sound on his guitar, and said "this is a new song...what do you think of it?" Then he started talking about "walking around", and said "what do I think about while I am walking around", and "what do other people think about? Hey you, hot shot drummer, what do you think about?" and Neil did a heavy drum beat. Then Alex looked at Geddy and said "And the suave young man over there with the guitar. What's this? Only four strings?" Then Geddy sat down on the corner of the drum riser and played something very jazzy, as Alex started to sing the words "La Villa Strangiato" over and over until Neil and Geddy broke back into the song...but Alex just kept singing "La Villa Strangiato La Villa Strangiato La Villa Strangiato" as Neil and Geddy had a laugh.
  • New York, New York (10/24): Out of rotation, the band played the same setlist as the previous show (which included The Trees, Freewill and Ghost Rider). In addition, again for Resist, Geddy and Alex played some country music, with Geddy ending it with "That's all of the country music we know!" For the rant, Alex started by playing some Hawaiian music then said "That was a new Hawaiian song i just wrote." Then he talked about "walking on the beach in Hawaii, picked up a rock - ouch, lava, hot, I always do that!" Then his said, "this is what's in my head" and then played more Hawaian music." Then he said "Hey, you there in the funny hat" (to Neil) "What's in your head?" and Neil played a heavy drum rhthym. Then to Geddy "Hey, you...What's in your head?" and Geddy played "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on the bass.
  • Hershey, Pennsylvania (10/25): He started off talking in a "Yogi Bear" type voice, mumbling something incoherent. He then said (in the voice) "How ya doing, Hershey?" which received a loud response. Alex then asked Neil and Geddy, who were playing a diddy, "Can you guys stop playing.." to which Neil yelled "NO!" through one of his drum mikes and began laughing. Both Neil and Geddy stopped playing and Alex began plinking the strings on his guitar, asking the audience if they liked his new song. They then played a bit of the star spangled banner, and then Neil then began playing the beat to "Wipeout" and Alex played along, playing the wrong notes to the song on purpose. Neil and Geddy just looked at Alex in amazement and Geddy started laughing. Alex then said, "Gotta go now" and they jumped back into La Villa.
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (10/27): In a girlish-voice, Alex talked about baseball players and drugs that ballplayers use for big heads. "Why would anyone want a big head, I mean everyone wants a little head"...(long pause)..."now and then". Then he asked Neil if he could play something that sounded good or he was going to come over and play drums himself, to which Neil made a cross with his sticks. He then turned to Ged and said, "Can you play something good for a change?" Geddy played "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on the bass while Alex sang some funny lyrics about baseball and drugs, suggesting that maybe Ged & Neil were taking the drugs to make their heads bigger, "....as if your heads could get any bigger!"
  • Boston, Massachusetts (10/28): Thanks to the fan who emailed me shortly after the show for this report: He was invited to the Meet and Greet, where he presented Alex with a complete set of "Three Stooges" bobblehead dolls, as a "thank you for the music". Hoping to see them during the live show, he was rewarded during the drum solo: when Neil's drum kit spun around, standing betweeen the two Spongebob Squarepants dolls was the Curley bobblehead doll! He also reported that the person who came out on stage during "Leave That Thing Alone!" to put quarters in the dryers was long time Rush fan, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson! Before the show, the fan had seen Johnson near the soundboard and had made small talk as Rush fans do, taling about the Angels winning the Series, Rush, etc....
  • Chicago, Illinois (10/30): First Alex went to the mic and just stood there and didn't say anything, then he said his doctor said he had amnesia, or least that's what he thought his doctor said, but he couldn't quite remember. Then he stood there and did nothing, so Geddy and Neil stopped playing. Geddy then went over and showed him that he should be playing his guitar, and started hitting the strings for him, so then alex started hitting the strings and said "isn't this annoying" and then said "this is going to be on the new album" (wails on guitar) "you will just have to wait for the rest." Then he said "if you think that was annoying..." and then started screaming into the mic. This had Geddy and Neil laughing pretty good, at which point Neil queued the song back up and they started back into La Villa. For the rest of the song Alex kept sing "La Villa Strangiato" and ad libbing other parts as the song finished.
  • Ames, Iowa (11/1): Alex began with a bit of coughing & "la la la..." (like scales), then said he was happy to be in Iowa with the Iowans. He was glad to be back at school. "You should be at school...instead of here...I didn't stay in school. Neither did they (motions to Neil & Geddy). But you should...otherwise you'll end up like them. Or you'll have to get a job. And that REALLY sucks..." He said to Neil and Geddy "you dropouts, play something smart!" Geddy & Neil stop playing, but only a second or two. Neil did a quick run around the drums before they went back to their jazz/swing improv. Alex clarified that now Geddy should play something smart. He acts flustered & confused, then returns to improv with Neil. As Alex returned to issue of school, Geddy & Neil move back into La Villa, and Alex began singing "Go Cy-clones!... Go Cy-clones!" while the crowd joined in. Side note, Neil apparently had a cold, as he was seen throwing many tissues over his shoulder.
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota (11/2): Alex began with lots of moaning, then went on to tell about how he was performing in Lebanon only to be thrown out. Then he went to Syria because they like that type of singing too. Then he asked Neil if he could play some lebanese drums? Neil smiled and shook his head no. Can Geddy play some lebanese bass? He also smiled and shook his head no. Then he said something like "Oh, forget it!" and they got back to the song, although Alex kept up the crazy moaning for about 15 seconds until Ged jokingly told him to stop.
  • Cleveland, Ohio (11/4): Alex began by him playing a little tune, then he walked up to the mic and said: "Voting...who to vote for? Why is it you can never vote for someone you actually like? Hey Neil, play some voting drums!" (Neil stops and plays a shuffle beat) "Hey Geddy, play some voting bass!" (Geddy stops and plays the original Batman theme). "Oh geeze thats great...if your voting for BATMAN! (Everyone laughs) Well, maybe if he was an independant. And whats up with that Robin Guy...just what is a robin anyway? Hey, I wrote a song for Robin..." (Geddy and Neil stop while Alex plays his song. Neil covers His mouth as he is laughing so hard. Alex sings a few Robin lyrics and then they break back into La Villa, only Alex is still singing with the beat). "Robin, I like your tights. Robin, what the hell is he anyway?!"
  • East Rutherford, New Jersey (11/6): Alex turned to Neil and Geddy and asked "How you guys doing?", they said "fine", he then asked "So what are you guys doing tonight?" Neil replied "Working!". Alex then played a weird riff on the guitar and said "The first song goes like this", then played another riff and said "and the second song goes like this." Geddy and Neil stopped playing, looked at each other and shook their heads. Alex then said "Look for it! Coming to a music store near you!" He looked at Neil and said "Can you play anything remotely interesting on the drums?" Neil stopped the jazz beat and hits the cowbells with the horse racing 'at the starting gate' tune, and then played the same tune on his toms, then went back into the jazz beat. Alex then asked Geddy "And you, do you like know how to play the bass at all?", and Geddy ripped it up for a moment before going back to into the groove. After a bit more, Alex said "This part of the show is borring...." and then they went back to "La Villa".
  • Uncasville, Connecticut (11/8): Alex started the rant played a wailing song on his guitar and said "that's on our new record!" to much applause, then said the rest of the song goes like this (as he plays some more) then says "I love that part". Then he stared weeping and told a long and funny story about how he lost all of his money at the casino. He had been gambling and said "If I had another $10,000 I could leave with $500".
  • Manchester, New Hampshire (11/10): For this, the final show in the US, the band played "Closer to the Heart" in place of "The Trees" or "Between Sun and Moon" (in the setlist with "Freewill" and "Ghost Rider"). For the rant Alex started crooning into the microphone and playing some sort of blues scale on the guitar, then he says "I sound like Chris Issak on acid"...then he continues, "What is acid?...I thought it was orange juice. I think it is something I did in high school"...then he continues, "What is high school?" He then continued playing, then he stops and says something (or to the effect of) about it being the last night of the tour and that he will return to being nobody tomorrow...then he says, "Speaking of nobodys...there are these two nobodys back here"...points at Neil and Geddy. He then points specifically at Neil and says "Is there anything you would like to play since its the last show?" Neil just shrugged no. Then he looks/points at Geddy, "What about you?" He then looks back at Neil and says, "Not you....him!" And he points at Geddy and says "Him!" Geddy is like "Me?"...."Yes you!" And this continues until Alex gives up and starts playing "La Villa..." again.
  • Porto Alegre. Brazil (11/20): 35,000 fans attended this first Brazilian performance. The setlist included The Trees and Freewill, which was followed by Closer To The Heart (same setlist for all three Brazil shows). Alex began the rant with a really poor guitar solo and said "That's how our next album will sound", then coughed for a long time.
  • São Paulo, Brazil (11/22): 64,000 fans attended this performance, the largest in Rush's history. This show was recorded for backup to the Rio show which was recorded and filmed for DVD the following night. The rant was similar to the Rio rant the following night.
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (11/23): 50,000 fans attended this performance. Filming for the Rush In Rio DVD took place this night, the final show of the tour. Alex began the rant with raving and making weird sounds and then commented on Geddy and Neil's jamming with "this is jazz...jazz is cool"...then after a pause said "I love singing, singing is so easy..." and then said "I'd like to introduce you my backup band, the guys that followed me on this tour: on the drums...Mr. Milton Banana!" and Neil played some samba rhythms. "On the bass guitar, the Guy From Ipanema" and Geddy played Garota de Ipanema (the Girl from Ipanema) on the bass; when he get to the chorus Alex joined in on the guitar and mic singing "Laaaaa... lalalalalalalaaaaa....."