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Nashville Scene: June 3-9, 2004

Rush light up the shed

by David A. Brensilver

The end of Rush's second set last Wednesday at Starwood exemplified what made the band a cult favorite long before FM radio did: the consistency of their live performances.  Known for their instrumental interplay, Rush finished the opening night of their 30th Anniversary Tour with a capsule of defining tunes.  On "La Villa Strangiato," the trio's guitarist, Alex Lifeson, married technique and emotive playing, coaxing his guitar to sing mournfully with a volume pedal, or allowing the distortion to scream in the instrument's upper registers.

"La Villa Strangiato" also was a showcase for Geddy Lee's bass playing, especially the way he combines chops and dexterity with the aggressive, somewhat distorted low end that has defined the band's sound as much as Lee's once shrill, still treble-heavy voice.  Drummer Neil Peart's performance was a study in perpetual, if choreographed, motion.

The trio mixed it up all evening, playing standards like "Tom Sawyer" and "The Spirit of Radio," as well as songs they supposedly retired years ago, like "Red Barchetta," "Xanadu" and "Mystic Rhythms."  They also did some of the layered, heavy material from 2002's Vapor Trails, along with romping turns on covers like The Who's "The Seeker," which allowed Lee, Lifeson and Peart to indulge their influences--and to lend their tight ensemble playing to a simpler, albeit beloved, repertoire.

After concluding with their 1981 track "Limelight," the band headed to Charlotte, N.C., having reminded the faithful at Starwood why they've been following Rush for three decades.  Surrounded by sensory-overloading lasers, lights and graphics, Rush performed as freshly and intensely as they do on record.