The Rush experience

From the first moment when I was introduced to the band [Rush] [some odd six months ago] most of what I heard involved praises of their lyrics.  In preparation for the live concert that took place earlier today [June 19, 2015] I was instructed to take in a daily dose of what they had to offer.

To be honest: although I enjoy the music I was having a difficult time deciphering the lyrics; each time I pushed the play button the words failed to reach me.

Earlier today I had the opportunity to experience the band live.  I have to say that live; is exactly how Rush should be experienced.

The band trio took on the stage and got straight to business.  The curtains dropped and the music started.  There was no chit-chat, no introductions, no typical “hello Toronto, are you ready?… bla-bla-bla…“. They took the stage and started playing.

As the music boomed, somewhere in the middle of the madness a boisterous man screamed “we are not worthy“, my friend laughed and I thought to myself “that man has a point“.

Ironically, during the concert, the one thing that was supposed to make Rush great [their lyrics] could not reach me. It could have been the volume, the location of our seats or an aged/screechy tone of the singer’s voice; I simply could not fathom what he was trying to convey; his words melded into a set of indistinguishable sounds.

However, I do not believe that this was the point of the experience.  The real magic of Rush lies in their music.  I had the opportunity to experience a 2.5h of straight rock madness.  The drummer, the base player, and the lead guitarist: all delivered a masterful performance.  I fond myself losing track of time and space: in a psychedelic manner I kept returning to reality only to wonder what happened, how did I go from the beginning of the song to the middle, to the end?  I kept loosing myself and the melody, the cycle kept repeating.

For the lack of a better phrase: Rush is a band that delivered.

On my way home I popped in a CD with their music.  Listening to the familiar melodies again something odd happened. The words, the lyrics and the meaning was finally there. What previously seemed like a challenge was no longer a struggle.  Every word, every syllable uttered finally reached me.  It seems, that somehow, my experience at the concert allowed my senses to become attuned to the music.

I finally hear the words. I finally hear the message.  I finally have the opportunity to understand and embrace everything that this band has to offer.

I can’t wait to re-discover Rush all over again.  I can’t wait to listen to their songs, to their music, to he intricate melodies and most of all I can’t wait to listen to the lyrics.