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Neil Peart, Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson

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New Neil Peart news update at NeilPeart.net

Fri, Dec 14, 2012@5:47PM | comments removed/disabled

[NEWS, WEATHER, and SPORTS: December, 2012 - Adventures in the Wild West]

Neil Peart has once again updated the news page on his website with a story titled Adventures in the Wild West. Neil chronicles his travels between stops on the 3rd leg of the Clockwork Angels tour down the West Coast and into the Southwest and Texas. He and Michael's journey started off with some computer issues which they quickly ironed out. And Neil got to work from home during the band's stint of dates in Southern California. Neil also describes some difficulties the pair had in Arizona, where they got stuck on some primitive road and had to get hauled to safety by some good Samaritans. Neil was so grateful that he even revealed his secret identity:

... it was at this point that I astonished Michael by introducing myself - by name and by profession - to our rescuers. I started by asking Tom, "Are you a fan of rock music?" He nodded tentatively, not knowing what I was getting at. Turning to face all of them, I said, "Well, I play for the band Rush. If any of you are going to be in Phoenix tomorrow night, I would like to invite you to our show."

Tom shook his head and said, "Whoa - I used to listen to Rush all the time." Then he made a wry face, "I just wasn't sure if you meant that modern kind of rock."

The rest of them seemed excited about the idea, so I brought out my little Montblanc notepad (always properly accessorized, even in the Outback), and they wrote down their names. Michael gave them his cell number in case they had any trouble picking up their tickets.

(Later he said to me, "Wow - after traveling with you all these years, I've never seen you 'come out' before."

I fixed him with an ironic glare, "Someday you'll learn that there's always a proper time to come out.") ...

Neil goes on to describe the final leg of their journey where they were joined by fellow moto-journalist Brian Catterson. He then closes his essay by sharing some details from the tour's final stop in Houston including spending quality time with the stringers, the t-shirt gun, and hanging out after the show:

... After thirty-five shows, and 13,632 motorcycle miles, we finished the Houston show on a very high note, so to speak. The performance itself felt triumphant, and after, we gathered with the stringers for a champagne celebration. It was the first time I stayed after a show on the whole tour, and a couple of the stringers joked that they were used to seeing me as a blur on my sprint to the bus.

A few nights earlier, when we were filming some shows for an eventual concert DVD, director Dale had a cameraman trying to capture my flight. He caught a comment from a female security guard, an older lady with a broad New York City accent. She turned in amazement as I ran past, and gasped,

"Oh my god! He runs faster than Britney Spears! And she was running full out!"

But on this night I stayed behind, and raised a glass to my bandmates - all ten of them! Geddy proposed a toast to the stringers, and said that not only did we love their contributions musically, and the energy they brought to their performance, but they were fun to hang out with, too.

He nodded toward me, and said, "I've never seen him so happy on a tour! He's been . . . Mr. Goodvibe!" ...

Be sure to read the entire update at this location.

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