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Rush Time Machine Tour 2011: Live in Cleveland review

Thu, Oct 27, 2011@11:00AM | comments removed/disabled

Rush Time Machine Tour 2011 Live in Cleveland

DVD Review by Todd Garbarini

Rush has always been a band that never took themselves seriously, despite what their most ardent detractors have suggested. In retrospect, I still cannot understand what the music critics have been griping about all these years when it comes to Rush's unique sound, which itself has gone through so many changes from one album to the next. As far as playing live is concerned, Rush is truly mystifying to watch as I can never quite figure out how just three people are making this music which sounds so epic and grand in scope. Yes, they have an entire group of behind-the-scenes experts making sure that the show goes smoothly, but the band sounds as though there are six people playing instead of just three.

I recall seeing Exit... Stage Left on video in 1983 and being completely wowed by the boys. Subsequent concert videos followed, but they never included the full concert, which was always frustrating. Thankfully, that practice has gone by the wayside, and now Rush's concert videos are always presented in their complete form (except for the initial release of R30, which was re-issued in toto on Blu-ray).

I always wanted Geddy, Alex, and Neil to come out on stage prior to a concert's start and have them all go to the wrong instruments by "accident" and attempt to play them, only to correct themselves and start off at their respective instruments. The closest that we have gotten to seeing this happen is in the videos that appear on their most recent tour in which they do just that. Whether you watch Rush's Time Machine Tour 2011 Live in Cleveland on DVD or Blu-ray, you can really appreciate the hard work that goes into making a show.

I want to warn readers that when I put the DVD in, it defaulted to the first audio selection which is English 5.1 DTS. Please note that your DVD player might do this, too, and if you do not have a DTS decoder, there will be no audio present, so don't panic and think that the disc is defective and missing the audio tracks. In order to hear the audio in regular two-track stereo, you must actively select the second option in the set-up menu, which is English 2.0 Dolby Digital. Once you select this option,
the audio tracks will be present.

The film runs exactly as the concert does, with all songs intact:

Intro Video (The 'Real' History of Rush Episode No. 2 "Don't Be Rash")

"The Spirit of Radio"
"Time Stand Still"
"Presto"
"Stick It Out"
"Workin' Them Angels"
"Leave That Thing Alone"
"Faithless"
"BU2B (Brought Up To Believe)" (from Clockwork Angels)
"Freewill"
"Marathon"
"Subdivisions"

Intermission

Second Set Intro Video (The 'Real' History of Rush Episode No. 17 "...and Rock
and Roll is my name.")

"Tom Sawyer"
"Red Barchetta"
"YYZ"
"Limelight"
"The Camera Eye"
"Witch Hunt"
"Vital Signs"
"Caravan" (from Clockwork Angels)
"Moto Perpetuo/Love For Sale" (Drum Solo)
"O'Malley's Break"/"Closer To The Heart" (with alternate outro)
"2112"
I: Overture
II: The Temples of Syrinx
"Far Cry"

Encore:

"La Villa Strangiato" (with polka intro)
"Working Man" (with reggae intro)
"Cygnus X-1: Book I" teaser

Directors Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen, who previously brought us the phenomenal Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage documentary, have done a wonderful job of bringing the Time Machine tour to home video. What I really appreciated was seeing Geddy and Alex up close, and what their fingers need to do to make these incredible sounds. Particularly during the solo sections of "Freewill" and "Working Man," it makes you wonder how they play the way they play. Obviously this feat of playing is the result of years of practice, but even more so a genuine talent that they seem to hone as the years progress. There are some great overhead shots of Neil at the drum kit, and shots of him hitting the double-bass while drumming with both arms which, I swear, I don't know how he does it. I get winded half-way through air-drumming to Marathon, and he plays for just over two and-a-half hours!

What is most refreshing to see is that they seem to really enjoy playing as much as we, their audience, love going to see and listen to them play. I would like to have seen more shots of the audience since they are a part of the show, too! What we do see is an enthusiastic crowd of air drummers and air guitar players, which run the gamut of little tykes to seasoned fans from the 1970's. There are far more women in the audience than there were in years past, and they are every bit as enthusiastic as the men (if not more so), which make up the 14,000-plus fans at the sold-out show.

As a complement to their phenomenal music, their stage show is truly something to be seen. The beauty of Howard Ungerleider's gorgeous lighting and set design really shines through, particularly on this tour. The custom articulating spider is amazing and beautiful, particularly during the encore of La Villa Strangiato. The lighting effects just look incredible.

The DVD extras are:

Outtakes from "History of Rush", Episodes 2 and 17)
Tom Sawyer featuring the cast of "History of Rush", Episode 17
Live from Laura Secord Secondary School - Need Some Love
Live from Passaic, NJ - Anthem

The hilarious ending featuring Paul Rudd and Jason Segal that closed out the concerts on the road is curiously missing, though it is available online.

I would love to see future Blu-ray releases of Exit... Stage Left, Grace Under Pressure, and A Show of Hands in their complete form (if they exist).

Keep our fingers crossed, and while we wait patiently, enjoy the magic of Rush's Time Machine Tour 2011 Live in Cleveland.

Editor's NOTE: Todd Garbarini is a longtime RIAB reader who goes by the handle RushSignals1982. He also wrote one of the early reviews of the Rush documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage last year which you can check out here, along with an interview with the filmmakers Sam Dunn and Scott McFadyen at this link.

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