On May 22, 2015 at the Smoothie King Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, on their eighth stop of the R40 North America Tour, midway thur the second set, here's nonstop Rush performing "Jacob's Ladder" from their January 1, 1980 release PERMANENT WAVES, their seventh album. Jacob's Ladder is a reference from the Bible's Old Testament, Genesis 28:10-22. Rush then performs "Cygnus X-1 Book One - The Voyage": Part 1, Neil Peart's drum solo, finishing up with "Cygnus X-1 Book One - The Voyage: Part 3", including. It is from their 1978 HEMISPHERES album. "Cygnus X-1" is a two-part composition by Canadian progressive rock band Rush. The first part, "Book I: The Voyage", is the last song on the A FAREWELL TO KINGS album and the second part, "Book II: Hemispheres", is the first song on the following album HEMISPHERES. Book I. Tonight they showcased at least one song from 15 of them, proceeding in reverse chronological order. On R40 Live, the band is alternating three slightly different set lists; New Orleans got the "B" list ( B for Best) in the progression, which meant we heard "The Camera Eye" from the landmark "Moving Pictures," rather than "Limelight" or "YYZ." This was not necessarily a show for casual fans -- but is there such a thing as a casual Rush fan? The first, hourlong "contemporary Rush" set was devoted mostly to the past 20 years opening with three cuts from 2012's "Clockwork Angels". "The Wreckers," featured a squalling Lifeson guitar solo. They also exhumed "How It Is," a deep cut from 2002's "Vapor Trails." "Animate" sizzled. Lee's dexterous bass anchored "Subdivisions," which concluded the first set. "We need to take a very short break to deal with our decrepitude," he said. The show's chronological road map lent itself to a running visual gag. Stagehands dressed in red jumpsuits like the "movers" on the cover of "Moving Pictures" changed the look of the stage to match the era of the music. The steam-punk motif of "Clockwork Angels" gave way to the faux-washing machines of the 2000s – a joke within a joke. The second, "classic Rush" set started with a wall of faux-amplifiers, gradually reduced to a couple of amps resting on wooden chairs to mimic the high school gymnasiums that hosted the band's early shows. Videos made clear that the bandmembers long ago ceased taking themselves seriously, if they ever did. During "Roll the Bones," famous Rush fans -- actors Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and Peter Dinklage, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello -- hammed it up during the robot-rap breakdown. There was a gag reel of outtakes from previous Rush tour videos; an extended introduction of the encore by Eugene Levy; and a final post-concert scene in which the musicians are denied entrance to their own dressing room by the puppet king from the cover of "A Farewell to Kings." Set 2 opened with "Tom Sawyer," with Peart manning a gleaming replica of his massive '70s-era double-bass drum kit. "The Spirit of Radio", then a Lifeson solo. "Jacob's Ladder," not seen in a Rush set for at least 30 years, as well as most of Side A of the concept album "2112," including an unapologetically brawny "Temples of Syrinx." The encore plumbed the band's first three albums, over the course of which they transformed from a Blue Cheer / Led Zeppelin-inspired hard rock bar band into something far more complex. For "Lakeside Park," Lee and Lifeson armed themselves with vintage paisley instruments. At one point in the encore, they stood atop Peart's drum riser, a tight trio bashing away. The final "Working Man" contained a snippet of "Garden Road," an unreleased mid-'70s obscurity. After Peart and Lifeson already had bolted from the stage, Lee said, "We do hope we'll see you again one day." Maybe they will, maybe they won't. If not, they gave fans one last look at Rush, then and now. full article: http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2015/05/rush_r40_live_new_orleans_revi.html#incart_most-read_music_article New Orleans LA Set List (Version B): Set 1: Video Intro (The World is ... The World is) The Anarchist The Wreckers Headlong Flight (with Drumbastica mini drum solo) Far Cry The Main Monkey Business How It Is Animate Roll The Bones (with celebrity rappers video) Between the Wheels Subdivisions Intermission (R40 drum kit replaced with throwback replica kit) along with super short video of "Our 40", "Hour 40", "Aarf 40", and "Arr40". Set 2: Video Intro (No Country for Old Hens) Tom Sawyer The Camera Eye The Spirit of Radio Jacob's Ladder Cygnus X-1 Book Two: Hemispheres - Prelude Cygnus X-1 Book One - The Voyage: Part 1 Drum Solo Cygnus X-1 Book One - The Voyage: Part 3 Closer To The Heart Xanadu (double neck guitars) 2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx/Presentation/Grand Finale Encore: Video Intro (Mel's Rock Pile starring Eugene Levy) Lakeside Park Anthem What You're Doing Working Man (Garden Road riff at the end) Video Outro (Exit Stage Left) www.rush.com www.rushisaband.com www.cygnus-x1.net/ MVI 8283

• published: 25 May 2015
• views: 15