chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
I try my best to know my Rush, Gahr.
Here is a 1979 concert I am pretty sure some friends attended. But since I was too young and not driving yet I did not see Rush live until maybe 1 year after this in a time after I bought my first of their albums, 2112.
A write up made on youtube on this clip from the venue I saw Rush and many other great bands play at in the early 80's.
Here's another concert upload! This is recorded at the famed (Though sadly defunct) Capital Center in Largo, Maryland! The quality was very hissy and muffled, but I improved it! It's also around 90% complete (The "Overture" to 2112, as well as most of "The Trees" are missing). This is a REALLY important show! It's the first recorded show on Rush's brief "Semispheres" to of August-September 1979, (The first of many "warm-up" tours where they would preview new songs) and the 5th overall. This means we get the FIRST recorded performances of "The Spirit of Radio" and "Freewill" which would become some of Rush's most popular songs, over a month before they were recorded and a full FIVE months before release! They are completely formed (They were written in July), with only a couple differences in solos. As for the show itself, the band plays great, and since it's early on this brief warm-up tour, Geddy's voice is great! He sounds well-rested, the airiness that plagued the Hemispheres (and later the PW and MP Tours) less prominent, (almost sounding like his prime voice at times!) and he delivers strong performances!
"2112" (With this tour "Discovery" would be cut out) is incomplete, but what we have is a mixed bag. "Temples of Syrinx" has him dropping notes throughout, but the notes he does hit are powerful, "Presentation" has some note dropping but is pretty strong as the E5s are hit well and the solo is blistering, "Soliloquy" has Geddy really going for the wails, and "Grand Finale" rocks! "A Passage To Bangkok" has Geddy hitting the highs well throughout, "By-Tor And The Snow Dog" sounds pretty weak, but the jam rocks, and "Xanadu" has a killer intro before the main song, but Geddy struggles on the highs.
Since "The Spirit of Radio" and what we have of "The Trees" aren't demanding for 1979 Geddy, they sound good (Spirit also has him taking the closing E5 up to F#!) "Cygnus X-1" however isn't good as Geddy struggles to hit the notes, but "Hemispheres" ("Dionysus" is cut out) sounds great. The "Prelude" is played with fire, and Geddy hits the notes powerfully, "Apollo" and "Armageddon" are nailed, "Cygnus" features wonderful eerie parts, and good vocals, and "The Sphere" is beautiful! "Closer To The Heart" and "Freewill" are unsurprisingly strong.
Final songs: "Working Man" has strong vocals and good jamming, the "Finding My Way" riff has Geddy hitting the A5 well, "Anthem" and "Bastille Day" are weak with speak-singing aplenty, "In The Mood" sounds good, and the closing "La Villa Strangiato" is performed well!
