Rush – Time Machine Tour 2010
Shoreline Amphitheater – August 9, 2010
I was just about fourteen years old when my my best friend introduced me to bass guitar…and Rush. Out from whatever rock I’d been living under, the first song I ever learned to play was “Dreamline” from their 1991 album Roll The Bones. To this day, it is still one of my favorites, but I didn’t get to hear it the evening of August 9, 2010 at Shoreline Amphitheater when Rush made their San Francisco stop along the Time Machine Tour.
As Max Mobley of Crawdaddy! Magazine wrote, “Everybody wants songs from whatever albums mark their entry into the world of Rush. And in spite of playing an entire album on this tour, Rush did pretty well with their song selection.”
I could not agree more. However, I was shocked that this was the first tour since Roll The Bones that they not only skipped over “Dreamline” but the entire album all together. This was the sixth time I’ve seen Rush live since 1994, and I was a little heartbroken at that omission.
After all, this is the Time Machine Tour. Even with the entire Moving Pictures set, the band managed to squeeze in tracks from 14 of their 19 studio albums. And all that was done in three hours time, but also includes numerous video bits, including a six minute closing skit with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel (from “I Love You, Man”). These intermission videos have become standard since they started performing shows with no supporting act, and they get better every year.
I can probably stop here. Anyone that’s ever seen a Rush show knows that the show is phenomenal, even when you don’t get to hear your favorite song. The sound is amazing. The lighting is amazing. The video is amazing (although we lost some after a shot in the dark during the song “Marathon”).
But wait, there’s more!
Typically, a Rush concert consists of middle aged guys playing air drums (or guitar) all night long. Not this show. From where I was, about thirteen rows back from the stage, there were men, women, and children of all ages. Full families were in attendance. Sitting directly next to me was a couple from Penn State University that was in San Francisco on vacation. This was their first Rush show.
There were no laser pointers. No one was throwing beer bottles onto the stage. Nobody I saw started any fights. Reminiscent of the older days, a large number of people got there early and tailgated in the parking lots, speakers blaring. It was actually some of the most fun at a rock concert I’ve had in a very long time.
Sneaky iPhone 4 Review
Another thing I liked about this show was that it gave me an opportunity to test out my new iPhone 4. About a year ago, I had tried to record some audio and video using the iPhone 3GS and failed miserably. Thankfully, Apple’s updates to the hardware kept the audio from clipping, and the video pretty much in focus (given the lighting conditions). All the images you see in this post were taken from the iPhone 4, though I have cropped and resized them to fit play nice on the blog. For those that may not get a chance to attend, this HD YouTube video of “YYZ” was originally shot using it. Some compression by YouTube has “softened” the quality a little, but overall it looks and sounds great!
The bottom line
Aside for the absence of the aforementioned “Dreamline” track, I was impressed with the show. I’m not sure it was my favorite, but it stood the test of time, and I look forward to the new album next year. Hearing the current singles “Caravan” and “BU2B” from the forthcoming Clockwork Angels means that there will most definitely be a show to attend in 2011.
The caravan thunders onward
To the distant dream of the city
The caravan carries me onward
On my way at lastFrom the song “Caravan” by Rush, 2010
