Greetings, SOR Nation!
We had a grand time shooting video at our recent Madlife show, so I thought I’d give you a look behind the scenes.
A couple of days before the show I came face to face with a singer’s nemesis: the Atlanta pollen! It was out of control. But I wore a mask, went on 24-hour vocal rest, and prayed for protection! By Sunday morning my voice was in tip top shape and I was grateful.
On show day I packed up all my gear and at 11:15 we headed over to Madlife.
When the last chord from the previous band rang out, we rushed to get our stuff on stage and assembled. Soundcheck went smoothly and we had about fifteen minutes before show time. I stretched and told myself to ignore the cameras. Just give your all to the fans.
At 6pm, the sound engineer came to tell us it was time! I gathered the guys together outside the stage and we talked about how fortunate we all were to be doing this.
One by one we took the stage to the 2001 theme. I was last, but I heard the cheering from the crowd as each band member appeared. Then it was my turn. I walked out to so many familiar faces! I had missed these folks so much.
Casey clicked his sticks and we were off! I knew our opening song, Analog Kid, would be special. One of our fans had written us in advance, sharing that she is battling cancer for the second time. That tune is her favorite. We launched into it and she jumped for joy!
The only challenge was my new in-ear monitors. They kept falling out of my ears! It was distracting, but I focused on the words I sang and their meaning. That helped a lot. About halfway through the set it was time for YYZ! I decided to duck behind the stage curtain to shine the spotlight on the guys. I listened while they rocked it, then Casey did his drum solo. I was smiling, proud as heck behind my shroud. I wanted to peek out at him, but that’s when it happened.
I had a Spinal Tap moment!
I couldn’t get the dang curtain open. There were so many folds that I couldn’t find the separation. I starting laughing and mouthing “Hello Cleveland! Rock and roll!” I managed to get curtains open just as they finished the tune.
I came back on stage to see folks giving Casey a standing ovation. Well deserved! A couple of songs later it was time for Caravan. We had never played that song live before and I was nervous. But as the intro on the drum pad started I got excited. According to the fans, we nailed it!
When we hit The Spirit of Radio, the crowd went wild. They clapped, they stood up, and they whooped and hollered. It was great fun, as was their generous standing ovation afterwards.
Kid Gloves was a blast to play too. I was fully in the zone and listening to Reese’s solo always gives me chills.
But the absolute highlight of the night for me was what came next. Our closing song was Marathon. I said to the crowd, “This next song is for anyone going through a hard time.” We sailed into it and I could feel the song’s power within seconds. By the second chorus, people were crying. From first to last, I sang as if it was the last song I would ever sing. Reese’s harmonies, the guitar solo, the insane drums at the end, the keys, everything came together in soul-level perfection. As the song ended, the crowd leapt to their feet. I blew them kisses and thanked them again and again. What a memory!
They cheered one more song, so we did one of our favorites, Xanadu. As the last notes rang out, though I wasn’t ready to get off stage, I love talking to our community. The moment I stepped down I was flooded with happiness. We saw so many friends and got so many hugs.
The most moving moment was when our fan with cancer told me how much the show meant to her. She said we gave her a respite, a pocket of joy in the darkness. And that is why we do this, to lift people up and bring them together.
I love my band, I love our fans, and I love Rush.
And here’s the final miracle of the evening: that very same night, Geddy and Alex took the stage with Anika Nilles at the Juno awards. I cried all the way through. As Geddy said, music lives beyond tragedy.
We want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of our musical journey!
Until next time, Rush on!