25 years ago today was my first RUSH concert

[Progatron]

May 17, 1990. The second of two nights at Maple Leaf Gardens. Hard to believe when I look at that number. 25 years.... wow... I was 17 then, I'm 42 now... hoo boy!

I've never forgotten it though. Voivod was the opener, and this was the first time "Xanadu" had been resurrected since they scrapped it years earlier. I'll always have a soft spot for the Presto album, I know I'm in the minority there! Anyone else see Rush for the first time on the Presto tour?




Setlist:


Force Ten
Freewill
Distant Early Warning
Time Stand Still
Subdivisions
Marathon
Red Barchetta
Superconductor
Show Don't Tell
The Pass
Closer to the Heart
Manhattan Project
Xanadu
YYZ
Drum Solo (The Rhythm Method)
Scars
War Paint
Mission
Tom Sawyer

Encore:

The Spirit of Radio
2112 Part I: Overture
La Villa Strangiato
In the Mood
Wipe Out

[Plasmatopia]

27 years ago for me. My first and only Rush show. Hold Your Fire tour.

[Progatron]

27 years ago for me. My first and only Rush show. Hold Your Fire tour.

First and only? That's not something one hears often!

[Sean]

This was the second tour I saw and I found the setlist more satisfying than the HYF one, though that was pretty cool in hindsight too, just real short on classics. I found the next tour (RTB) to be my fave of the three, though the album is my least fave of the three. I felt the Counterparts tour was sort of like HYF tour- low on the classics, heavy on new stuff, though they did do some of Cygnus #2 so kudos for that. It's been onward and upward since '96 with no opening act so the sets have covered the bases much better than they did back then.

[Progatron]

I just missed the HYF tour, being a tad too young, but I was a huge fan of A Show Of Hands when it came out... wore that tape out! It's still a favourite of mine. That was a magical period in their career for me, but that's probably an age thing.

[SteveSly]

My first was "Permanent Waves" tour in 1980. Seen them at least a dozen times since then. They have never let me down.

[zombywoof]

September 11, 2012 - Clockwork Angels tour. First and only time so far.

[Plasmatopia]

First and only? That's not something one hears often!

I'm lucky I saw the show in '88. I had no money at the time, not sure how I pulled that off. Since then my tastes have changed a lot and I'm not a fan of big stadiums and huge crowds. I'm happy staying home and watching the DVDs when it comes to Rush.

[Progatron]

I'm lucky I saw the show in '88. I had no money at the time, not sure how I pulled that off. Since then my tastes have changed a lot and I'm not a fan of big stadiums and huge crowds. I'm happy staying home and watching the DVDs when it comes to Rush.

Yeah, I had to scrape together the money too. I was a 17 year-old who worked part time in fast food! We lined up outside Maple Leaf Gardens overnight in the cold for those tickets. I could never do that now!

I'm happier in smaller venues now than big stadium shows too. I made the exception for Peter Gabriel but it's theatres and clubs for me now. Or DVDs at home like you say.

[oilersfan]

Signals tour when I was 11 years old. Since then I've seen them 32 more times.

[Progatron]

Signals tour when I was 11 years old. Since then I've seen them 32 more times.

Wow! You have a favourite gig?

[dgtlman]

2112 tour 1976. They were a support act then. The next time I saw them on the Farewell To Kings tour they were a headliner.

[Supersonic Scientist]

For me, Grace Under Pressure with Marillion opening in NYC....haven't missed a tour since.....and will be seeing them in 8 day here in ATL.

[Vic2012]

For me it was the Vapor Trails tour. First, and only time I saw them. Good concert. The T-shirt cost 35 dollars, and a beer was 7 bucks.

[nycsteve]

First and only? That's not something one hears often!

Prior to 1980 I saw them open for Blue Oyster Cult. Not my cup of tea, Rush that is, and was my first and only too.

[mozo-pg]

2112 tour 1976. They were a support act then. The next time I saw them on the Farewell To Kings tour they were a headliner.

2112 Tour For Me too. They headlined in Ottawa though and their backup band was Max Webster.

[Mythos]

Never been to a Rush concert, never been a fan, never owned an album, if I had to guess a reason it would be Geddy's vocals - I always hated the high pitch shrieking type singers, I liked Budgie though, go figure...

But I saw Rush back around 1974 when the filmed a stint for the Don Kirschner Rock Concert TV show, I think they had just released their first album..

[Jerjo]

I'm old as dirt. I missed a lot of the 80s and early 90s tours BUT my first Rush show Geddy did say "this is side one from our new album, this is 2112". To quote Carl Spackler, "So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."

[Joe F.]

Permanent Waves was my first tour. March of '80, iirc.

Skipped the MP tour, but have seen them every tour that they've hit Seattle (or the Gorge) on ever since. They passed us over on three tours: Signals, Hold Your Fire & Counterparts.

[Garden Dreamer]

As huge a Rush fan that I am, I have only seen the Hemispheres and Permanent Waves tours!! I'm not big on concert atmosphere so like Plasmatopia, I'm more comfortable watching the shows at home on DVD. But in retrospect, I do wish I had seen more shows when you consider that some tours haven't been represented on official video releases (Signals, Power Windows, Presto, Counterparts, Test for Echo)...

[BigSixFan]

First and only? That's not something one hears often!

Really? Saw them in the late 1970s. Once was enough for me.

Bob

[WHORG]

Winter of 1975 - Syracuse War Memorial - - - they warmed up Kiss.

Saw them many times after that -- they were a prolific touring band in the 1970's - - - all over.

[luvyesmusic]

Saw them sometime in the early 80's. Love some of the older records but probably tied with The Cars for the most boring concert I ever attended. Once was enough. There are RUSH-heads, YES-heads and those who enjoy both.

[Yves]

My LAST show was 1987.. I then left my seat vacant for you!

First time was around mid-May 1981.

[trurl]

I've actually only seen Rush 5 times with the last being Grace Under Pressure tour. But that's mainly because I quit bothering to see anybody.