Audience Gets Quite A Rush From The Past

By CURTIS ROSS The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 17, 2007

TAMPA - If Canadian trio Rush has a theme song, it might be "Free Will," the 1980 track performed early in the band's set Saturday night before a Ford Amphitheatre crowd of about 15,000.

The song's message of individual self-reliance is reflected in Rush's success. Only a handful of Rush tracks made it to the radio and the band has endured brutal reviews, particularly early in its career.

But the threesome - bassist-vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer-lyricist Neal Peart - built a huge audience through relentless touring, stunning live shows and virtuosic playing.

Saturday's show was no exception. Opening with "Limelight," the band sounded superior throughout. Lifeson's guitar has plenty of flash but a goodly portion of soul as well. Lee's voice has mellowed over the years to become a versatile and expressive instrument.

Peart's drumming is busy but never distractingly so. His solo was genuinely entertaining, employing tuned and electronic percussion as well as his main kit, and ending with him swinging over a big band recording, a tip of the hat to one of his heroes, jazz drummer Buddy Rich.

With 30-plus years of music to draw from, it was a brave move on the band's part to feature so many cuts from its most recent album, this year's "Snakes and Arrows."

It's a strong album, arguably Rush's strongest in some time, and numbers such as "Far Cry" and "Workin' Them Angels" should be well on their way to becoming fan favorites.

But once the second half of the show opened with no fewer than five new tunes, there was a palpable sense of relief - more like an explosion of joy - when Rush launched into '80s favorite "Subdivisions."

But patience was rewarded. A smashing "Summertime Blues," a la Blue Cheer, was followed by "Spirit of Radio" and "Tom Sawyer," the latter song introduced by a clip of the "South Park" kids mangling the lyrics.

Reviewer Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568 or cross@tampatrib.com.