RUSH: 'An Evening With Rush' Tour Opening Night Details Revealed

RUSH kicked off the first leg of the 2004 "An Evening With Rush" tour on Wednesday, May 26 at the AmSouth Amphitheatre in Nashville, Tennessee. The following information about the opening night's performance is taken from the RUSH fan site Power Windows:

"On stage, instead of three dryers, there are two dryers and one vending machine (in case the guys get hungry during the show!). There is an 'Alex Rant' as on the 'Vapor Trails' tour, the 'Dragon Video' intro to 'One Little Victory' and the 'By-Tor and the Snowdog' cartoon are both back. Four songs are played from the upcoming 'Feedback' album.

"Noteworthy visuals: The intro is a new computer animation/live action video that has all the album covers morphing into one another (the 'Signals' dog pisses on the hydrant, the '2112' naked guy comes out of the red star and falls into the 'Hemispheres' cover). The film ends with Jerry Stiller in RUSH tee-shirt wondering when the band is finally going to hit the stage.

"Following the intermission, we have a new movie: the dragon film from 'One Little Victory' begins again (for the second time of the show),then the 'channel' changes to the bunny film intro for 'Leave That Thing Alone' last seen on the 'Counterparts' tour. When then learn that the Dragon is 'channel surfing' with a remote control, and then fire breathes some popcorn. He then changes the channel to a film called 'That Darn Dragon' which is a Godzilla spoof, starring the bobblehead of Geddy, Alex and Neil fighting a toy dragon: they win with the help from their Cygnus X-1 ship, and the film ends with 'and the meek...' from '2112', and the band launches into 'Tom Sawyer'.

"During 'Working Man' a film montage of the band performing throughout the years is shown.

"At the end of the concert, as the band leaves the stage, a final short film begins showing a sleeping Jerry Stiller (the actor who played on both 'Seinfeld' and 'King of Queens', etc., also Ben Stiller's dad...) who wakes up and tells everybody to leave because the shows over, and they says 'they played Bangkok!'

"Rather than doing an oldies medley before the encore, as was often done in the past, the very first six songs are an instrumental medley with each segment lasting approximately 1-1:30 each, apparently titled 'Overture 2004' on the setlist sheet at the soundboard. These first six songs, and the following seventh song, are from the first seven albums played in chronological order. 'Between The Wheels' is played for the first time since the 'Power Windows' tour, a 'reggae' version of 'Working Man' is played, possibly the same as last played during the 'Moving Pictures' tour, 'Red Barchetta' is the original arrangement, versus the 'punchier' version played on tour in the '90s. During 'Xanadu', Alex plays his double neck guitar, not seen since...? The first set lasts approximately 1:15, the intermission is :20, and the second set is approximately 1:30, for a 3:00 concert."

RUSH setlist — May 26, 2004 at the AmSouth Amphitheatre in Nashville, Tennessee:

(intro film)
-(begin medley 'Overture 2004')
Finding My Way->
Anthem->
Bastille Day->
A Passage To Bangkok->
Cygnus X-1 (prologue?)->
Hemispheres (Prelude)
-(end medley)
The Spirit of Radio
Force Ten
(Geddy speaks)
Animate (abbreviated)
Subdivisions
Earthshine
Red Barchetta
Roll The Bones
Bravado
YYZ
The Trees (with short Daytripper ending)
The Seeker
One Little Victory (with dragon intro)
(-Intermission-)
("That Darn Dragon" Film)
Tom Sawyer
Dreamline
Secret Touch
Between the Wheels
Mystic Rhythms
Red Sector A
Drum Solo
Resist (acoustic - Geddy and Alex)
Heart Full of Soul (acoustic - Ged/Al/Neil)
2112 (Overture/Temples of Syrinx/Grand Finale)
La Villa Strangiato
ByTor & the Snow Dog
Xanadu (w/doubleneck guitar and Lerxst rant)
Working Man (reggae)
Encore:
Summertime Blues
Crossroads
Limelight

(Thanks: Power Windows + Wickerman)