“RUSH: Alive”
Dr. Rox Remember When?
Article #184: June 2026
By: RLSchwinden aka MrZerr0

   So with all the hub-bub about Anika Nilles replacing Neil Peart in RUSH, I thought I would share my memories of RUSH. Well it all started in Summer of 1977 when  we came to visit my Grandma Marge in Iowa from Mississippi, I was hanging out in my Aunt Cat’s room looking through her record collection, Cat handed me RUSH “2112” as she had seen RUSH with Aerosmith in Aug 1976 in Sioux City on the “All The World’s  A Stage Tour” and “Rocks” respectively. She said “You should listen to this, it’s really good and more substance than KISS” (as I was O.D.ing on KISS “Love Gun” at the time. I remember not liking the cover with a red pentagram on the front, however it had the lyrics inside, very rare and  unusual for albums at the time, so I started to read the story of “2112” I was intrigued and just who was this Ayn Rand? However I could not get past this guy’s voice …. so I put it aside. Then KISS did not release a full new album of new  material for over a year, me being a music freak I needed new things to listen to all the time, being a poor kid from the Westside of Sioux City, I was broke (sorry ladies, I still am) so what I used to do is go to people’s houses and dig through their record collection, I would sit and listen to records, while my friends we’re off partying With The Ladies, I loved music and no girls ever really liked me, I was too much of a nerd.

SO I went back to Cat’s and gave this RUSH a listen, I gradually got used to Geddy’s voice, because the “2112” story really spoke to me, also there was a song on there “Twilight Zone” now I already loved that TV Show (1959 -1964 for 156 Episodes) so this was early 1978 (as “Alive II” was released in Oct 77) and low and behold RUSH was to play Sioux City for a 3rd time (1st being Mar 1976) I was graduating from 8th Grade North Jr. High (where Gateway Norm and Ted Waite and Actress Lori Petty went too as well) and my Mom (Carol), God Bless here bought me a ticket to the RUSH Concert (26 May 1978) for my graduation and I was to go with my friends since birth Spencer and Chris C.

Wow, what an experience. What do I remember? It was the loudest thing I had ever heard up to that point in my life. The band looked so cool with long hair and flowing clothes and scarves. Geddy playing his Rickenbacker 4001 (eventually I got 2 myself). The fog that came out during “By-Tor and Xanadu” covered the entire front of the stage it was so thick and cool and humid and refreshing. At the end of the show Neil tripped when he tried to jump over his drum set. I have included the set list just below this. The next day my Dad (Bill) took me to Woolco to buy me a RUSH album for my birthday. I remembered I really like “Anthem” and “By-Tor And The Snowdog” so I bought “Fly By Night” then in order I picked up 2112, 1st LP, Caress Of Steel, Farewell To Kings, All The World’s A Stage then Archives which was then band’s newest release (note: the vinyl in the Archives Set were slightly less weight than the original releases, tending to scratch -skip more easily).

26 May 1978 Friday Sioux City, Iowa
Opener: Uriah Heep for the album “Innocent Victim” (Nov 1977)

Bastille Day
Lakeside Park
By-Tor & The Snow Dog
Xanadu
A Farewell to Kings
Something for Nothing
Cygnus X-1
Anthem
Closer to the Heart
2112 Part I: Overture
2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx
2112 Part III: Discovery
2112 Part IV: Presentation
2112 Part VI: Soliloquy
2112 Part VII: Grand Finale
Working Man
Fly by Night
In the Mood
Drum Solo
Cinderella Man

A lot of years had passed before I saw them again. I was grossly disappointed by “Hemispheres” I felt the best thing about that album was the poster enclosed. No new album in 1979 and “Permanent Waves” didn’t come out until early 1980, However ! The band did appear on the “King Biscuit Flower Hour” about March 1980 and my friend Margaret S. gave me a copy of the show on Cassette I played that thing to death, I have it memorized, I will share the track list below. Now I loved the album “Permanent Waves” but with the success of the #51 Hit “Spirit Of Radio” in Feb 1980, well, RUSH was just too popular to play near Sioux City again until 1982.

12 Feb 1980 St. Louis
Opener: Max Webster for the album “A Million Vacations” (Mar 1979)
 
2112 Overture:
Temples Of The Syrinx
Discovery
Presentation
Soliloquy
Grand Finale
The Spirit Of Radio
Natural Science
Beneath, Between & Behind
By Tor & The Snow Dog
Xanadu
Impromptu Jam
Working Man
Finding My Way
Anthem
Bastille Day
In The Mood (hey cookie)
Neil Peart Solo: Dr Braino
La Villa Strangiato

Now “Moving Pictures”  was released in Feb 1981, this album changed my life, it is what I call one of the few perfect albums, all the way through. again though RUSH was too popular to play near Sioux City. Followed by “Exit Stage Left” which I felt was disappointing, not much new on this to get excited about. Except maybe the Import 12″ Single that had “Vital Signs: Live ’81” on the flip side (which I still do not own). And then, “Signals” is released with the #21 hit “New World Man” in Aug 1982 and the MTV Video “Subdivisions” and a special “7-11”  Slurpee Poster offer (I did score one of these) alas the band comes close, so my usual concert buddy Brent H. and take off to see them in Omaha, set list below here. I remember it was kind of cool and cloudy, the venue was sold out with people everywhere. I didn’t care much for the band’s new look. They played most of the new album, which I thought was ok, but nowhere near as good as “Moving Pictures” still it was cool to see my heroes. I remember the stage was huge and Alex stood all the way to the left, playing bass keyboards with his feet and Geddy was stuck behind his wall of keyboards, making it hard to see him. Neil’s drum set was massive so it was also hard to see him clearly as well.    
 
9 Sep 1982 Thursday Omaha, Nebraska
Opener: Rory Gallagher for the album “Jinx” (April 1982)

The Spirit of Radio
Tom Sawyer
Freewill
Digital Man
Subdivisions
Vital Signs
The Camera Eye
Closer to the Heart
Chemistry
The Analog Kid
Broon’s Bane
The Trees
Red Barchetta
The Weapon
New World Man
Limelight
Countdown
2112 Part I: Overture
2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx
Xanadu
La Villa Strangiato
In the Mood
YYZ
Drum Solo

A few months later I started working for Drea Presents, and was hired on as crew for KISS’ “10th Anniversary Tour”  30 Dec 1982.  I was able to meet  Paul Stanley before the show, one of the many things we talked about is when RUSH opened for KISS and their final show together 7 June 1975 in San Diego, CA. Now this is long before the internet, so I told Paul what I knew, and he responded “Very close, how did you know all this, were you there?” and he filled in the missing details for me. A few months later my friend Eric DeW. (who was with me when I met Paul) came to my door and handed me a magazine. It was Kerrang! Issue No. 41, May 1983. He opened it and said “This is for you” I asked “Why, what’s this?” Eric replied “Read this, I was there when you asked Paul about this very story he is retelling it in this magazine, magazines are written and printed long before they are put on the stands, you that, you are the reason he was reminded of that show, I was there.”

Sometime in early 1989 I would say as it was about the time of “A Show Of Hands” live album My friend (and boss) Matt M. gave me a VHS copy of The CED “Video Disc” “Exit … Stage Left” which I transfered to Cassette and wore it out on the bus to and from work (RecordShop #67 VWM) though I didn’t get to see this tour I have this show memorized as well just like “St. Louis 1980” track list below as it is different than the album version.

CED to Audio Cassette
27 Mar 1981 Montreal, Quebec for MTV Saturday Night Concert Feb 1982
Opener Max Webster for the  album “Universal Juveniles” (Oct 1980)
In July 1980 RUSH recorded “Battle Scar” with Max Webster released on “Universal Juveniles” (Oct 1980)
Max Webster member Pye Dubois co-wrote Tom Sawyer, Counterparts, Force Ten & Test For Echo.

Intro (includes narration, with segments of “The Camera Eye” live version)
Limelight
Tom Sawyer
The Trees
Xanadu
Red Barchetta
Freewill
Closer to the Heart
YYZ
By-Tor and the Snow Dog
In the End
In the Mood
2112: Grand Finale
End Credits (“YYZ”)

In 1994 I worked next door to a guy named Doug McB. who was a photographer who happened to film many bands in the mid 70s on Super 8mm film (Led Zeppelin, Angel, Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a few). RUSH being one of them in Des Moines, Iowa in 1976. It took a lot of convincing, but I finally scored a VHS copy from Doug. Now Super 8mm cartridges only recorded 3.5 min. and no sound. So there’s just 3 min of video of RUSH in concert and no sound.      

 I sort of lost track of RUSH in about late 1984, as I started to find Monkees re-issues, I was really starting my epic journey into 60s music and I only had so much money back then (still do). I was mildly aware of the next few releases, I felt “Hold Your Fire” was one of the better ones, actually. The next 4 on Atlantic Records, didn’t do much for me. Then the band took a 6 year hiatus, no new releases, no tours. just some solo releases, I felt Geddy’s was clearly the best. It’s all about timing. “Vapor Trails” is released in May in time for my BDay and newest car, a 2002 Saturn SC-1. I delved back into RUSH and went and saw them for the 1st time in MN. setlist is below.

2 Nov 2002 Saturday MPLS, MN.

Tom Sawyer
Distant Early Warning
New World Man
Roll the Bones
Earthshine
YYZ
The Pass
Bravado
The Big Money
Vital Signs
Freewill
Natural Science

Set 2:
One Little Victory
Driven
Ghost Rider
Secret Touch
Dreamline
Red Sector A
Leave That Thing Alone
Drum Solo (O Baterista)
Resist (acoustic)
2112 Part I: Overture
2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx
Limelight
La Villa Strangiato
The Spirit of Radio
By-Tor & The Snow Dog
Cygnus X-1 (Prologue)
Working Man

I saw them several more times:
9 Sept 2007 St. Paul, MN.
22 May 2008 St. Paul, MN.
12 May 2015 St. Paul, MN.

Be  sure to check out Mr. Zer0’s PsychoGello Show 8am Sundays on Radio WDGY. Since 2017.
AM740, Streaming, FM: 92.1, 103.7, 107.1. You can hear the last 90 Episodes @ www.MrZeroS.com -Podcast.
Also you can hear Mr. Zer0’s “Evolation Show” for 32 Programs @ www.MixCloud.Com.

Mr. Zer0’s PsychoGello Show’s on RUSH

36: April 2018: Early Years

127: Jan 2020: Part 2B

337: June 2026: Live; Alive !

Evolation Show: #24 on RUSH in 2019

My RUSH Article originally published on
St. Cloud Buzz Article #10 Jan 2011 also on Roseville Patch .Com – Mr. Zer0’s July 2016
RUSH long time Roadie Ian Grandy contacted me with corrections to it.

https://patch.com/minnesota/roseville/rush-1968-1981-canada-0

So here;s to you Anika, best of luck from MrZerr0, until the next time…..

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