REO Speedwagon and The Babys, April 19, 1978
Grand Valley State University; Grand Valley State College; Michigan; Allendale (Mich.); Universities & colleges--Michigan; Events; Posters

REO Speedwagon and The Babys, in the GVSC Fieldhouse, sponsored by WLAV-FM & Dome Productions, April 19, 1978

When I was in 10th grade there was an assembly about something called Junior Achievements and as usual I was ignoring it when one of the school counselors leaned over and told me to sign up and write down "broadcasting". This lead to many great experiences, this is just one of them. Junior Achievements was to learn how businesses worked, it was not part of school. This was the first (and last) year they tried broadcasting. It was sponsored my WZZM radio who at the time played top 40's. They gave us radio time for a Sunday morning show and we met on Thursday nights to put the show together and tape the broadcast that would be played the next Sunday morning. We used their studio and learned all about what it was like to run a radio station. The main thing we did was sell advertizing for the show and the money we used for a trip to Six flags Great America (I have some good stories about that also).Anyway, it was the last meeting and because there would be no show the coming Sunday we just had kind of a goodbye meeting. While talking I found out that the DJ (disc jockey named Chad Roach) in charge had tickets to the R.E.O. Speedwagon concert that night. I had never been to a concert but really wanted experience one. I was able to talk Chad Roach into giving me 2 tickets never even thinking of how I was going to get to Grand Valley State College (I was 15 and couldn't drive).After the meeting was done I was walking out the back door and there was Finny, someone that always showed up in the weirdest times and places. I told him about the tickets and he said he'd get us a ride there.We road our bikes back to my parents house. As I was putting my bike away finny ran across the street where our neighbor was doing yard work. He asked her if she'd drive us to the college and she said she would. I never talked to her but she did know my parents. I'm not sure what finny said but that didn't matter, I was going to my first concert.

Okay, I never thought about getting a ride, just got the tickets. Now, I have a ride never thinking of asking my parents if I could go (Wednesday night, a school night and I'm only 15 yrs old) or how I would get back home, but that didn't seem important at the time, I just wanted to go to my first concert.

We arrived about 7:00 giving us an hour before the show. On the way to our seats we ran into finny's brother and he gave finny some pot, about a 1/4 ounce. We talked while then went to our seats. I never had a clue how cool this would be. There was music playing thought the sound system, good music. People were talking and having fun, there were giant beach balls bouncing over the peoples heads and just as we sat down the person to the left of me hands me a joint, then shows me a bag he has with about 20 joints. He told me to take a couple of hits on it before passing it because it would never come back. After passing it on the person to the right of finny passed finny a pipe and said only to pass it as far as me because he needed it back. All this time while waiting for the show to start there were joints and pipes being passed all over, it was like one huge party.

Then the lights went down, wow, what a scene. Everyone light up their lighters and held them up high, it was wild. Then the Babys started playing. Now I heard their music on the radio before and their music was kind of like feminine love songs but that's not what I was hearing, they were rocking! Hard! I was, for lack of a better term, zoning. I couldlnt' take my eye's off the stage. We were on the floor about 10 rows from the back, dead center, where the sound quality is at it's best. Also, something you do not see anymore, when the music started everyone sat down, making it comfortable, enjoyable, Everyone sat and listened. I was being blown away. Sometime around the 3rd or 4th song I started getting something called "tunnel vision". The only thing I could see was the stage, everything else faded out. From where I was sitting, I could barely see the group, so all I really was seeing is lights and some movement, the sound enveloped me, I was like drifting in space, yea, well worth it.

After the Babys left the stage the lights came back on, they started playing music through the sound system again and the party started back up. We got up to go to the bathroom and get some fresh air. Something else you never see at a concert, we were able to leave and come back as long as you had a ticket stub. So we stepped out. While outside some people told us they couldn't get in because the show was sold out. They told us that if we would get them some ticket stubs they would pay us $6 a stub (that's what the tickets cost at the door, not $80 like today, click on the concert poster for a larger view and notice the price), they needed 6. I went inside and found 6 ticket stubs and made $36 bucks, nice. We bought snacks, drinks, posters and T-shirts then went back to our seats.

The lights went down and R.E.O. Speedwagon started. The sound was stepped up a notch or 2, I thought I was blown away before but this was a lever higher. I would have to say I was having the best time of my life. After about 30 minutes I started thinking about how I would get home so I did something I thought I would never have the guts to do, I called my dad. It was after 10pm on a school night, I didn't have permission to be there, my dad was someone that believed in punishing with his hands instead of his mouth, now the fear was setting in.

I called my dad and told him where I was and that I needed a ride home. He didn't say anything more that he'd be there as soon as he could. Finny and I went outside to wait for him. I should have been scared but I guess I was just too high to worry, until I seen the car pull up. When we got in the car my dad didn't say a thing, I was very surprised. The whole way home he never said a thing, not even the next day, or ever, he was fine with the whole thing.

The night was a success and so went my first concert. It was almost a year before I'd go to another, and that was an even more unique experience, and another story...

According to GVSC it was a disaster:

I lived in Grand Rapids Michigan at the time, it was winter and of course there was a snowstorm the afternoon of the concert. When we arrived at the auditorium, we were told there would be a delay due the storm. Of course we were disapointed and many thought we would have to leave and not see Harry. About 30 minutes later we were told that Harry's plane had made it in but the band was on another plane that possibly would not make it. A few minutes later, Harry appeared on stage with his gitar and a stool and played and told stories for over 2 hours. Then the band arrived and he did the full show. After the show, Harry came out front and told more stories, talked with us and signed autographs. What a night, I will never forget it. He was a great entertainer and a wonderful man.

This concert started April 1st. Mark and I were sitting in his bedroom before school getting stoned and listening to WLAV. They were announcing the weather and when they went to give the temperatures for Grand Haven they couldn't find them so that stated that they weren't sure if Grand Haven was still there.
I got this stoner idea, I called the radio station and announced I had kidnapped Grand Haven and would call later with my ransom demands.
We decided to skip school that day, we drove around getting stoned and listening to the radio (WLAV). Throughout the day we called in with our demands. Around 3:30 another friend of ours joined us, Debbie Morgan (may she rest in peace) and she came up with some very good stuff to say. With her we called in 3 more times each time with a whole page of things to say as well as our demands. She would write it and I would call LAV and read what she wrote and they would put it on the air.
At the end of the night, we reduced our demands to 3 tickets to the upcoming Rush concert and they agreed. We went to the Bavarian Inn (no longer there) and read the last set of demands live from their live remote and they gave us 3 tickets to the concerts.

Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo April 23, 1980
Permanent Waves tour

Set List:
2112 (minus Discovery and Oracle)
Freewill
By-Tor and the Snow Dog (abbreviated)->
Xanadu
The Spirit of Radio
Natural Science
A Passage to Bangkok
The Trees
Cygnus X-1
Hemispheres
Closer to the Heart
Beneath, Between and Behind
Jacob's Ladder
Working Man (reggae intro)
Finding My Way
Anthem
Bastille Day
In the Mood
Drum Solo
Encore: La Villa Strangiato (electric guitar intro)
Personal Waves
The Story Of An Album
by Neil Peart
On June the fourth 1979, the "Tour of the Hemispheres" was brought to a successful, but relieved close, at the Pink Pop Festival, in The Netherlands. After eight months of touring across Canada, the United States, Great Britain, and Western Europe, it is probably self-evident that we were all very glad to be returning home for our first summer vacation in about four years! One forgets what a stately and serene thing summer can be when subjected to the almost uninterrupted overcast skies which are native to South Wales, where our last two summers were spent. Out of one period of three weeks, two summers ago, the sun only shone for two days! We might get rid of our green suntans!

This also marked the first time that we had ever taken time off prior to recording an album, our usual schedule consisting of tour, tour, tour, write-rehearse-record, and then perhaps a couple of brief weeks of Domestic Therapy in which to attempt to glue yourself back together before going on the road again. The advantages of a rest between touring and writing new songs are probably readily apparent to the discerning reader, and certainly proved themselves to us in the making of this record, however such a liberty had never before been economically possible for us. (Nor this time either, really). Such indulgence!

It was one of those classic, golden days of mid-July, six relaxing and enjoyable weeks later, we all made our way northward, to a small town not far from Georgian Bay, where we were to begin writing and rehearsing some new material. The place was Lakewoods Farm, a rambling and comfortable old farm-house, somewhat modernized, surrounded by a hundred acres of farmland, including a barn containing many interesting and articulate cows, and fascinating fields of dynamic wheat! About a quarter of a mile distant from the house was a rough little cottage, set on a tiny jewel of a lake, which proved to be the perfect setting for a flow of lyric writing.

I arrived in the afternoon to find Alex happily at work in the kitchen preparing his famous lasagna, as he is our willing and able chef at every possible occasion (even on the bus microwave!), and from the basement came the exploratory mewings of the long-awaited Interface, a device which would allow Geddy to trigger all of the voices in his Polyphonic synthesizer by depressing one pedal of his Taurus Bass Pedals. This would give a rich and readily attainable texture to add to our sound, and came in very useful indeed. As did Alex's cooking.

So here we were, tanned, healthy, and well-rested, fair bursting with new ideas, and our gear crammed wall to wall in the basement. The first night we put together a giant hodge-podge of instrumental mish-mash, which we christened "Uncle Tounouse". It never became anything itself, but parts of it were plundered bit by bit to form quite a few other things. We soon settled into a schedule which both suited and served us well. After a huge breakfast from Alex, I would gather my things and walk down to the cottage, to spend the afternoon working on lyrics, while Alex and Geddy would descend to the basement to work on musical ideas. Within the first few days we had put together "The Spirit of Radio", "Freewill", and "Jacob's Ladder", the ideas flowing in such a smooth and painless way that it almost seemed too easy! The only complete lyrics I had brought with me were "Entre Nous", and neither Alex nor Geddy had brought more than a few incomplete ideas, just having clear and relaxed minds had made all this difference.

I had also been working on making a song out of a medieval epic from King Arthur's time, called "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". It was a real story written around the 14th century, and I was trying to transform it while retaining it's original form and style. Eventually it came to seem too awkwardly out of place with the other material we were working on, so we decided to shelve that project for the time being. (More on that later).

One of the great feature attractions at Lakewoods Farm was Alex's radio-controlled airplane and it's dramatic succession of "horrible crashes", into the trees, the fields, the cows, and finally to meet it's end on a combination of chimney and roof. One day, four of us spent about four hours combing the waist-high fields in search of the out-of-control plane, and Alex would spend hours every day re-assembling the pieces with gallons of epoxy, styrofoam cups elastic bands, toothpicks, bits of plastic etc. Most entertaining!

These two idyllic weeks in the country were soon over, however, and it was time for the next step, into the Demo studio. We moved into a small studio in North Toronto called the Sound Kitchen, where we would be able to record the songs in a rough fashion, to hear what they really sounded like, and if they were any good or not! (All recording at the farm had been handled by the Slider JVC mobile unit, leaving him without a cassette player!) Also we had to prepare ourselves for an upcoming series of dates, which were to hone ourselves into razor-sharp precision prior to entering the studio proper. We spent our time here refining and rehearsing the arrangements, again aided and edited by the keen perception and critical appraisal of the omniscient Broon, our beloved and belaboured co-producer. We also were to spend the last few days putting together a stage presentation, and polishing up our older material. This we now did.

During this "Semi-tour of Some of the Hemispheres", we were able to play "The Spirit of Radio", "Freewill", and "Jacob's Ladder" during our soundcheck every day, and the former two we had worked into the new show. This marked another significant historical first, the first time any amount of new material had been performed live prior to being recorded. The last song to receive this valuable advantage had been "Xanadu", and before that I think you'd have to go way back to the "Fly by Night" album to find any other examples of that phenomenon. Although it was only a three and a half week tour, we did cover most of the area of the United States, along with two shows each in Canada and England, and by it's end we and the songs were certainly ready for the Main Event: Le Studio.

Le Studio is a wonderful place, nestled in a valley of the Laurentian Mountains about sixty miles north of Montreal. It is situated on 250 acres of hilly, wooded land, surrounding a private lake. At one end of the lake is the studio, with the luxurious and comfortable guest house situated at the other, about a mile away. We commuted by bicycle, rowboat, on foot, or in laziness or bad weather, by car. We arrived in the full, ripe glory of autumn, and were there through a genuine Indian Summer, and we heralded the coming of snow and winter, all in our four week stay! The recording facilities are, of course, nothing les than excellent in every way. The room itself features one whole wall of glass, overlooking a spectacular view of the lake and the mountains. This is in direct contrast to most studios, which are more in the way of being isolated, timeless vaults, which in that respect of course, are not necessarily bad. Here, though, we worked in the light of the sun, and one could watch the changing seasons in idle moments, rather than a dimly lit, smoky view of musical and electronic hardware. Our engineer, Paul Northfield, soon proved himself to be a helpful, capable, and congenial member of the project, as did all of the excellent people who were employed there. I don't think we have ever been so well treated anywhere. Alex's place in the kitchen was taken over by the wondrous Andre, who would bring the most amazing French food to the house, or we could alternate by going on an "outing" to his restaurant, "La Barratte", which was in a nearby town. Suffice to say that we were well fed as well!

The great contributions put forth by Daisy, Mr. Broon's little cocker spaniel must also be acknowledged. She was with us for the whole session, and her state-of-the-art sleeping and running around were an inspiration to us all!

We began our great labors by working on the individual sounds of the instruments. This consists of the musician banging away at his particular object, while the engineering types experiment with different microphones, mic positionings, and their own arcane world of knob-twiddling, faders, echoes, equalization, etc., refining the sound to a true and/or pleasing reproduction of the original. Once this has been accomplished, the three of us will play together, probably going over the song we plan to record first, and considerably more work is put into the sounds, to make them sit together properly.

By about the second day these complexities have been resolved to everyone's satisfaction, and work begins on the "basic track", or "bed track", or "rhythm track", take your pick! This is accomplished by the three of us performing the song, pretty much as we usually would, except that things such as vocals, acoustic guitars, lead guitar, synthesizers, and percussion are omitted. The reason for this is that better separation, and more control over the eventual balance and quality of sound, is possible when these lead parts, or embellishments, are recorded separately, once a good rhythm track has been captured. Now we will be playing the song again and again until the best performance, both in it's execution and it's overall "feel", has been put onto the master tape. Here is where our preparation really proved it's value, as we were able to record basic tracks for "The Spirit of Radio", "Freewill", "Jacob's Ladder", and "Entre Nous" in an amazingly short time, as well as arrange and record the previously unrehearsed "Different Strings", which we had been saving for the studio as a sort of production number.

There was still a gaping hole in our plans, however, for with the departure of "Gawain" we had left ourselves nothing with which to replace him! So..., at this juncture we parted ways, Alex, Geddy, Terry, and Paul to begin work on some of the overdubs, while I would be imprisoned in my room until I could emerge glowing triumphantly, clutching some wonder of spontaneous genius to my knotted and sweated brow!! - mere fantasy I fear. Did I perhaps have a title? Ah, no. Did I have a few strong ideas lying around? Well, no. Did I have any ideas at all? Well, maybe, but not exactly. And for two days I stared in frustration and growing unease at blank sheets of paper, and questioning eyes. There is no doubt that working under pressure can be very rewarding, as we have found many times in the studio. It seems as if the creative mind slips into a burst of overdrive, allowing a brief, exhausting, but productive surge in the creative process. On the third day of my confinement this phenomenon arrived at last, and something new began to take shape. It was the product of a whole host of unconnected experiences, books, images, thoughts, feelings, observations, and confirmed principles, that somehow took the form of "Natural Science". At any rate, there it was, I liked it, and the others liked it too, so we began another brainstorming session to set the monster to music.

It was at this point in out story when the visitors arrived, in the person of Fin Costello, our effervescent and ever-ready Irish photographer, and our equally manic art director, Hugh Syme. This would be the first time that we had ever been photographed while working in the studio, but we have maintained such a long and amicable relationship with these two characters, that there was little self-consciousness on our part. We just carried on working, while Fin went to work at capturing the moments you will see on the cover of the record. There was, of course, much silliness, as when Hugh led the band in an insane and endless version of "Ruff and Reddy", (!), but we somehow found time to utilize Hugh's piano artistry, on "Different Strings", which sounds very good indeed, doesn't it? (You're welcome, Hugh)

To digress for a moment on the subject of the cover, planning and organizing had been going on in the background for the last couple of weeks. The album still had not received a title right up to the time when we were ready to record, every time we came up with something it seemed to be already taken. Even when we did settle on the one, it immediately popped up all over the place too, but by now it was too late, as the artwork was already in progress, and we knew it to have been an original idea, if not the only one. Hugh is the main person involved in putting the cover together, but we also contribute to the general layout, compiling the credits, choosing the photos, correcting and submitting the lyrics, and arguing about all of the things that we want and the record companies don't. There are always the inevitable last minute crises, such as the Chicago Daily Tribune being still so embarrassed about their "Dewey defeats Truman" error of more than thirty years ago, that they actually refused to let us use it on the cover! These things are sent to try us!

Meanwhile, back in Le Studio, "Natural Science" was becoming a song, forged from some bits from "Gawain", some instrumental ideas that were still unused, and some parts newly-written. This is where we used up some of the time that we had gained earlier, as we had to work a lot on refining and rehearsing something as new and complex as this had grown to be. We were about halfway through our time there, and ready to move into the "Overdub Mode".

Mention must now be made of the great game of volleyball. At dinnertime, and after the sessions at night, it was our great pleasure to play intensely athletic and competitive volleyball. One of a few games played in the pouring rain starred the members of Max Webster and their crew, while other games would continue despite mud-mires or blinding snow. One particularly warm night kept us playing until six o'clock in the morning! The studio's video camera also proved to be an interesting source of entertainment, one notable evening when created the "The Jack Secret Show", a half hour talk show starring Jack, Punjabi, and many other famous and interesting guests!

Frivolities aside, the work continued as we plowed through a mountain of overdubs. Alex and I splashed oars in the lake with shivering hands to record the "Tide Pool" effects, voices and guitar sounds were sent out over the lake to make use of it's natural echo, the tympani was recorded outdoors, guitar amps were strung all over the building to take advantage of as many different sounds as possible. The parade of guitars, synthesizers, vocals, percussion, and experiments went on, and the days wore away. But... we finished early! We had about three days at the end to spare, in which we could make some rough mixes of the songs to take home and listen to before the real mixing began. As straightforward and logical as this again must sound, it was the first time that such a thing had ever happened. In the past we had always had to begin mixing the day after the recording was finished, giving no opportunity to get away from the material, and return to it with a fresh, objective ear.

One week later, the four of us flew across to England to begin the two weeks of our sojourn at Trident, which is buried in the small streets and lurid night-life of the Soho district of London. This would be the final stage in the album's history, the mixdown. I think that it is quite an obscure thing to many people, just what is done here, so I'll take a moment to try and clarify it. The album is actually complete at this point, at least in terms of content, but there are a myriad of small adjustments, individual sounds can be shaped slightly differently, relative balances can be altered, echoes or other effects can be added to certain sounds to make them more interesting or to punctuate them, and the overall sound is made adaptable to different listening conditions or equipment.

Here once again, Alex moves into the kitchen, as Trident is so completely equipped as to possess one, and proceeds to regale us yet again with a series of delicious meals.

This is also the point at which Mr. Broon really comes into his own. Taking over the engineering himself, the console becomes an instrument, as he and his capable assistants orchestrate the faders and switches. The gods once again rule in our favour, and we work ahead of schedule, our two weeks at Trident speeding pleasantly by. Soon it is time for that most satisfying and enjoyable of ceremonies, the Final Playback. This is the climax of the whole project for us, the time when we stop working on the album, and just listen to it. A few friends are invited, a goodly amount of Champagne is consumed, and a relaxed and twisted time is had by all.

This is the moment for which all that has gone before becomes fair value; all has been worth it. The moment when you sit back and think to yourself: "It is good".

We hope you agree.

Neil Peart
I recently became the proud owner of a new set of Tama drums, once again with the inner side of the wooden shells coated with the Vibra-Fibing treatment. Along with the custom finish and the brass-plated metal hardware, this operation was performed by the Percussion centre of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The sizes of the drums remain unchanged, consisting of two 24" bass drums, 6", 8", 10" and 12" concert toms, 12", 13" 15" and 18" closed toms, and a 5 1/2 x 14" wooden snare drum. I probably need hardly add that both on the road, and most especially on this newest record, I am very pleased with the combination of the thick, wooden shells, and the dependable, modern hardware.

All my cymbals are still by Avedis Zildjian, with the exception of one 18" chinese cymbal. They are a 6" and 8" splash, two 16", one 18", and one 20" crash cymbals, a 22" ride, a pair of 13" high-hats, an 18" pang, and a 20" China type.

Digging into the toy box we find the usual assortment of effects, including timbales, melodic cowbells, orchestra bells, wind chimes, tubular bells, bell tree, tympani, temple blocks, triangle, gong, and crotales.

On my snare and bass drums I use Remo black-dot heads, Ludwig silver-dots on the concert toms, and Evans Looking Glass (top) and Blue Hydraulic (bottom) on the other toms. Ludwig Speed King Pedals and Tama hardware complete the set- up. My drumsticks are still Pro-Mark 747's with the varnish removed from the gripping area.

Geddy Lee
My guitars are: two Rickenbacker 4001 basses, one Rickenbacker 4002 bass, one custom-modified Fender Precision, one Fender Jazz Bass, and one Rickenbacker custom double-neck, which incorporates a 4001 bass with a twelve- string guitar. All basses are equipped with Badass bridges and Roto-Sound strings, and a Roland chorus is used on the guitar.

My amps are two BGW 750-B's, running through two Ashley pre-amps, into two Thiele-design 2 x 15 cabinets, and two Ampeg V4B 2 x 15 cabinets. All cabinets are fitted with JBL K140 speakers, and I also use a Fender Twin Reverb amp for guitar.

My synthesizer set-up has grown to: Mini-Moog, Oberheim polyphonic, OB-1, an Oberheim digital sequencer, a Roland Space Echo, and Moog Taurus Pedals, which are also interfaced with the Oberheim polyphonic.

Alex Lifeson
My guitars are one each Gibson ES335, Gibson ES355, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Gibson Custom Double-Neck, custom built Pyramid, Fender Stratocaster, Roland Guitar Synthesizer, Gibson Dove, Gibson J-55, Gibson B-45-12, Gibson C-60 classical, and a Ramirez Classical. I also play a set of Moog Taurus Pedals.

My amplifiers are three Hiwatt 100's spread over four 4 x 12 cabinets and one Leslie cabinet, with one spare amplifier and two spare cabinets. A Fender Twin Reverb with JBL's is also used.

My effects are: three Roland 301 Space Echo's, one Roland Chorus, an Electric Mistress, a Morley volume pedal, a Cry Baby wah-wah, a Maestro parametric filter, Ashley pre-amps and parametrics for the acoustic guitars, and a custom built effects board designed by L.B., and built by Steele-Power Supply.

Management by: Ray Danniels and Vic Wilson, SRO Productions, Toronto, Canada.
Road Manager and Lighting Director: Howard Ungerleider.
Stage Manager: Michael Hirsh.
Concert Sound Engineer: Ian Grandy.
Stage Right Technician and Crew Chief: Liam Birt.
Stage Left Technician: Skip Gildersleeve.
Centre Stage Technician: Larry Allen.
Guitar and Synthesizer Technician: Tony Geranios.
Stage Monitor Mixer: Greg Connolly.
Concert Sound by National Sound: Tom Linthicum, Dave Berman, Fuzzy Frazer and by Electrosound in the U.K.
Concert Lighting by See Factor International: Nick Kotos, Bob Kniffen, Geo. Guido, Bob Cross.
Concert Visuals designed by Rush and Nick Prince, artwork by Nick Prince and Al Kamajian.
Design: Hugh Syme.
Photography: Fin Costello.
Truck and Bus Drivers: Tom Whittaker, Pat Lynes, Arthur MacLear, Mike Burnham, Kim Varney, Bill Barlow.
Booking Agencies: Canada -- The Agency, Toronto; United States -- American Talent International, NYC; United Kingdom -- Bron Agency, London.
Correspondence: P.O Box 640, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada L3T 4A5
Thanks are also due to Edwin Shirly Trucking (U.K.), Len Wright Travel (U.K.), and See Factor Trucking in the U.S.

Ozzy Osbourne Def Leppard The Welsh Grand Rapids 1981
August 30th - Civic Center, Grand Rapids, MI
Def Leppard Setlist

1. On Through the Night
2. It Could Be You
3. Let It Go
4. Wasted
5. It Don't Matter
6. Another Hit and Run
7. Lady Strange
8. Rock Brigade
9. High & Dry (Saturday Night)

Ozzy Osbourne Setlist

1. I Don't Know
2. Crazy Train
3. Revelation (Mother Earth)
4. Steal Away (The Night)
5. Suicide Solution
6. Encore:
7. Iron Man (Black Sabbath song)
8. Paranoid (Black Sabbath song)

This Rush concert was just as unique as the last, a good story goes with it.

Beside the "unique" trip we had getting there, the concert itself was special. Rush was using this concert as a test to see what songs would be used for the rest of the tour so the set-list was longer than normal, it was a long show, you can see the set-list below.

At this time of my life I was hanging out at a friend named Matt C's house. Every night people would show up to party, usually from 10 to 20 people then on weekends we would throw keggers with over 100 people showing up. Matt's brother Greg was an excellent drummer and he would play along with the stereo to practice while we sat around getting stoned.

On night we were sitting around getting stoned and I came up with the idea that we should get a atlas rental truck and load it with furniture and a stereo and all go to the Rush concert together. They all thought it was just stoner talk, but the next day I told them I had rented a truck with a van style front end for $32.00 and we were gonig.

I'm not sure how many went anymore but I know it was between 7 and 10. We did it just as I said, the day of the show I picked up the truck from Atlas early and took it to Matts house. There we loaded it up with a couch, some chairs and a stereo system. Then we went and picked up a half barrel keg of Michelob, then waited for everyone else to arrive before heading out.

It was around 3:00pm when we left. It was a wild ride, drinking and toking all the way. We arrived around 5:00 and the concert didn't start until 8. It took us a while to get there because we stopped at the rest stop just outside of Kalamazoo. There were many other people who were also heading to the concert drinking and partying in the rest area. Coming out of the bathroom there were a few guys that asked what we were doing, they noticed the moving truck was actually a mobile kegger. They offered us some window pain (acid) for some beer so we opened the back of the truck, they climbed in and partied with us for a while.

When we got there we had 2 1/2 hours until we could go in, but that's what we wanted, it was a beautiful day and we wanted to party for a while before going in. There was no name for this back then, now they call it "tail gate'n", so I guess we were the original tail-gaters. We pulled up to the back of the parking lot so the back of the truck was against the grass, then we took all the furniture out and kicked back.

Moving Pictures tour
Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo February 20, 1981
Set List;
2112 (Overture/The Temples of Syrinx)
Freewill
Limelight
Hemispheres (Prelude)
Beneath, Between and Behind
The Camera Eye
YYZ
Drum Solo
YYZ
Broon's Bane
The Trees
Xanadu
The Spirit of Radio
Red Barchetta
Closer to the Heart
Tom Sawyer
Vital Signs
Natural Science
Working Man (reggae intro)
Hemispheres (Armageddon)
By-Tor and the Snow Dog (abbreviated)->
In the End
In the Mood
2112 (Grand Finale)
Encore: La Villa Strangiato (classical guitar intro)

A Rush Newsreel
by Neil Peart

... Dateline: New York City, May 9, 1980.
In the midst of a crowded and chaotic backstage scene, following the second of our four nights at the Palladium, a few quiet words of agreement became the unlikely conception for this album. Prior to this, it had been our announced intention to record and release a second live album, but an unlooked-for charge of ambition and enthusiasm caused a last-minute resolution to throw caution out the window! (onto 52nd St.), and dive headlong into the making of a studio elpee instead. The reasons for this are difficult to put on paper, being somewhat instinctive, but all of us had been feeling very positive, and our Research and Development Dept. (sound check jams) had been very spirited and interesting, so it was felt that the creative hiatus provided by a live album was not really necessary at present, and it would be more timely and more satisfying to embark on the adventure of a new studio album. Right!

... Dateline: London, June 4, 1980.
It is never too late to change plans, but not so with arrangements! Thus we went ahead with the live tapings we had planned, recording our five shows at the Hammersmith Odeon, as well as dates from Glasgow, Manchester, and Newcastle. Then we would record some shows in this upcoming tour, and put together a live set that would represent a wider scope of our concerts, musically, temporally, and geographically. This is no bad thing, and should prove to be a good move, unless we change our minds again, in which case we could combine three tours, or four, or...

... Dateline: Toronto, July 28, 1980.
An intense thunderstorm raged outside all day long, while indoors a storm of a different kind was brewing. In the studios of Phase One, two complete sets of equipment crammed the room, and two complete bands filled the air with a Wagnerian tumult, as Max Webster and ourselves united to record a song for their album, called "Battlescar." This could only be a very unique and enjoyable experience, attempting something on such a scale as this, and I think the result will testify to its success. This day also afforded Pye Dubois (Max's lyricist) the opportunity to present us with a song of his, humbly suggesting that it might be suitable for us, if we were interested. Having been long-time admirers of Pye's work, we were indeed interested, and it eventually became "Tom Sawyer," and it is interesting that an identifiable Max influence crept into the music, by way of Pye's lyrical input.

... Dateline: Stony Lake, Ontario, August, 1980.
The address and time of year will probably best describe the setting, as the creative work begins in earnest. For those interested in Alex's adventures in aviation, it may be reported that a large pile of wreckage, and a rather sizeable hole in the top of a truck, bear witness to his prowess in the field of radio-controlled airplanes. (There's a man outstanding in -- Never mind!) Happily, he was somewhat more fortunate in his dealings with the genuine article, (and on many an afternoon) could be seen buzzing and strafing the house.

These exciting distractions aside, we were banished to the barn, and began the process of assembling ideas, both musical and lyrical. "The Camera Eye" was the first to be written, soon followed by "Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta," "YYZ," and "Limelight." Things were taking shape.

It is interesting sometimes to retrace the sources of some of the musical ideas; for instance, the instrumental section of Tom Sawyer grew from a little melody that Geddy had been using to set up his synthesizers at sound checks, then was forgotten until we were searching for a part in that song, when it emerged as very strong theme. "YYZ" is the identity code used by Toronto International Airport, and the intro is taken from the Morse code which is sent out by the beacon there. It is always a happy day when YYZ appears on our luggage tags!

On the other end of those tags, though, it becomes increasingly apparent to us just how valuable touring is, primarily in our development as individual musicians, which in turn directs the progression of our music. Sometimes in the dark days of a mid-tour depression, brought on by fatigue, homesickness, and hence frustration, the stresses of touring would seem to outweigh the benefits, but when we reach the 'Final Exams' of writing and recording, the evidence of change and improvement is very rewarding.

... Dateline: Toronto, August 31, 1980.
We return to Phase One, together with our long-suffering old standby, Terry Brown (Broon), our co-producer and Chief Objective Ear, fouling the air with "Gitanes," and offering criticisms and suggestions where necessary. We put together some rough demos of the aforementioned five songs, as well as a rough (to say the least), and riotous (to say the most), version of "Witch Hunt." This was the winner of the most re-written song award, being very difficult to get a handle on, but our intention had always been to use it as the 'production number' of the album, in the tradition of such pieces as "Different Strings," "Madrigal," and "Tears." This frees us from our usual practice of writing as we would play live, maintaining the discipline of a three-piece band. It would serve as a sort of vehicle for experimentation and indulgence. For instance, we would be using Hugh Syme's talents on the keyboards, and my entire drum part was recorded twice (as two drummers) in one verse, while in another, a percussion section was created by recording each sound differently. The introduction was a very strange endeavour, as we assembled a 'Vigilante Choir' out in the snow, and the sound of the 'haunted child' at the beginning. Although the main thrust of our work has always been directed towards its live presentation, it is nice to take a small dose of studio indulgence!

... Dateline: Portland, Maine, October 1, 1980.
It was here that we concluded a short tour, mainly the eastern seaboard of the United States, in which we rehearsed the five completed songs whenever possible, and introduced "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" into our shows, although both would undergo some changes before being committed to tape.

... Dateline: Morin Heights, Quebec, October through December, 1980.
Once again we returned to the beautiful Laurentian Mountains, and to the amiable ambiance of Le Studio. We had been very much looking forward to our return here, and were not disappointed, it proving to be every bit as great as our memories. A very friendly place.

We were soon made painfully aware (literally) of the ambitious nature of our project, as we had to work long and hard to capture the right sounds and performances for each track. The only exception to this, for no apparent reason, was "Red Barchetta." With only a few runs to get the sounds together, it was to be that rarest of all animals (for ourselves, anyway!), a one-take wonder. No one could have been more surprised than we, especially after the relentless grinding it had taken to capture "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight," and "YYZ." (Are you sure, Broon?)

We had purposefully left one song still unwritten, with a view to writing it directly in the studio, as we have had such good results from this previously. Songs such as "Natural Science," and "The Twilight Zone" have benefitted from the pressure and spontaneity of this situation, although then it happened by force of circumstances, where now our planning includes a space for 'no-plan.'

"Vital Signs" was the ultimate result, eclectic in the extreme, it embraces a wide variety of stylistic influences, ranging from the sixties to the present. Lyrically, it derives from my response to the terminology of 'Technospeak,' the language of electronics and computers, which often seems to parallel the human machine, in the functions and interrelationships they employ. It is interesting, if irrelevant, to speculate as to whether we impose our nature on the machines that we build, or whether they are merely governed by the inscrutable laws of Nature as we. (Perhaps Murphy's Laws?) Never mind!

ANYWAY!! The tracks were eventually finished, albeit a few days behind schedule, when the mixing and the disasters began. In a massive electronic freak-out revolution, the digital mastering machine, the mixdown computer, and one of the multi-track machines, gave up their collective ghosts one after the other, driving poor Broon to distraction, and setting us two weeks behind in the end. After much technical tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth, the machine maladies were finally put right, and Geddy returned to perch on Broon's shoulder, and the Skiers of the Woods were seen no more on the Wilderness Trails.

As with anything that drags on too long, we were glad to finally finish, but even more glad to hear what it was we had finished! It is a curious sensation, when listening back to a completed album for the first time, how quickly all those months and all of those difficulties go racing by. How can a mere forty minutes of music contain and express all of the thoughts, feelings, and energy that goes into it?

Then suddenly you're listening without analyzing, transformed from the performer to the audience, feeling the responses that you hope the listener at home will feel.

Perhaps it is true that in a synergistic way the output does add up to all of that input, perhaps it is all in there for the discerning listener to experience, maybe Time travels backward at the speed of light, maybe Alex Lifeson is 'Gub,' maybe...

Why are you asking me all these questions?

---

Neil Peart

I am still releasing my hostilities on Tama drums, all with wooden shells, and the inner side 'Vibra-Fibed.' The bass drums are 24", the toms are 6, 8, 10, 12" concerts, and 12, 13, 15, and 18" closed toms. I am still using my 'old faithful' wood-shell snare, a 5 1/2 x 14 Slingerland, and have recently made a switch to wooden timbales, and retired my tympani and gong in favour of a pair of Tama 'gong bass drums,' which are open-ended bass drums on a stand, utilizing oversize heads to give a very deep, resonant sound.

My cymbals are Avedis Zildjians, with the exception of one genuine Chinese China type. The Zildjians are 8" and 10" splash, 13" high-hats, two 16", and one each 18" and 20" crash cymbals, a 22" ride, an 18" pang, and a 20" China type.

In the Percussion Department are orchestra bells, tubular bells, wind chimes, temple blocks, cowbells, triangles, bell tree, crotales, and Burma bell.

I use Remo clear dots on my snare and bass drums, Ludwig silver dots on the concert toms, and Evans Looking Glass (top), and Blue Hydraulic (bottom) on the closed toms. Clear Remos are used on the timbales and gong bass drums. Ludwig pedals, Slingerland high-hat, Tama hardware, and Pro-Mark 747 drumsticks are the final details.

---

Geddy Lee

Equipment I will be using on the 'Moving Pictures' tour:
SYNTHESIZERS
Oberheim-- OB-1, OB-X, and OB-8, two sets of Taurus pedals, interfaced with the OB-8, Mini-Moog, Roland Digital Sequencer, assorted effects.
BASSES AND GUITARS
Two Rickenbacker 4001's, Fender Jazz Bass, Rickenbacker 4002, double-neck Rickenbacker, incorporating 4001 with twelve-string guitar, double-neck Rickenbacker, incorporating 4001 with six-string guitar, Ovation acoustic.
AMPLIFICATION
Two BGW 750B power amps, two Ashley preamps, two 2 x 15 Thiele-design cabinets fitted with EVM speakers, two V4B Ampeg cabinets with JBL speakers, Yamaha solid state guitar amp.
VOCAL MICROPHONE
Electrovoice DS-35.

---

Alex Lifeson

GUITARS
Gibson ES355, 345, SG Standard, 1175 double-neck, Fender Stratocaster, Ovation Classic & Adanis, for acoustic guitars, 2 Ashley SC-40 preamps, 1 Ashley SC-66 Stereo Parametric Equalizer.
AMPLIFIERS
2 Marshall Combos, 2 Hiwatt 100's with 2- 4 x 12 cabinets & 1 Leslie cabinet.
EFFECTS
Roland 301 Echo Unit, Advanced Audio Digital Delay, Electric Misstress [sic], 1 Roland Chorus, 1 MXR Micro-amp, MXR Distortion, Morley Volume Pedal, 1 ELL-BEE (L.B.) 30-7965 Model 'C' Type R (Series XL-3427) Remote Floormount Advanced Relay Effects Switching Configuration.

---

Management by: Ray Danniels, SRO Productions, Toronto, Canada.
Road Manager and Lighting Director: Howard Ungerleider.
Stage Manager: Michael Hirsh.
Concert Sound Engineer: Jon Erickson.
Stage Right Technician and Crew Cheif: Liam Birt.
Stage Left Technician: Skip Gildersleeve.
Centre Stage Technician: Larry Allen.
Guitar and Synthesizer Technician: Tony Geranios.
Stage Monitor Mixer: Greg Connolly.
Security cheif: Ian Grandy.
Personal Shreve: Kevin Flewitt.
Concert Sound by National Sound; Tom Linthicum, Fuzzy Frazer, and Dave Berman.
Concert Lighting by See Factor International; Nick Kotos, Head Technician, possily Mike Weiss, and who knows?
Concert Visuals created by Nick Prince, Al Kamajian, and Nelvana Ltd.
Bus and Truck-Faces: Tom Whittaker, Billy Barlow, Mac MacLear, Pat Lynes, Richard Owens.
Concert Projectionist: Lee Tenner.
Concert Rigging: Bill Collins.
U.K. Transportation by Edwin Shirley Trucking, Len Wright Travel, and Bill Churchman (the Red Flash).
Program design: Hugh Syme.
Photography by Fin Costello, except where indicated.
Booking Agencies: United States -- American Talent International, NYC; United Kingdom -- Bron Agency, London; Canada -- The Agency, Toronto.

 

Sammy Hagar (Standing Hampton) & Aldo Nova

April 11 1982
Tickets $9.50

Aldo Nova
Incomplete set-list
1. Fantasy
2. Under the Gun
3. Foot Stompin' Music

Sammy Hagar
Set-list
1. Heavy Metal
2. This Planet's on Fire (Burn in Hell)
3. Plain Jane
4. Trans Am (Highway Wonderland)
5. Rock 'n' Roll Weekend
6. Turn Up the Music
7. I'll Fall in Love Again
8. Baby's on Fire
9. Can't Get Loose
10. Inside Lookin' In
11. Rock the Nation (Montrose song)
12. Space Station #5 (Montrose song)
13. Piece of My Heart (Erma Franklin cover)
14. Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover)

If you're wondering why the "Bugs Bunny" is there, that was their warm-up band, so to speak. We heard they were going to have a warm up band, and we were ready to boo. When you go to a Yes concert, there should be no other band, no band can compare, no band could "warm" you up. I think the word got around, I'm pretty sure that no matter what band came out, everyone would have booed them off the stage.

After waiting about 10 minutes after the show was supposed to start, people were getting anxious, what was the hold up? Then, the lights went down and to everyone surprised, a giant screen started showing a Loony Toons cartoon, it was Bugs Bunny. Everyone was cheering. After 2 cartoons Yes came out.

90125 Tour
 9012Live

Date: Sunday, March 04, 1984 
City: Detroit, Michigan, United States Of America
Venue: Joe Louis Arena
Capacity: 19,275
Lineup:
Jon Anderson (Vocals)
Tony Kaye (Keyboards)
Trevor Rabin (Guitars)
Chris Squire (Bass)
Alan White (Drums)

Setlist:
Cinema
Leave It
Yours Is No Disgrace
Hold On
Hearts
I've Seen All Good People
Kaye Solo
Solly's Beard
Changes
Make It Easy/Owner Of A Lonely Heart
And You And I
Soon
Long Distance Runaround/Whitefish/Amazing Grace
City Of Love
It Can Happen
Starship Trooper
Roundabout
'Our Song' dropped

This was an outdoor show right in my backyard, in Wyoming, MI.

90125 Tour
9012Live 

Date: Saturday, August 18, 1984
City: Wyoming, Michigan, United States Of America
Venue: Ft. Wyoming

Lineup:
Jon Anderson (Vocals)
Tony Kaye (Keyboards)
Trevor Rabin (Guitars)
Chris Squire (Bass)
Alan White (Drums)

Setlist:
Cinema
Leave It
Hold On
I've Seen All Good People
Our Song
Hearts
Solly's Beard
Changes
And You And I
Si
Soon
Make It Easy
Owner Of A Lonely Heart
It Can Happen
Amazing Grace
Whitefish/City Of Love
Starship Trooper
Roundabout
Gimme Some Lovin'

The Cars - Heartbeat City Tour

Wang Chung Setlist
1. Wait
2. Don't Let Go
3. Dance Hall Days
4. True Love
5. Look at Me Now

The Cars Setlist
1. Hello Again
2. Looking For Love
3. Cruiser
4. Drive
5. Shake It Up
6. Heartbeat City
7. Magic
8. You Might Think
9. Let's Go
10. You're All I've Got Tonight

03/27/86 - Devos Hall - Grand Rapids, MI, USA

01 The Thieving Magpie
02 Emerald Lies (Intro)
03 Script for a Jester´s Tear
04 Incubus
05 Jigsaw
06 The Web
07 Misplaced Childhood
08 Fugazi
09 Garden Party
10 Market Square Heroes

The concert started out all unplugged. It was all acoustic and that kind of disappointing me, I came to hear music, full sounding music. I can listen to acoustic anywhere, with no base or drums it sound the same on my portable radio. I want full sound from a system I can't afford, that's why I go to concerts. When they started "Darkstar" it was still acoustic, I was wondering if the whole show was going to be like that, then when they hit the chorus, the whole band jumped in, lights kicked on and wow, blew my mind. So it turned out really good, the acoustic half made the second half way better.

I think this playlist is a little out of order, because it seems to me that Darkstar was played A little earlier and I remember more music that just 7 songs with the whole group.

1. Wasted on the Way
2. You Don't Have to Cry
3. Blackbird (The Beatles cover)
4. Almost Cut My Hair (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
5. Compass (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
6. Lady of the Island
7. Try to Find Me
8. Word Game / Crossroads
9. Guinnevere
10. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
11. Love the One You're With (Stephen Stills song)
12. Change Partners (Stephen Stills song)
13. Just a Song Before I Go
14. Night Time for the Generals (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
15. Dark Star
16. Soldiers of Peace (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
17. To the Last Whale...A. Critical Mass B. Wind on the Water (Crosby & Nash cover)
18. Long Time Gone
19. For What It's Worth (Buffalo Springfield cover)
20. Southern Cross
21. Teach Your Children (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
22. Our House (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)

This was the show in the round. The stage was round, in the middle of the stadium and it slowly turned, like they did in the 70's, so everyone would get a good view of the entire stage. Featured song was "Awaken", first time played in 12 years.

Union Tour
Yesshows '91'
Round The World In 80 Dates

Date: Friday, May 03, 1991
City: Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States Of America
Venue: Wings Stadium
Capacity: 6,000

Lineup:
Jon Anderson (Vocals)
Bill Bruford (Drums)
Steve Howe (Guitars)
Tony Kaye (Keyboards)
Trevor Rabin (Guitars)
Chris Squire (Bass)
Rick Wakeman (Keyboards)
Alan White (Drums)

Setlist:
Firebird Suite
Yours Is No Disgrace
Rhythm Of Love
Shock To The System
Heart Of The Sunrise
Clap/Mood For A Day
Make It Easy/Owner Of A Lonely Heart
And You And I
Drum Duet
Hold On
I've Seen All Good People
Kaye Solo/Changes
Solly's Beard
Long Distance Runaround/Whitefish/Amazing Grace
Lift Me Up
Wakeman Solo
Awaken
Roundabout

I was at Silver Lake when this concert was happening so Mike Z. and I road our bikes to the concert and sat in the woods and listened. If we stood up we could see the stage, so I was kind of there, I guess.

Day 1
June 19, 1991
Set 1
1. Tuning >
2. Feel Like A Stranger
3. They Love Each Other
4. Minglewood Blues
5. Dire Wolf
6. Queen Jane Approximately
7. Ramble On Rose
8. Promised Land

Set 2
1. Tuning
2. Victim Or The Crime
3. Scarlet Begonias
4. Fire On The Mountain
5. Women R Smarter
6. Drums
7. Space...
8. ...Space
9. Stella Blue
10. The Other One
11. Johnny B. Goode

Encore:

1. Crowd/Tuning
2. The Mighty Quinn

Day 2
06-20-1991 - Grateful Dead

Set One:
Touch of Grey
Greatest Story Ever Told
Peggy-O
Mexicali Blues
Maggie's Farm; Bird Song

Set Two:
Throwing Stones
Iko Iko/All Along the Watchtower
Standing on the Moon
He's Gone
Drumz
The Wheel
I Need a Miracle
Wharf Rat
Throwing Stones
Not Fade Away

Encore:
Brokedown Palace

This was their round tour, but the stage was normal because of the venue, outdoors at Pine Knobe

Union Tour
Round The World In 80 Dates

Date: Tuesday, July 30, 1991
City: Clarkston, Michigan, United States Of America
Venue: Pine Knob Music Center
Capacity: 15,347
Lineup:
Jon Anderson (Vocals)
Bill Bruford (Drums)
Steve Howe (Guitars)
Tony Kaye (Keyboards)
Trevor Rabin (Guitars)
Chris Squire (Bass)
Rick Wakeman (Keyboards)
Alan White (Drums)
Setlist:
Firebird Suite
Yours Is No Disgrace
Rhythm Of Love
Shock To The System
Heart Of The Sunrise
Clap
Make It Easy/Owner Of A Lonely Heart
And You And I
Drum Duet
Changes
I've Seen All Good People
Solly's Beard
Saving My Heart/Whitefish/Amazing Grace
Lift Me Up
Wakeman Solo
Awaken
Roundabout

Club Eastbrook
Grand Rapids, Michigan
August, 11, 1993

Set I:
Buried Alive
Runaway Jim
Weigh
It's Ice
Ginseng Sullivan1
My Friend My Friend
The Mango Song
Stash
Sparkle
Cavern

Set II:
Mike's Song
The Great Gig in the Sky
Weekapaug Groove
Esther
All Things Reconsidered
Bouncing Around the Room
Rift
Jesus Just Left Chicago
My Sweet One
Run Like An Antelope

Encore: Sweet Adeline, Bold as Love

Phish-y antics add to band's appeal
August 11, 1993 - Grand Rapids Press
By Tim Pratt

TONIGHT PHISH, 8 p.m. at Club Eastbrook. Tickets cost $19 and are available at the Club Eastbrook box office.
Just who are these guys?
They've never had a chart-topping single or album. You won't find them on MTV. And they don't stir up much controversy.
Yet, the four-man band known as Phish (and yes, it is pronounced like the aquatic creature with gills and scales) is a growing phenomenon. While the group's albums never seem to sell a whole lot, Phish is engaged in one successful summer tour.
The band's August schedule includes dates at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater in Miami, the World Music Theatre in Tinley Park, Ill. (near Chicago), and the Meadowbrook Music Festival in Rochester.
Truthfully, the members of Phish didn't think the tour would be as successful as it has been.
"This is the first time we've done anything like this," said vocalist/keyboardist Page McConnell by phone from Atlanta. "We didn't anticipate selling out any of the dates. We just decided to take a step up to the next level from theaters and take the plunge."
Phish will perform tonight at Club Eastbrook, in a show that will likely be as much of a surprise to the band as it will be to the audience.
In the past, the group - which infuses a range of musical styles such as calypso, bluegrass, jazz, hardcore punk and just about any other musical genre - has been known to incorporate an exotic variety of, shall we say, objects and outlandish antics on stage.
One element that has generated much conversation about Phish is the use of trampolines by the band - while they're playing. Though there are no guarantees Phish will be bouncing to the beat at Club Eastbrook, McConnell said fans should expect the unexpected.
"One thing we've been using a lot on this tour is an EZ Glider, skating back and forth on stage," McConnell said. "Who knows? It's different every night - we don't use the vacuum every night, but it's always an option.
The band, which also includes Trey Anastasio (guitar, vocals), Mike Gordon (bass, vocals) and Jon "Tubbs" Fishman (drums, trombone, vacuum cleaner), is always looking for new and bizarre things to try.
"We try to approach each show with a sense of fun - we really try to enjoy it," McConnell said. "Maybe that's why our albums don't generate huge numbers, simply because our shows are more fun, they're a bit more spontaneous."
Phish was formed about 10 years ago by Anastasio, Gordon and Fishman while they were attending the University of Vermont. After two years, McConnell stepped into the picture and the lineup has remained a constant since.
The quartet began performing on the East Coast and generated a sizeable following. Finally, the band released its debut album "Junta" in 1989, followed by "Lawnboy" in 1990.
The group was picked up by Elektra Records soon after "Lawnboy" hit the racks and released "A Picture Of Nectar" - Phish's major label debut - in 1991.
The band toured the United States and Europe on its own in support of "Nectar," then joined the H.O.R.D.E. tour, which included such relatively "unknowns" as the Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler.
"Rift," Phish's latest album, was released in February and has sold more than 100,000 copies.
"We sell a lot more concert tickets than albums," McConnell said.
Since Phish has attained such a massive following, many have compared the quartet to another "must see live" band - The Grateful Dead.
While the groups share audience similarities, McConnell stressed Phish is much different than the Bay Area icons.
"Yes, there are a lot of people that like the Dead that like us, and there's a lot of people that follow us around, but I don't think we sound anything like them," he said.
There is one commonality, though - like the Dead, Phish tends to play for a long time, with any number of improvisational solos and free-for-all jams. McConnell said the quartet often plays two 75-minute sets but that changes from night to night.


Article © 1993 Grand Rapids Press


Phish definitely in the swim here
August 12, 1993 - Grand Rapids Press
By Tim Pratt

Some might say a Phish show is a mini-Grateful Dead concert.
One needed only to walk around the Club Eastbrook parking lot before and after the concert Wednesday to note the similarities - tie-dyed T-shirts, hats and flags everywhere, with would-be vendors hawking everything from jewelry to candy bars, and old Volkswagen buses with awnings to house as many people they can.
But while the atmosphere is similar, Phish has carved out enough of its own sound to set it apart from the Dead, creating an entire following by itself.
The quirky quartet packed Club Eastbrook with more than 1,500 free-wheeling, dancing fans night. Phish, playing two sets that added up to nearly three full hours of music, was mesmerizing and overwhelmingly brilliant.
It was enough that Phish's show was a joy to watch and listen to from start to finish, but the group brought along an enormous lighting system that captured the essence of the music.
Don Dorshimer of Belkin Productions said the show, which featured scroll and Altstar lights, was one of the biggest the club has ever hosted.
Though the colorful lights were present throughout the performance, it was during the second set that the wide array of hues were out in full force. The opening number was played almost entirely in the dark, with pulsating strobe lights piercing the thick smoke covering the stage.
Later, during the jazzy "Esther" (taken from the band's 1989 debut "Junta") the stage was awash in a milky blue that only enhanced the song.
But make no mistake - the music was the real reason more than 1,500 fans sang and danced in the sweltering club. Hitting the stage at about 8:30 p.m. (the group rarely has an opening act), Phish delivered both sets consisting of a mixture of old and new material, including a pair of songs guitarist Trey Anastasio said had never been played in concert before.
The first tune was especially appealing, as drummer Jon "Tubbs" Fishman played a steel washboard while the other members lent a hand in the dixieland blues number.
Other songs featured included "Weigh" and "My Friend, My Friend."
Both songs - from Phish's latest album "Rift" - included some humorous vocal arrangements and harmonizing. "My Friend" ended with a jolting and intense scream that seemed to startle almost everyone.
Other highlights included "You Enjoy Myself," with its confusing lyrics, the fast-paced "Sparkle," and "Run Like An Antelope."
Anastasio kicked out an amazing, extended blues solo during the group's rendition of ZZ Top's "Jesus Just Left Chicago," though Page McConnell's vocals and piano accompaniment were just as jaw-dropping.
The group took everyone by surprise in the first encore when all four members asked the audience to be quiet and proceeded to sing a barbershop quartet version of "My Sweet Adeline" - without the use of microphones. It was a compelling and memorable moment, to say the least.
Of course, what Phish show would be complete without a few props to spice up the evening? First, huge beach balls were tossed into the audience, and were bounced to and fro throughout the evening. Then it was on to the mini-trampolines, which Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon jumped on while playing - for about 10 minutes.
Finally, Fishman - wearing a dress - took center stage and played a bizarre song, sounding somewhat like Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky," by blowing into the the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner. No, this was not your ordinary show.
It's easy to understand why Phish causes such a stir among concert-goers. The group provides an enjoyable atmosphere with creative versatility and musical talent. Phish combines all sorts of musical genres in its sound, while plugging in its own unique quirks.
Each member is multi-talented musically. Three of the four handled the lead vocal chores throughout the concert, yet still had the energy to pump out both rehearsed and improvisational solos. McConnell's keyboard work on the grand piano and Hammond organ was particularly impressive.
Don't miss Phish's show next time around. It's a musical smorgasbord that will astound you.


Article © 1993 Grand Rapids Press

Open Your Eyes Tour

Date: Wednesday, November 05, 1997
City: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States Of America
Venue: Van Andel Arena
Capacity: 12,000

Lineup:
Jon Anderson (Vocals)
Steve Howe (Guitars)
Billy Sherwood (Guitars)
Chris Squire (Bass)
Alan White (Drums)
Igor Khoroshev (Keyboards)

Setlist:
Open Your Eyes Ambiance Track
Firebird Suite
Siberian Khatru
Rhythm Of Love
America
Open Your Eyes
And You And I
Heart Of The Sunrise
Ram/Masquerade/Clap
Leaves Of Green
Khoroshev Solo
Children Of Light
Long Distance Runaround/Whitefish/Alan White Solo/Ritual
Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Soon
The Revealing Science Of God
I've Seen All Good People
Roundabout
Starship Trooper