With their successful Clockwork Angels tour well underway, Alex Lifeson of Rush recently told Guitar World magazine that things were not always so upbeat. When recalling the band’s Caress of Steel tour he said, “We were already extremely in debt, and it was just getting worse and worse. The crowds were getting smaller and there didn’t seem to be much interest in the album at the time. Everybody around was concerned about what the future was going to be. So there was a lot of reflection. I thought, Well, you know, I guess I could be a plumber again if I had to…”
The band persevered despite the dwindling support. Eventually, they struck a production deal with Mercury label and the band itself became “responsible for delivering the record, the artwork — everything — in its completed form. It was really up to us. But they [Mercury] did lament the fact that we seemed to no longer have the same interests as we had initially. And they were concerned about that. Of course they were concerned about that—they had invested a lot of money and time and effort in us. And they wanted only what was best for the band, which was for us to make them a lot of money! And that’s fine. They’re a business and that’s what they do. I get it. That’s okay. Truthfully, I think it lit a fire under us.”
The album delivered, of course, was the groundbreaking conceptual epic, 2112. Fans responded positively to the music and lyrics, garnering the band larger and larger audiences at time when the fate of the band was at stake. The rest is history.
Upcoming dates include the following. For a complete tour date listing, visit the Rush website.
23-Apr Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
26-Apr Ft. Lauderdale, FL BB&T Center
28-Apr Orlando, FL Amway Center
01-May Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
03-May Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
05-May Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
07-May Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
09-May Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
11-May Atlantic City, NJ Etess Arena
22-May Manchester, England Manchester Arena
24-May London, England The O2
26-May Birmingham, England LG Arena
28-May Sheffield, England Motorpoint Arena Sheffield
30-May Glasgow, Scotland SECC
02-Jun Amsterdam, Holland Ziggo Dome
04-Jun Cologne, Germany LANXESS arena
06-Jun Berlin, Germany o2 World
08-Jun Solvesborg, Sweden Sweden Rock festival
10-Jun Helsinki, Finland Hartwall Areena
21-Jun Hershey, PA Giant Center
23-Jun Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
25-Jun Saratoga, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
28-Jun Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
30-Jun Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
02-Jul Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
04-Jul Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
06-Jul Hamilton, ON Copps Coliseum
08-Jul Ottawa, ON Lebreton Flats