Proud Dad moment. On this date 13 years ago I was in Cleveland, Ohio getting ready to see Rush on the Time Machine Tour. And while I'm always super-geeked up to see Rush live, there was an elevated level of geek-ness for one the following reasons:
- The Moving Pictures album would be played in its entirety for the first time live. - Material from the band's upcoming studio album Clockwork Angels would be played. - This tour was one of only three where the setlist was consistent throughout the entire tour (the others being the 1987 Hold Your Fire tour and the 2004 R30 30th Anniversary Tour. Shannon can verify this - I always tried to avoid any information about "the setlist". I wanted to be "surprised and delighted" on the night of concerts. I share this detail because if it only happened three times in 40 years worth of touring - that's pretty unique. - Sad note - this was the first Rush tour not to include any songs from Roll the Bones since that album release in 1991 (which this blog is named after!)
THE REASON: And one more noteworthy, critical callout: As a tribute to the city that first played their music on the radio, the Cleveland performance at Quicken Loans Arena on April 15, 2011 was recorded, filmed and released as a DVD, Blu-ray and double CD titled Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland. This is the first official full-length live performance filming of Rush in the United States.
I know you pretty much don't care about any of that. But I needed to share it for context.
Because it wasn't just Shannon and I at this concert. For the first time ever, Connor would be going with us. And since literally - read legally - Connor has Rush as one of his middle names - this was a big deal to dear old dad. And it was pure fate that it happened this way. For you see, Rush had already come through Columbus on this tour eight months earlier on Sunday, August 29th, 2010. We entertained taking Connor to that show but that was literally the night before his first day as a Freshman at Pickerington Central HS. So mom, and begrudgingly dad, decided that was a no-go. Believe it or not, Connor was a little pissed.
At the time of that August 2010 concert, if I recall correctly, the second leg of the tour in North America had not been announced yet. Even if I'm wrong about that, I know for a fact that the announcement of Rush recording the Cleveland show was not public yet.
So as fate would have it, Connor's first Rush concert was the first official full-length live performance filming of Rush in the United States. Pretty fucking awesome. Do you ever catch a glimpse of Larry, Shannon or Connor in the film? You'll have to watch and look!
Oh yeah - I almost forgot - tonight's song. I chose it because Rush played this song during the Time Machine Tour - and I don't think they ever played it live ever again. So another special thing I got to share with Connor.
The song itself holds a deep professional meaning to me. I've always proudly accepted my responsibility as a husband, father and provider - and took it all extremely seriously. As I grew in my corporate life, the line between work / life balance always tended to shift more to the "work" side - and it was this song that would help me reset. I never drifted far from my professional responsibilities because at the end of the day, that's how I provided for my family. But going too far, too fast in any one direction is never a good thing.
In a 1986 interview, Neil Peart said "Marathon is about the triumph of time and a kind of message to myself (because I think life is too short for all the things that I want to do), there's a self-admonition saying that life is long enough. You can do a lot - just don't burn yourself out too fast trying to do everything at once. "Marathon" is a song about individual goals and trying to achieve them. And it's also about the old Chinese proverb: 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
I had to include the lyrics. Hopefully someone someday can find the same inspiration that I did.
Music by Lee, Lifeson and Peart / Lyrics by Peart
It's not how fast you can go The force goes into the flow If you pick up the beat You can forget about the heat
More than just survival More than just a flash More than just a dotted line More than just a dash
It's a test of ultimate will The heartbreak climb uphill Got to pick up the pace If you want to stay in the race
More than just blind ambition More than simple greed More than just a finish line Must feed this burning need
In the long run
From first to last The peak is never passed Something always fires the light That gets in your eyes One moment's high And glory rolls on by Like a streak of lightning That flashes and fades In the summer sky
Your meters may overload You can rest at the side of the road You can miss a stride But nobody gets a free ride
More than high performance More than just a spark More than just the bottom line Or a lucky shot in the dark
In the long run
From first to last The peak is never passed Something always fires the light That gets in your eyes One moment's high And glory rolls on by Like a streak of lightning That flashes and fades In the summer sky
You can do a lot in a lifetime If you don't burn out too fast You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last
From first to last The peak is never passed Something always fires that light That gets in your eyes One moment's high And glory rolls on by Like a streak of lightning That flashes and fades In the summer sky
From first to last The peak is never passed Something always fires the light That gets in your eyes One moment's high And glory rolls on by Like a streak of lightning That flashes and fades In the summer sky...
Rest In Peace, Neil Peart - 09/12/1952 - 01/07/2020
Ghost of a Chance 