Close Encounters of the Rush Kind

Have you ever had an encounter with Rush? Ever met them or spotted them somewhere? If you have, e-mail me your encounter and I'll put it up here. I will gladly take pictures as well as text. So go ahead, send 'em in!


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Here are Carrie Eastwood's encounters:

Greetings from Toronto! Rush encounters, eh? (see, I really am Canadian). I have a couple. I am a big movie fan and go to see films a lot. Around 1990 (I think), I was coming out of a theatre in Toronto on Yonge St. (the name escapes me, because it's a dinner theatre now) and I saw Geddy in the line-up with his kid for the next show. I was going to stop, but I have heard him speak in interviews about how much he hates being bothered in public, so I gawked for a moment and carried on.

The next encounter isn't really an actual encounter but an encounter by association. I worked for many years at a record distributor with a guy by the name of Dan Birt who is the brother of Liam Birt (the guy that does everything on their tours). I tried a number of times to go back stage at a number of Toronto shows, but sadly Dan could never swing it. He did however manage to get one of my Rush biographies inscribed by Geddy personally which, of course, I still have and treasure.

Alex actually lives very close to me, but I've never seen him (I don't live in Toronto anymore, but about 50 km outside the city). So there you go. Oh, wait, I just thought of another one... (another encounter by association). A close friend of one of my best friends plays in a band called I Mother Earth and they opened for Rush on the Counterparts tour here and Alex worked with the band on his Victor cd.


Here is EbolaBoy99's encounter:

Some friends & I had the opportunity to say hi to [Geddy] as he emerged from the dressing room area when they were at the Dallas Co. Convention Center during the N. Amer. 2112 tour. What a *&^%ing show!!! Anyway, he turned to us and gave a look that said very plainly: "I hate you, and please die now!" We were all of 16yrs old, and were quite frankly crushed. We asked a group of the roadcrew where Alex and Neil were, and they said Neil was already in the immediate backstage area (there were two b.s.areas), and that Alex would be coming out to join them shortly.

So in spite of Geddy's obvious contempt we continued to loiter about - as if we belonged there - and sure enough, a few minutes later Alex emerged. We shouted "Hey Alex!" & began walking in his direction. He wheeled around, flashed that dazzlingly boyish grin of his, and waved a genuinely friendly wave. We stopped walking towards him and started running. With his hand still in the air, he gestured that he couldn't talk and had to get forward right then. Still smiling, he waved again and proceeded on his way. Needless to say we were ecstatic.

Forgotten was Geddy's rude snub, and dejection was replaced w/ sublime happiness. So we went to our seats - 4th. row floor just off cntr aisle - and saw the by far best show any of us had ever seen to that time. The raw emotional energy of 2112/overture & grand finale were two of the most powerful concert experiences I have EVER had, and easily rivaled the studio versions. I literally get goosebumps to this day when I remember that particuliar segment of that particuliar show. I don't generally live in the past, but for that memory, I WILL ALWAYS MAKE AN EXCEPTION.

P.S. I had to be in line for 4 days & 3 nights to get those tickets and was still 12th person. The first guy had been there for a full 7 days/nights and was interviewed by R.S. magazine the day before tickets went on sale :-)


Here is RushGoddess' first encounter (very long & detailed) (view the pictures here):

On May 27, 1999, Rush received their spot on the Canadian Walk Of Fame in Toronto. It had been rumoured that the entire band, plus John Rutsey, would be there. Well, Geddy and Alex were present, but, not surprisingly, Neil & John were not. While I was hoping for Neil to make an appearance, I wasn't expecting it, and it made sense that John Rutsey wasn't there; why would he be???

The day started off kind of hectic-ly (is that a word?). I went to school for my first class (8:15 a.m.) and then left at the end of the period (9:30 a.m.) to walk home for half an hour. I got home and my dad & I left for the GO train station -- we live in Mississauga, about 20 - 30 min. from T.O. -- around 10:20. We got to the station six minutes before the train arrived, and there were no parking spots. Anywhere. We finally managed to get a spot at the very back of the lot, as far away from the station as you could possibly get. We'd only made it across about two thirds of the parking lot when the train showed up. Since the trains only come once an hour, we had no choice but to drive into Toronto.

We arrived at Roy Thompson Hall (where the ceremony was taking place and where the Rush part of the Walk is) at about 11:15 a.m. (the ceremony was at noon). The entire section of the road in front of RTH was blocked off so the fans (of Rush & the other inductees) could stand around and watch, and there was already a fair sized crowd there. Rush was definitely the main attraction. By the time the ceremony began, Rush fans made up about 60 - 70% of the crowd. As well, during the ceremony, any time Rush or any of their accomplishments were mentioned, there was a whole lot of hooting & hollering going on ("nearly 40 million albums sold" and "in 1996 were awarded the Order Of Canada" [although it was in '97] got the biggest reactions). We got a pretty good front row spot along one of the fences nearest RTH, and then we waited. And waited. And waited. My dad & I took some shots of everyone setting up for the event to pass the time. Then we continued to wait. At about 11:53 the master of ceremonies came on to the stage and told us all that the ceremony was about to begin. He said that the inductees would be passing by in cars on his right and our left. While everyone tried to figure out which side that was, I realized it was the side opposite of where we were, and I raced over there to get a good spot (and I did: right against the fence). The cars came in, and I wasn't sure which one they were in, until my dad, who was saving my spot at the other fence, yelled, "They're in the grey car!!!" Pretty soon the grey car pulled up, and there was Alex! He started to roll his window up, and I yelled, "No! Don't roll it up!" So he said, "Okay," and rolled it back down :-) I took a picture of him, and then I realized that Geddy was sitting beside him (hey, he has brown hair, he was wearing dark glasses & black clothing, and that side of the car was dark. He blended in). So I got some great shots of the two of them in the car. Geddy kept looking at me like he found it interesting that I was there. Probably because I should have been in school :-) I caught up with the car again a little further ways down and took another pic or two, but then as it got closer to the stage I couldn't get near them anymore, so I returned to my spot on the other side of the street.

All of the inductees were called up on to the stage one by one, and my dad took a couple of pictures for me, seeing as how he's taller than me and could therefore see over everyone that I couldn't. Canada's Heritage Minister, Sheila Copps, came up and said a few words about how amazing all of the inductees are, and when talking about Frank Shuster her prompt sheets blew away while she was in mid-sentence, causing her to say, "... and the incredible Frank...... Shuster." :-) So Rush and The Incredible Frank got inducted :-)

Anyways... Rush were the last ones to be inducted, and they had the last space on the walk. While we got some good pictures of Geddy & Alex walking back & forth in front of us, we didn't get any pictures of them unveiling their star, for two reasons: A) every single person from the media were crowded around them with all of their equipment, and B) although Geddy & Alex made them all clear out so that the fans could get some pictures of them with the star (which I figured they were going to do, being the nice guys they are), there was no way in hell for me to get in there to get a picture, because all the other Rush fans had already crowded around that area.

Alex said some interesting stuff during the induction:

"Not since Peter Goddard wrote for The Toronto Star has there been such an opportunity for people to step all over us!" -- About the walk (to which a fan near me half-yelled, "The Star's still the same, Alex!")
"Alan Lifeberg?!?!? Greeeaaat...... I wish I could read upside down..." -- After the star was unveiled & he saw his signature upside down (he was standing at the top of the star).
"GO LEAFS GO!!! GO LEAFS GO!!! GO LEAFS GO!!! Go LEafS gO!!! GO leafS GO!!! gO LeAfS gO!!!" -- Said with a wavering voice while leaning over the star (saw it on TV). He either started saying it like that because no one was cheering with him or because he's just mental. I prefer to go with the second option :-)
"It's like a giant puck!" -- About the shape of the star.

He also said the obligatory stuff about being proud of the honour and of being Canadian and all that stuff, as did Geddy. Geddy thanked the fans and thanked everyone on behalf of Neil. After all that they all headed back to the stage area, and the ceremony ended. However, the majority of Rush fans stuck around, because at one point when they were in the car a guy pulled out his Moving Pictures vinyl and begged them to sign it. Geddy leaned forward and said something about the two of them doing autographs later (that's what I got from reading his lips; I couldn't hear him). There were about 5 of us standing together, talking about how we thought Neil was going to be there, and one guy said, "Yeah, and I heard that... that... ah, it's on the tip of my tongue... name of the other drummer...", and all at once everyone who was within earshot said "John Rutsey" at the exact same time. It was pretty funny! :-) Then my dad figured out that they weren't walking back and forth along the fence to do autographs as was originally thought; they were down by the stage doing autographs. So we raced down there and my dad shoved me into the mass of people in front of Geddy. Then he went off to try and take some close-up pictures of Geddy & Alex for me.

Now, I am not the tallest person, nor am I very strong, so people kept pushing in front of me and I couldn't get near Geddy, even though he was no more than two feet away from me. I sort of pushed my cover of Different Stages near him, but he didn't see it. Finally, just as the security people were about to take him inside, I got close enough for him to hear me going, "Please please please please PLEASE!!!!" (hey, I was panicking!). He turned around and looked at me (at which point I should have freaked out but for some reason I didn't), and I handed him the CD cover. I clasped my hands under my chin, looked at him with puppy dog eyes, and started begging: "Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease... PUH-LEEZE!?!?!?" He grinned at me, signed my CD cover, handed it back to me and started being dragged away by the security people again. YES!!!! :-) I climbed out of that crowd and dove into the one around Alex. I had to force my way over to him, too, and I almost didn't get his autograph. I ended up standing right behind him (when I say this I mean right behind him; had I been any closer my nose would've been touching his back), and I was doing the "please" thing again, plus saying his name periodically, but he could not hear me. I was holding my CD cover right next to his face, and he couldn't see it. I managed to squeeze up a little closer to him, except that I was now directly beside him, and he still couldn't hear or see me. While I was there I was thinking, "I'm... standing right beside... Alex Lifeson!", and yet I did not freak out or get nervous or anything. While I waited to try and attract his attention, he was having some interesting conversations about pens:

ALEX: "Who's pen is this?" (holding up a pen that he suddenly found himself holding)
FAN: "Hey, it's yours, now!"
ALEX (to a different fan while holding up a blue Sharpie with the lid bent like a hand rest or something): "That's kind of a neat thing you've got going on here!"
FAN: "You can keep it if you want!" (I think Alex gave him back the pen).

Anyways, I was standing there, still trying to give Alex my CD cover, and I accidentally bumped my hand against his shoulder (lightly). I was about to move my hand away, when I thought, "Wait a minute -- I'm touching Alex Lifeson. Why on earth would I want to move my hand???" So I just kept it there :-) Finally, just as Alex was being taken inside by the security guards, he quickly took my CD cover from me, signed it and sort of tossed it back at me as he got dragged off. YES AGAIN!!!! :-)

Oh, and for those who care (I'm probably the only one, but oh well): Geddy is as short as he appears, and Alex isn't as tall as he appears. I'm 5'6", and Geddy was only an inch or two taller than me, and Alex was only about an inch or so taller than him. As well, Alex has started growing his hair out again. There's enough there now that it actually moves when he does! Shock! This is a very good thing, for me at least. Also, Geddy still hasn't gotten rid of that rodent -- er, goatee on his chin.

So I had a very good day! :-)

View the pictures here!


Here is Cygnus's encounter:

O.K I have had my toke and Hemispheres is where it should always be. ON!!!!! I have been listening to Rush since I was 8. It took a few years, almost another 8, to finally see them live. It has been another story since, I have not missed a tour since Power Windows, seeing them at least twice sometimes three times on every tour.

I had no idea when I got on the train to Penn Station in the winter of '87, but that night would turn out to be a life altering experience. If you have never been to Madison Square Garden let me tell you, getting backstage w/o a pass was not an easy task.

I knew a "mall rat" who did nothing but collect disability and go to concerts. He told me a way to get backstage by getting by 1 security guard. Another task not easily accomplished-I had to go down four levels of spiral stairs. (At a fast pace) Plus he mentioned "The door might be locked-but if it's not you are one security guard away. Needless to say I did not have that much confidence in getting backstage.

I went to the Hold Your Fire show w/ a few friends and saw yet another great performance by the Masters. After the show one of my friends bailed, he did not have much confidence either. (his loss) My other friend and I did as I described above, and low and behold-the door was open. We went in about five feet and there was Mr. Security Guard. What the mall rat forgot to tell me was that we would have to run half way around the arena. "Hey You Guys,STOP!!!" I don't think so-we took off, and managed to out run him. Holy S**T Batman, we are backstage. Of course we were in this huge area while the boys were in the dressing room.

We were offered drinks and food, but we wanted to keep a low profile. I don't know how long we waited, next thing I know someone bumps into me hard. I turn around, and there in front of me stands a God! Mr. Lee if you please! My heart stopped and I was completely star struck. Once my speech returned we talked about the show for a few minutes, he signed my program, I asked if they would ever play Circumstances, I think he said good luck as he turned and walked away. Unfortunatley right after that,the same guy that offered us drinks, asked for our passes. I made a valiant effort, saying you just saw me talking to Ged, he is getting our passes. No such luck-we got the boot.

I never did get to meet Alex or Neil, but did talk to Geddy again outside while in his limo. No I was not in the limo! I apologize for the length of this story, but you know how it is when you get started on your favorite subject. Rush has had such a major impact on my life. My thoughts, imagination, experiences and a few morals as well. I love them all, and meeting Geddy and shaking his hand were an honor I will never forget. Even though I had to sneak backstage.


Here is Richard LeSchander's encounter:

I've got my own RUSH story, which will definitely bring the lyrics of Limelight to mind.

In March of 1992, while studying abroad in Germany, I was determined to catch the European leg of the Roll the Bones tour. A friend and I met in Cologne for the show at the Kln-Deutz Sporthalle. We were there in the afternoon and hanging around the loading bays, watching the crew move the bands' (Rush and Primus) equipment in. There were only about three other kids besides us, when up drove a Mercedes station wagon. It pulled right up next to us and out of the passenger's seat climbed Neil himself. He was real tall, wearing a baseball hat and carrying a duffel bag. When some kids started asking him to come over for autographs, he just smirked and walked inside the arena with his driver. It probably wouldn't have killed him to say hello to a mere five fans in an otherwise empty parking lot. But then he probably puts up with a lot more than I saw that day. Anyway, we got front row that night - Germany still has general admission - and it was a great show.

So I decided I had to catch another show. It was a week later and this time in Stuttgart, about 2 hours south of where I was living in Trier. Having seen a lot of the crew and their all access laminants in Cologne, I decided to make my own and see how far I could get in Stuttgart. Security is nothing in Germany, as Rush is mostly a cult band and the audience seemed to be Canadian, British and American students and soldiers. So I took the jacket of the Roll the Bones cassette and put it in one of those plastic sheaths the Germans always use for their train and bus passes, bought a lanyard and wore it around my neck when I got to the Schleyerhalle in Stuttgart. This time I walked through the parking lot and right into the arena. I think acting like I belonged there and speaking perfect German may have helped too. But I went to the floor area and there they were. Rush were in their street clothes, jamming on the stage, as the crew were moving Primus' gear around, synchronizing the video screen backdrop and tossing a Frisbee around such a huge, empty place. There were no chairs on the floor section.

I stood there and awe, as I watched them bang out four or so tunes. I remember Force Ten, Roll the Bones, Bravado and Dreamline for sure. They actually played Anthem in the concert that night. Then they milled around for a minute and disappeared behind the stage. All the while, no one asked me for any id or what I was doing. The closest I came was when a crew member asked me to move to one side or the other, but to not stand in the middle.

So I decided to really push my luck and try to meet the guys. Hell, why not? There was no security and everyone seemed pretty laid back. So I worked my way through the labyrinth hallways and saw a bunch of caterers and crew. I hadn't heard so much English spoken in several months, so it almost felt like home again. There in the last room on the left, with the door wide open, were Geddy, Neil and Alex - just chillin' in a little room. I got a good look before Geddy saw me. Alex was eating something and Neil was sitting cross-legged on the floor assembling a compound bow - perhaps the one seen in the Counterparts jacket. And Geddy was shuffling some papers on a desk. He was closest to the door. So I took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. I introduced myself, said I was a guitarist and huge fan and then asked if I could get my picture taken with them. Geddy seemed to be in disbelief as he tersely said, "No, you can't. This is private. How did you get in here? Is there no fucking security around here?!" With that I looked over at Neil and Alex and said, "I'm really sorry for bothering you guys." They both nodded and I hightailed it out of there. Geddy certainly didn't "pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend." By the time I made it to the parking lot, there were people following me out.

I was really crushed and almost felt like heading home and just skipping the concert. I know it was my own fault, but my luck in bypassing the security just emboldened me see how far I could really get. That sort of stuff probably strikes fear into the hearts of most celebrities, but I certainly didn't want to cause any trouble. Anyway, I made it to the show and got front row again, since I was there so early and had nothing better to do than just hold my spot in front of the stage. I guess every Rush fan who gets up front at a concert likes to think that one of the guys is making eye contact with him. When Geddy came out and saw me right there again, I'm pretty sure he was making eye contact. He gave me a disgusted look and seemed to make an effort to not look at me again, though he was rarely more than 5 feet from me for the entire show. When I got back to Trier I told all my American friends what had happened. Bob, who had seen them with me in Cologne, was glad he didn't come to Stuttgart with me.

So here's the happy ending.

Two years later on the Counterparts tour, a friend from college was by then working at Madison Square Garden. She promised my bandmates and me she would try to hook us up with good tickets and meet & greet passes. So we all drove in my van from Pittsburgh to NYC. Our seats were awesome - the show was great. I mean c'mon - they played Hemispheres. But there were no passes to be had. Rush had a few more nights scheduled at MSG, but we split up in NYC and my drummer came back to my parents' house with me in NJ. But the next morning our friend at the Garden called up and said she had just landed Atlantic Records as one of her clients and had gotten two meet & greet passes for that night's show. She already worked there, so the passes were for us. So we drove back to MSG in the sleet and snow, saw the show again and headed backstage for the meeting of a lifetime - this time with real backstage passes. Anyone who's been to a meet & greet, knows it's a total cattle call, where you stand around in a non-descript holding room and wait for your heroes to come through the receiving line. I knew Neil no longer attended these gatherings, but Geddy and Alex came in larger than life and worked the room. They were real friendly - Alex more so than Geddy, but both were in high spirits. I reminded Geddy of our first meeting in Germany, apologized and said I was glad to meet him again under better circumstances. He didn't seem to remember, but he put his hand on my shoulder and said fecitiously, "You're forgiven." So we got our CD's signed, pictures taken and headed back home -- walking on air. I had closure at last.


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