Rush - "Time Stand Still"

 

We saw Rush in concert earlier this week, catching the first of their two stops in DC.  It was basically a year ago that Rush announced they'd be doing a limited tour for the first time since long before Neil Peart, drummer extraordinaire, died in 2020.  I'll admit that I was skeptical when I first heard they'd be touring again, with Anika Nilles filling in for Neil, but when both Drew and Hillary were blowing up my phone in separate threads about seeing the show, I was in.  The tour was originally going to be a limited number of cities (7?), but the demand was so high that they extended.  At first we had tickets to see them in Chicago in July, but when DC shows were announced for October, I sold the Chicago tickets and got DC tickets.  

They put on a great show, and Anika filled in admirably.  With a 20 minute intermission, the show was over 3 hours long, so we definitely got our money's worth. The setlist varies some from show to show, but I was very happy that my three favorite songs made the cut: "Limelight", "Spirit of the Radio", and "Subdivisions".  But I'm choosing to mark this concert* with 1987's "Time Stand Still", from the LP "Hold Your Fire".

I had forgotten all about "Time Stand Still", so it was a pleasant surprise.  But the biggest surprise was a video showing Aimee Mann singing co-lead vocals on the song, something I did not realize back in 1987.  She wasn't there in person, but they recorded a video of her singing her part for the tour.  I looked up the video on YouTube, and I don't remember it from MTV either.  It's actually not good, with modish late 80s special effects distracting from the song, but Aimee features prominently in the video, so I should have known this back in 1987.  And as far as the studio version of the song, Alex Lifeson's guitar sound is also modishly a little too jangly, REM-ish for my taste.  But the song is great, and Neil and Geddy Lee sound superb.  Danette and I had talked about how cool it was that Rush had chosen a woman for Neil's replacement, but it took me nearly 40 years to realize they had already opened the boy's club that is Rush with Aimee (who is a complete badass, btw).  

So while "Time Stand Still" is not necessarily in my, say, top 5 Rush songs, it's still quite good, and the collaboration with Aimee Mann was a pleasant surprise.   I was happy to get the chance to see them, even without Neil; Danette saw Rush back in 1989, and I know Drew saw them back in the day as well (not sure about Hillary).

Freeze this moment

A little bit longer

Make each sensation

A little bit stronger

Experience slips away…

Rush - "Time Stand Still" 

* Fun story: Drew got his tickets later and could only get nosebleed seats (we couldn't get tickets together).  Right as the show is about to start, a roadie for the band sees them and gives them free upgrades to the center floor, 16 rows back.  Talk about an upgrade! We're taking the boys with us to all future shows ;-)