Rush return to Halifax Metro Centre
Posted Jul 12, 2013 08:42:38 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
After a 26-year absence, it’s the weekend Halifax fans of the band Rush have been waiting for.
The iconic Canadian Rockers return to the Metro Centre stage tonight.
Rush has the honour of being the Metro Centre’s first big rock concert in April 1978. They played here again in 1980, but like this weekend’s shows, it took a petition to get Rush to return to Halifax in 1987.
Eddie Duggan, 48, of Middle Sackville was at that show and has seen the band a number of times since then. Introduced to Rush by his older brother when he was just 11, Duggan says it’s pure musical talent that resonates with the band’s loyal fan base.
“100 per cent musicianship, because just the three of them make the greatest music you’d ever want to hear and it’s hard to believe it’s only just three of them,” said Duggan.
Atlantic Canada Rocks blogger Cole McLean started the “Rush the Hill” petition that brought the band back to the city this time.
McLean says part of the band’s appeal is that they’ve always been original.
“They’re just an incredible ban that got big by doing what they wanted and not listening to what the studios or MTV wanted to hear. They are their own band, always have been, always will be and their live shows are just unreal,” said McLean.
If they stick to the setlist they’ve been playing on this tour, fans can expect a three-hour show starting out with a few hits, and songs from Rush’s new album Clockwork Angels accompanied by a string ensemble. The show will end with an encore comprised mostly of material from the album 2112.
Friday night’s show was a sell out in less than 15 minutes, but there are still limited tickets available for Sunday’s concert.
