Audio 18 September 1983 - Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York [Audience]

[Rush Archives]

Downloads:​

• Countdown
• Countdown PE *recommended*

Track Listing:​

01 - Intro​

02 - The Spirit Of Radio​

03 - Tom Sawyer​

04 - Freewill​

05 - Digital Man​

06 - Kid Gloves​

07 - Subdivisions​

08 - Vital Signs​

09 - Red Sector A​

10 - Closer To The Heart​

11 - The Analog Kid​

12 - The Body Electric​

13 - Broon's Bane​

14 - The Trees​

15 - Red Barchetta​

16 - The Weapon​

17 - New World Man​

18 - Limelight​

19 - Countdown​

20 - 2112: Overture / Temples Of Syrinx​

21 - Xanadu​

22 - La Villa Strangiato​

23 - In The Mood​

24 - YYZ​

25 - Drum Solo​

26 - YYZ (Reprise)​

Notes:​

• This is the first of five nights Rush played at Radio City Music Hall in 1983. This recording features early live versions of Kid Gloves, Red Sector A, and The Body Electric.
• Interesting to note, while Geddy sang the line "one likes to believe in the freedom of baseball" during nearly every North American show of the preceding Signals tour, he delivers the original lyrics "...freedom of music" for this performance. However, with the other two known recordings from this short warm-up tour, he returns to the "...freedom of baseball" line, which he did not continue into the Grace Under Pressure proper tour.

Preview:​

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[Dave]

This week at the gym I listened again to the available 1983 RCMH shows, and there’s some nuance to the first night’s performance (as captured on Countdown PE) I want to mention:

Neil’s opening hi-hat work and choruses on “Red Sector A” are vastly different than other nights. It’s almost like he revisited what he played night #1 and refined those parts, because subsequent nights sound a lot like the studio version. Sure, he still improvises during the breakdown (like Big Al, exploring before he will nail the solo in the studio) that leads into the stacatto “stand. up. straight.” but it’s really cool to a witness in “real-time” a professional tweak live performances for songs they hadn’t recorded yet.

Ged’s vocals on the same song (on all nights)—the way he sings the ends of the choruses is different and neat to hear. Makes you wonder what discussions they had upon returning to Le Studio and trying to work with their “producer” Hentor the Barbarian on the final product.

On “The Body Electric” the robot became an android, but the 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 chorus remained, thank goodness.

And I think the biggest differences of all are heard in the live, pre-studio version of “Kid Gloves,” which, thankfully, in 1983 still sounded like them channeling The Ramones.

 

[mjkinsey2112]

I sat first row first balcony center for this epic evening!

 

[Dave]

I sat first row first balcony center for this epic evening!

I was on the floor for the R30 shows, which was probably not as raucous as that opening night.

Do you live in New York? I live a short, pleasant walk from RCMH.

 

[CoS]

I was on the floor for the R30 shows, which was probably not as raucous as that opening night.

Do you live in New York? I live a short, pleasant walk from RCMH.

My friends hadn't converted me into a Rush fan yet, otherwise I would have been there with them in '83. I can't remember which of those RCMH gigs they went to. I did however see them at RCMH on the R30 tour - first night. I was in the front row of the 2nd mezzanine, about as centered you could get in the 2nd mezzanine because I was right next the mixing board. I actually sat right next to one of the guys who filmed the show - being one of the camera angles you see in the DVD that circulated for that show. You can all thank me for being careful not to bump into him or jump in front of the camera

 

[mjkinsey2112]

I was on the floor for the R30 shows, which was probably not as raucous as that opening night.

Do you live in New York? I live a short, pleasant walk from RCMH.

I'm a jersey boy.