a whole stadium’s worth of people
like it’s effortless. Classics like “Under
Pressure” manage to sound amazing
even with Mercury solo, no David
Bowie in sight. You can’t help but stare
in awe at a huge mass of thousands
waving their arms and singing along
to “Bohemain Rhapsody.” In terms of
quality songs and performances, this
one is hard to top.
RUSH IN RIO
Rush drummer Neil Peart hung up his
drum sticks when his wife and daughter
passed away within a year of each
other in 1997. It was nothing short of
a miracle that the band reunited five
years later to record and tour behind
its 2002 release Vapor Trails. The North
American tour was such a success
40
TONE TALK //
that their management decided to
close things out by finally accepting a
long-standing offer to play in Brazil,
a country known for its passionate
love of all things progressive rock.
Recorded on ancient equipment without
a soundcheck due to travel delays,
“Rush in Rio” sees the band going for
broke in front of 40,000 fans so loud
they literally couldn’t be mixed out. The
highlight is easily hearing the Brazilians
turn instrumentals like “YYZ” and “La
Villa Strangiato” into sing-along soccer
chants, and the opening sing-along to
“Tom Sawyer” is extra powerful from
a crowd whose native language isn’t
English. After overcoming so much
personal tragedy, “Rush In Rio” is a
satisfying victory lap for rock’s greatest
trio.
The 10 Best Concert Films Ever Made