Presto tour explained

Concert Tour Name:Presto Tour
Location:North America
Album:Presto
Start Date:February 17, 1990
End Date:June 29, 1990
Number Of Shows:63
Last Tour:Hold Your Fire Tour
(1987–1988)
This Tour:Presto Tour
(1990)
Next Tour:Roll the Bones Tour
(1991–1992)

The Presto Tour was a concert tour by Canadian rock band Rush in support of their thirteenth studio album Presto.

Background

The tour started on February 17, 1990 at Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina[1] and concluded on June 29, 1990 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California, having performed to more than 650,000 fans. Opening bands that premiered in the tour included Mr. Big, Chalk Circle and Voivod. The stage production for each of the shows were presented with elements of the Presto cover art, which had featured lasers and Vari-Lites that were dropped from trusses on extensions as well as two giant inflatable rabbits, two sets of rear PA speakers on the back end of the stage floor to represent a quadrophonic effect on the sound which was engineered by Robert Scoville,[2] and a projection screen that displayed video sequences and retro films throughout the performance. When the band performed in Toronto for two shows in May 1990, both shows had raised $200,000 for United Way for the demands on the band for complimentary tickets.

Reception

Michael Hochanadel from the Daily Gazette opened his review stating that the visuals made the Rush concert at the Knickerbocker Arena on June 2, 1990, one of the biggest, brightest and overwhelming rock spectacles - with effects representing a 1970s arena rock throwback with the usage of lasers and haze. While criticizing the music's lyrics as being sometimes preachy, he stated that they were at the same time, anthemic and tackled subjects in a fairly obvious way, but added that they needed something to keep their songs from sounding too alike. Praising Lee's vocals, Hochanadel affirmed that his voice gave the songs emotion that the lyrics did not always earn.[2]

Reviewing the Pittsburgh performance on June 7, 1990, Janice Haidet of The Vindicator stated that the band put a huge reliance on talent from the instruments they were using, treating a crowded arena of fans to a "searing rock and roll feast". Haidet noted that the band kept the audience standing on their seats with fists raised in time with the music, and Geddy Lee delivering extraordinary vocals that were presented by a balanced and clear sound mix - also noting the show as one of the best light shows in rock music, although outdone by Genesis and Pink Floyd.[3] Peter B. King from the Pittsburgh Press who was in attendance at the same show that night, stated that the band had offered some of the best visuals seen at a rock concert, and expressed that Rush had delivered an intelligent, distinctive brand of "art rock".[4]

Set list

This is an example set list adapted from Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth – The Official Touring History of what were performed during the tour, but may not represent the majority of the shows.

  1. "Force Ten"
  2. "Freewill"
  3. "Distant Early Warning"
  4. "Time Stand Still"
  5. "Subdivisions"
  6. "Marathon"
  7. "Red Barchetta"
  8. "Superconductor"
  9. "Show Don't Tell"
  10. "The Pass"
  11. "Closer to the Heart"
  12. "Manhattan Project"
  13. "Xanadu"
  14. "YYZ"
  15. "The Rhythm Method" (Neil Peart drum solo)
  16. "Scars"
  17. "War Paint"
  18. "Mission"
  19. "Tom Sawyer"
Encore
  1. "The Big Money"
  2. "2112: Overture"
  3. "La Villa Strangiato"
  4. "In the Mood"
  5. "Wipeout!"

Tour dates

Date[5] CityCountryVenue
February 17, 1990GreenvilleUnited StatesGreenville Memorial Auditorium
February 19, 1990JacksonvilleJacksonville Memorial Coliseum
February 20, 1990St. PetersburgBayfront Center
February 22, 1990MiamiMiami Arena
February 23, 1990OrlandoOrlando Arena
February 25, 1990New OrleansLakefront Arena
February 26, 1990HoustonThe Summit
February 28, 1990San AntonioConvention Center Arena
March 1, 1990DallasReunion Arena
March 3, 1990Kansas CityKemper Arena
March 5, 1990St. LouisSt. Louis Arena
March 6, 1990CincinnatiRiverfront Coliseum
March 8, 1990Auburn HillsThe Palace of Auburn Hills
March 9, 1990
March 20, 1990EdmontonCanadaNorthlands Coliseum
March 21, 1990CalgaryScotiabank Saddledome
March 23, 1990VancouverPacific Coliseum
March 24, 1990PortlandUnited StatesVeterans Memorial Coliseum
March 26, 1990SeattleSeattle Center Coliseum
March 28, 1990SacramentoARCO Arena
March 30, 1990OaklandOakland Coliseum
March 31, 1990
April 2, 1990InglewoodGreat Western Forum
April 3, 1990
April 5, 1990San DiegoSan Diego Sports Arena
April 7, 1990Costa MesaPacific Amphitheatre
April 8, 1990PhoenixArizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
April 20, 1990East RutherfordBrendan Byrne Arena
April 22, 1990UniondaleNassau Coliseum
April 24, 1990PhiladelphiaThe Spectrum
April 25, 1990East RutherfordBrendan Byrne Arena
April 27, 1990PhiladelphiaThe Spectrum
April 28, 1990RochesterWar Memorial Auditorium
May 1, 1990AtlantaThe Omni
May 2, 1990CharlotteCharlotte Coliseum
May 4, 1990RichmondRichmond Coliseum
May 5, 1990LargoCapital Centre
May 7, 1990ProvidenceCivic Center
May 8, 1990HartfordHartford Civic Center
May 10, 1990WorcesterThe Centrum
May 11, 1990
May 13, 1990Quebec CityCanadaColisée Quebec City
May 14, 1990MontrealMontreal Forum
May 16, 1990TorontoMaple Leaf Gardens
May 17, 1990
June 2, 1990AlbanyUnited StatesKnickerbocker Arena
June 4, 1990BaltimoreBaltimore Arena
June 5, 1990HamptonHampton Coliseum
June 7, 1990PittsburghCivic Arena
June 8, 1990RichfieldRichfield Coliseum
June 10, 1990Cuyahoga FallsBlossom Music Center
June 11, 1990CincinnatiRiverbend Music Center
June 13, 1990ColumbusCooper Stadium
June 14, 1990NoblesvilleDeer Creek Music Center
June 16, 1990East TroyAlpine Valley Music Theatre
June 17, 1990
June 19, 1990BloomingtonMet Center
June 20, 1990OmahaOmaha Civic Auditorium
June 22, 1990EnglewoodFiddler's Green Amphitheatre
June 24, 1990Salt Lake CitySalt Palace
June 26, 1990SacramentoCal Expo Amphitheatre
June 27, 1990Mountain ViewShoreline Amphitheatre
June 29, 1990Irvine

Personnel

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. News: Little . Michelle . Rush starts jamming and presto: A concert . May 11, 2023 . Herald-Journal . February 16, 1990 . Spartanburg, South Carolina . B11 . en.
  2. News: Hochanadel . Michael . Rush Serves Up Spectacular Show . May 11, 2023 . The Daily Gazette . June 4, 1990 . Albany, New York . B8 . en.
  3. News: Haidat . Janice . Rush uses its talent to electrify concert . May 6, 2023 . The Vindicator . June 8, 1990 . Youngstown, Ohio . 24 . en.
  4. News: King . Peter B. . Rush lights up Civic Arena with art-rock display, visual explosion . May 11, 2023 . 345 . The Pittsburgh Press . June 8, 1990 . Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . C3 . en.
  5. Web site: Presto Tour . Rush.com . 6 April 2023 . en-CA.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Presto tour".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.