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Sometimes when you’re young and foolish (and the statute of limitations has long gone by) you can do some stupid things. On November 26th, 1991 I did a lot of stupid things and went to a Rush concert.
Let’s just say I’m glad I’ve had plenty of opportunities to see the band again since.
Somebody named Andy Curran was already onstage when we got there. All I remember of his set was my friend vomiting as soon as we got to our floor seats and his girlfriend scuttling him away somewhere.
When the lights came up I stood and slowly scanned the packed venue. Unbeknownst to me my friend JP was sitting a few sections away. He swears I was staring right through him as he waved and screamed. And on I scanned.
Suddenly my reverie was broken. “‘Ey Todd,” I heard in a thick French accent, a finger tapping on my shoulder.
“Can’t wait to ‘ear Alex Lifeson play de guitar, ‘e’s so hamazing, eh?”
Oh no. I was frozen.
I slowly turned around and to my horror I came face to face with the goofy, eager smile of Widdley Mike, a part-time music student who had lived in my university residence the year before. He had somehow latched on to me when I met him and he was just such a tiring, trying individual to spend time with. He could barely speak English but when he did he was exclusively talking about guitar players, especially Rik Emmett. “‘E’s so hamazing!” he would say, shaking his head in wonder.
I hadn’t seen Widdley Mike in quite some time; in fact, I figured I was rid of him forever. And now here he was. I had no friends nor wits about me so I don’t know how I kept it together, but somehow I did. My friends returned, Widdley Mike made his way somewhere else, and soon enough the lights mercifully dimmed.
I have very wavy, fluid memories of the Rush concert. I certainly had a good time but I could have had just as much fun at a Pixar movie. The lights really grabbed my attention, whether I was looking at the stage or not. And when I did, I often couldn’t get it clear in my mind if the band was using stage-lifting hydraulics or not.
There was a drum solo. I know that for sure. Odds are I air-drummed, probably quite convincingly. Or so I’m sure I thought.
Todd Man Out 