Crescendo

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of their first album, Rush has released an EP of cover songs from their formative years and embarked on a world tour. The tour rolled into the Houston suburb of The Woodlands in mid-June, playing on a rainy, overcast day at the partially open air Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The stage setup was similar to the one on the Vapor Trails tour (documented on Rush In Rio) with the addition of a sandwich vending machine lined up alongside the washing machines on Lee's side of the drum kit. Every seat was filled and plastic-covered bodies covered the damp lawn all the way to the top of the hill as the show began with a video montage of the band's history broadcast onto the screen at the back of the stage. Actor Jerry Stiller appeared onscreen. Dressed in a Rush t-shirt and sitting in a room adorned with Rush posters, Stiller beckoned the band to the stage: "Come on, get on stage already, you guys! Come on, it's showtime!"

		30th ANNIVERSARY TOUR The Woodlands, TX June 19, 2004 Story by Ritchie Champagne

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of their first album, Rush has released an EP of cover songs from their formative years and embarked on a world tour. The tour rolled into the Houston suburb of The Woodlands in mid-June, playing on a rainy, overcast day at the partially open air Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The stage setup was similar to the one on the Vapor Trails tour (documented on Rush In Rio) with the addition of a sandwich vending machine lined up alongside the washing machines on Lee's side of the drum kit. Every seat was filled and plastic-covered bodies covered the damp lawn all the way to the top of the hill as the show began with a video montage of the band's history broadcast onto the screen at the back of the stage. Actor Jerry Stiller appeared onscreen. Dressed in a Rush t-shirt and sitting in a room adorned with Rush posters, Stiller beckoned the band to the stage: "Come on, get on stage already, you guys! Come on, it's showtime!"