And be quick about it

Rush may not have garnered the largest crowd at Bluesfest - I believe the honour went to Santana - but the trio's appearance was certainly one of the most-hyped. Since they're allegedly love-'em-or-hate-'em proposition, they're fun to write about and outdoor shows are something of a rarity for the combo. I have a minor-league admiration for the band so I figured I'd check out their first set of the evening. By the time I got to the main stage area the audience was quite large and the closest I could get was about level with the entryway near the museum. I have to say I admired their backdrop, which actually managed to give an impression you were watching the band itself more effectively than the usual jumbo-sized screens. The skit which kicked off the show was amusing and the stage's steampunk motif was kind of nifty. Since my photos are only really of the stage I'll keep things short.

Big Lee, and little Alex and Neil.



Top marks for use of splitscreen.



It was very effective.



And the overhead shot of Peart's kit was cool too.



And some final fretting.



So what did I do with the rest of the night? Well, there was also some John Hiatt and a bit of Levon Helm. Here's a few of his talented assistants.



The man himself, stage left.



Dirty action!



Brassy action!



Then I headed off to the Blacksheep Tent.

• Show reminder: Comeback Kid, Madball, A Wilhelm Scream, Living With Lions and Devil In Me rock Ritual; James and Blackburn Arms of the Girl and Life in 2D perform at Zaphod Beeblebrox; The O-Town Hoedown kicks off at the Rainbow with Lefty McRighty and The Shameless Bastards, Driftwood Singers and Ken Voita; The Murder Plans unleash their new CD at the Elmdale, alongside The Ornaments and The Darling Demaes.