The Drummer, the Private Eye, and Me (Rush Fans Take Note)

Tell Us About Your Rides!

Postby Rick Lee » Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:17 am

Just found out the wife is going with me to Alb. tomorrow, which means I'm on my own for the Phoenix show (one Rush show per tour is enough for her) and thus I can ride the bike there. That should make parking and departure a little easier. My bike has some scars ("Scars of pleasure, Scars of pain") after this weekend. When I rode to the show in Holmdel, NJ last summer, I was directed by police to the backstage parking area. Some guy at the gate asked me if I was with the tour. I had to be honest and said no. I was then redirected - ha ha.

BTW, BLM is a client of mine and I know the local district boss, so I'm ok with them. Still, I don't think I broke any laws while there. Didn't fire my sidearm and I put my cigarette butt in the one toilet I found at a trail head.

Sounds a little cheesy here, but Neil's last book, Roadshow, is partially what got me back into riding. I had a Herkules when I lives in Germany in '91-'92. Saw Rush then in Cologne and Stuttgart too. But I sold the bike for a profit before I returned home to finish college. Anyway, about the day after I finished reading Roadshow, I was at a Porsche buddy's house, who wanted to test drive my car before shopping for his own. while shootin' it in his garage, I asked what was under that white sheet over there. It was a '71 R75/5. At that moment I said, "That's it! I'm getting one." A week later I had my license and a week after that I had an R1150R. Thanks for the inspiration, Neil!
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Postby tomman » Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:26 am

First and foremost, a big thanks goes to Mr. Foster for his own writing which inspired such a great song and also for his sharing this experience with everyone. THANK YOU, SIR!
===========

Well everyone, as a fellow rider (Yamaha sportbike), Rush fan, aspiring ADV rider, etc. I wanted to share with you all my excitement for Tuesday night's concert in Albuquerque. I am very fortunate to have won a 'Best Seat in the House' prize package that includes front row seats and some cool extras.

I'm a fan partly as the result of my older brother, Mo getting me into them when I was about 12 or 13 years old (I'm 34 now). I learned to play guitar to things like 'Exit: Stage Left' among other stuff. I've bought each of their albums/CDs & DVDs and I've read all Neil's books and shared the enjoyment of it all my brothers & wife. We've gone to every show within reach and made some great trips to catch others. This past July my wife & I decided to go out to Vega$ to see them play on our 5 year wedding anniversary.

When we heard they were adding another leg to the tour and swinging through Albuquerque, we grabbed 4 good tickets right away so my younger brother and his girlfriend could join my wife & I and things were all set until I found out late this past Friday night that I had won a prize package of some sort. Although vague, the message implied that I would get premium seats and some sort of backstage access. The suspense of not knowing much about it was killing me. It also meant I'd likely have 2 extra tickets to pass along, but I didn't know for sure. When I finally got in touch with them this morning they said it's not necessarily a meet-and-greet, but their tone indicated anything's possible. Although we would LOVE to meet any member(s) of the band, we certainly don't expect to and we're thrilled with everything nonetheless.

I got in touch with Mo to see if he could accompany me for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity since he was the original Rush fan in our family. My wife (the saint that she is) conceded that Mo should be given first opportunity to join me if possible. Unfortunately, he just started a new job and is unable to make it. I had also called my lifelong friend (and best man), Christian to see if he could swing out from his conference in Dallas to join us for the evening, but no dice.

So my wife and I are going to have some sort of catered private dinner backstage, then we'll take a tour of the backstage area. We'll also have front row seats, VIP club etc. What a difference from the (comparatively) nosebleed seats we had for the Vega$ show!

Needless to say, we're extremely excited to have this opportunity and I've seen to it that our original tickets have been passed on to people who will truly appreciate the show.

In any case, I hope to pass along that I'm not trying to boast, but rather share my excitement and enthusiasm with fellow riders/fans. I've often seen people at concerts in the premium seats who seem oblivious to the great artists & performances right in front of them. I have to admit that I sometimes felt they had more money than appreciation for where they were. I just wanted to let you all know that I promise to soak it all up and enjoy it just as much as any of you would. I also promise to play air guitar, air drums, air bass and keyboards (all while singing along). This time, some truly appreciative fans will be the recipients of this great experience that dumb luck brought us!

Sorry for rambling (and perhaps not making much sense), but for those who were able to stick with me to the end of this post - wish us luck!

Happy riding, everybody!
- Tom -
Last edited by tomman on Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:17 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Postby Rick Lee » Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:34 am

I've been to a Rush meet and greet. You'll enjoy it. Neil doesn't do them, but Geddy and Alex are pretty cool and you'll get some great photos. Pretty sure you'll see Michael there too. I've had front row a few times, twice for Rush and once for VH. It's awesome. My best friend, who played drums in my Rush cover band in college, can be seen on the cover of Roadshow. He had a connection at Red Rocks. I'm catching that show too in June, also with a connection, but I'm not expecting front row. If you see a blue 911 with VA plates tomorrow night, come by and ripcord a beer with me.
Rick Lee
 

Postby Rick Lee » Mon May 05, 2008 2:22 pm

So Tomman, how was it? I scored 8th row seats in front of Geddy's mic in the parking lot for $50 each. I think Neil was having an off night and Geddy totally stole the show. However, Neil certainly made up for it Thurs. here in Phoenix. It was the best I'd ever seen him play, he was really into it, grooving, making faces, smiling and crushing every song. I saw Michael running all over the place, but he wasn't close enough for me to go over and talk. The wife is taking me to Vegas this weekend for my b-day to see Rush again.

Rick Foster, come on out to AZ and ride with me. I even read on ADVRider that a neighbor of mine has a 650GS he loans out to visitors.
Rick Lee
 

Postby tomman » Wed May 07, 2008 11:47 am

We had a great time overall. We didn't get to meet any band members but the dinner was great and the tour of the stage & backstage was cool. We were taken on stage on Alex's side and we were able to check out Alex's guitars pretty close and walk right up behind Neil's beautiful drum kit. It was covered in a black shroud but the back was open. I have to say - the stage feels a lot smaller when you're up there than it looks from the audience. those propane burners are awful close to the guys, too.

The seats we had were good (right in front of Geddy), but it would have been cool to enjoy the show w/ my brother & his girlfriend, too. In any case, the guys we gave the tickets to were thrilled w/ the show and really appreciated being able to go. Needless to say, Rush played a great show yet again and the audience really seemed to be into it.

When we were first taken backstage, we were led by all the buses and I was able to check out Neil & Michael's bikes & bus/trailer. I noticed the same poster of a Ducati 996 hanging in the trailer that I've got in my office. There were hundreds of bumper stickers in there along w/ a bikini babe calendar, too. Dave's Harley was tied down in the trailer.

I did see Michael walking around a lot and he seemed to be showing a particular couple around. After the show, we waited around a little bit for traffic to thin out and ended up passing Neil's bus on the freeway as we headed home. I figured there were a couple of glasses of The Macallan being enjoyed right about then :^)
tomman
 

Postby Rick Lee » Mon May 12, 2008 2:25 am

Oh, I had the best seats yet at Mandalay Bay last night. I was in the second row in the section immediately behind the orch. pit. During the opening video Michael came out to lead an entourage to their seats, all of whom had the fancy VIP laminants. I caught the name on one, Cathy Rich. At the end of Neil's solo where there's a shot of Buddy Rich on the screen, she jumped up and down a lot. I thought she looked too young to be Buddy's daughter, but I looked at her MySpace page tonight and that was definitely her. I guess she got to hang with Neil too before the show. Some folks have all the luck.
Rick Lee
 

Postby Fast Eddie 1956 » Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:18 pm

Hey Rick, Rush is playing in Cincnnati on the 30th. Do you know if Neil would be interested in doing some nice roads in northern KY and Hocking Hills. I'd be gald to be a guide. Not looking for anything but a nice ride. Already have tickets to their concert.
Fast Eddie 1956
 

Postby JimVonBaden » Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:30 pm

Hi Rick,

Just read your BMW ON story! Great shots and story!

Jim :brow

PS Thanks for the blurb about my DVD! I hope Neil has a chance to get some use out of it! :D
Last edited by JimVonBaden on Mon Jun 30, 2008 3:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Yellowjacket » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:56 pm

+1. Rick: Your writing literally transport us with you on the ride. Thanks so much. I still can't imagine riding that fast over gravelly roads. I am glad you are ok. :lol:
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Postby Rick F. » Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:36 pm

JimVonBaden wrote:Hi Rick,

Just read your BMW ON story! Great shots and story!

Jim :brow

PS Thanks for the blurb about my DVD! I hope Neil has a chance to get some use out of it! :D

Jim,

Thanks--I was very pleased that BMW ON gave it 10 full pages and used almost all of the pictures. I'll ask Neil whether he's tried any other service jobs based on your DVD. He seemed hesitant about tackling a valve adjustment, but it's a lot more interesting than changing oil.

Rick F.
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Postby Rick F. » Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:40 pm

Yellowjacket wrote:+1. Rick: Your writing literally transport us with you on the ride. Thanks so much. I still can't imagine riding that fast over gravelly roads. I am glad you are ok. :lol:

YJ,

Thanks to you, too! I talked with a dirt-bike-riding friend after that trip, and he suggested gripping the tank with your knees when the going gets rough. That way, you tend to move together with the bike, rather than each going your own way (and making you feel much less in control). I've tried his advice, and it really does make a difference.

Still, I don't think I'll be attempting Neil's speed on dirt roads any time soon.

Rick F.
For all my tour articles, check out rsftripreporter.net.

2020 Mercedes-Benz SL550
2013 BMW 335i convertible (sold)
2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage (sold)
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2005 BMW R1200GS (retired)
2003 BMW F650CS (sold)
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Postby tytreat » Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:01 pm

So will there be a new ride story after this weekend????

Mayeb a BMWBWM Ride with Rush?
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Re: The Drummer, the Private Eye, and Me (Rush Fans Take Note)

Postby roadventure » Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:05 pm

Hey Rick,

I just finished reading your ride report about your ride with Neil, et al. Nicely written and illiustrated with photos. I was also glad to see that you did get a copy of GHOST RIDER after we talked about it at the motorcycle show. I also read ROAD SHOW and my wife, just yesterday, got me TRAVELING MUSIC for my birthday. I'll be getting into it soon!

Wow, what a great weekend! You got to meet up with Neil Peart and actually experience some of what we read about in his books.

I also had heard (from Jim Butt) a while back that you had gotten a 1200GS. From everything I have read it is a really good bike and I you seem to be enjoying it. I have gone through several bikes over the past couple of years. I rode my 2001 Venture, with Jim on his Victory, out west in July '06 and then I managed to wreck it in August '07. I was unhurt, but the bike was totaled. I sold my '00 Road Star in September '07 also and then bought a '05 Triumph Rocket III. I did a couple of trips on it and riding to an form work but found myself getting to comfortable on it. It is dangerously powerful and I would find myself accelerating through 90mph shortly after leaving a traffic light. I decided to sell it before I got in to trouble. I now have a '05 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe. It is very much like the Venture I had minus the fairing and trunk.

David Heverin
Bel Air, MD
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Re: The Drummer, the Private Eye, and Me (Rush Fans Take Note)

Postby Rick F. » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:44 pm

Dave,

Good to hear from you, especially since you missed our annual trip to the DC international bike show (by going to the NY one instead). It was a fantastic ride with Neil last year, and it came about in significant part because of your recommendation on Ghost Rider. Thanks! I, too, have since read Roadshow, and I enjoyed it a lot. His other books are on my "To Read" list.

As it happens, my follow-up ride with Neil this year didn't turn out quite as well. The saga is available at "No. 35," A Play in One Act.

So, can you join Jim and me at the DC show in January?

Rick F.
For all my tour articles, check out rsftripreporter.net.

2020 Mercedes-Benz SL550
2013 BMW 335i convertible (sold)
2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage (sold)
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Re: The Drummer, the Private Eye, and Me (Rush Fans Take Note)

Postby roadventure » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:57 pm

Rick F. wrote:Dave,

Good to hear from you, especially since you missed our annual trip to the DC international bike show (by going to the NY one instead). It was a fantastic ride with Neil last year, and it came about in significant part because of your recommendation on Ghost Rider. Thanks! I, too, have since read Roadshow, and I enjoyed it a lot. His other books are on my "To Read" list.

As it happens, my follow-up ride with Neil this year didn't turn out quite as well. The saga is available at "No. 35," A Play in One Act.

So, can you join Jim and me at the DC show in January?

Rick F.


Yeah, the New York show is really much better than the one in D.C. but it makes a long day. I'll get together with you all this year to go to D.C. if you plan on going. I could even drive this time since I bought a multi-seat vehicle recently (Toyota FJ Cruiser). :D

dave
bel air, md
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