Rush took the stage for its 2007 tour opener to the familiar intro of “Limelight,” the same Rush of the past thirty-plus years: singer/bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and, idol for decades of headphone-wearing air drummers everywhere, Neil Peart. A terrific song for all but the most hopelessly cynical, “Limelight” sports a sturdy, expressive riff, cool (if somewhat navel-gazing) lyrics, and surprisingly textured interplay between three world-class musicians. One may wonder, after untold hundreds or thousands of times, if playing “Limelight” will ever get boring for Rush, but judging by the exuberance with which they pounced on this version, tonight wasn’t that night. And from the enthusiastic reaction of the respectable Hi-Fi Buys audience, the experience of hearing the song has aged well, too.

Rarely garnering more than lukewarm press while building a cultishly devoted fanbase—imagine much of the audience in a pre-show debate over which tour T-shirt to wear, “2112” or “Test For Echo”—Rush has long been a rather fascinating rock ‘n’ roll case study. A track record of skillfully blending prog-rock pomposity with accessible anthems (a la “Limelight”) has resulted in the ability to book amphitheaters long after the Blue Oyster Cults and ELPs of the world have largely faded away or slunk off to the state-fair circuit. But unlike the band’s anniversary tour of a couple summers past, this was no mere greatest-hits revue, with a healthy slice of the two-set playlist devoted to their new Snakes and Arrows disc.

No worries—the new stuff (particularly “Workin’ Them Angels” and “Malignant Narcissism”) blended quite smoothly with chestnuts like “Circumstances” and “Witch Hunt.” And of course Rush knows a thing or two about pleasing crowds, so they also delivered a most excellent “Freewill,” complete with the traditional Lifeson and Lee mid-song jam, a seven-minute drum interlude from Peart, and the closing one-two of “Spirit of Radio” and “Tom Sawyer,” all served up with razor-sharp chops, coolly inscrutable video, lasers, and enough lighting to restage the climax of Close Encounters. A neat recreation of a 1970’s summer-vacation night, it was perhaps a bit pricey for the casual fan, but indispensable for the still-impressive ranks of the faithful.

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