In the cutthroat music industry, thousands of bands each year will try to make it but only a few will survive long enough to become a success. It’s even rarer for a band to maintain that level of success and turn it into a long term career. So when a band stays together making music for forty years, it deserves some attention, especially if the band still has its lineup intact. The band in question is the Canadian rockers of Rush. Rush has accomplished all of the above and so much more. This type of longevity is a rarity in music today and something that very well may become a thing of the past. Add in the fact that the members of Rush actually get along with each other and that puts the band into a category all its own. What better way to pay homage to Rush than a movie chronicling their story and their final tour. Fathom Events presented “Rush:Time Stand Still,” as a one night only engagement at select theaters across the country.
The movie I attended was sold out and the theater was packed with Rush fans eager to see their heroes come to life on the silver screen. The main film was preceded by two shorter clips. The first one was an animated short that focused on the early days of drummer Neil Peart. It mentioned how Neil saw “The Gene Krupa Story” at age 13 and talked about his drumming hero, Keith Moon of The Who. Following that was “A Salute To Kings” which featured interviews with famous musicians who are fans of the band like Gene Simmons of KISS who referred to them as the Canadian Led Zeppelin. It also included many amusing anecdotes one of which, according to Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy, had Geddy Lee in a hotel room wearing a pink negligee and pigtails acting out a scene from “Leave It To Beaver.” The segment was exceptionally done and offered fans an insider’s view of the touring days of Rush.
Now it was time for the main event, “Time Stand Still.” The focus here was the band’s 40 year anniversary and the final tour including their thoughts and feelings on their decision to call it quits after all this time. The film opens with footage of trucks rolling down the highway and crews beginning to set up for the first stop of the tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The whole movie is interspersed with fantastic live clips from the tour and memories from the band. Throughout the film the physical demands of touring are brought into sharp focus when we learn of Alex Lifeson’s arthritis and the toll that drumming has taken on Neil’s body. The enemy is time as Rush decides this will be their final run. They are true masters of their craft and do not want to perform at anything less than their full capabilities.
Fans play a huge role in the success or failure of many bands including Rush and so it’s natural that the film devotes some time to their hardcore fans as it takes us to Rushcon and fans who came from around the world to see their favorite band just “one more time.” The entire tour was emotion filled allowing for those magical nights that seem like once in a lifetime performances. Rush, it’s crew and it’s fans are one big family and it was incredibly touching to hear and see their reactions during the tour. The film ends with the final show in Los Angeles as Neil comes out from behind his kit for the first time ever to stand arm in arm with Alex and Geddy as Geddy bids an emotional farewell to the crowd and the crew. As the credits roll, the camera shows the aftermath of the show from the fans’ perspective. There were a lot of tears but alos a lot of laughter and memories made that will be cherished for a lifetime.
“Time Stand Still” is more than just your standard concert film. It’s unique perspectives make it a must see for all Rush fans as well as all fans of rock and roll. As Alex Lifeson stated in the move, “It never feels like the right time to end.” Maybe we’ll get the chance to see Rush perform again one day. Until then, let “time stand still” and enjoy the memories.
We would like to thank Natalie Brainin from Concord Music Group for the tickets to review the film.
