The Countdown Begins
Posted by Steve Laser on 06/7/08 in Opinion, iPod
In approximately 60 hours I will see my favorite band of all time, Rush, perform at the United Center in Chicago. That will be the first of two shows I see. The next one is June 27th at Milwaukee Fest. I decided to use technology to prepare myself for the shows. Here’s how.
The first thing I did was download the new album, Snakes and Arrows. My favorite download site is mp3Fiesta.com. The music is often at a Bit Rate of 256 kbps or higher, as opposed to the normal 128, and even though they take up more drive space, the sound is far better. A 4 minute song will normally take up 1 MB per minute, but at the higher bit rate it might take up double the space. In addition, the music is DRM free, and iTunes will let me store mp3s instead of AAC files.
I listened to the album several times, then was curious to read online reviews of the show. After some searching, I found a cool Rush fan site and the show setlist at RushisaBand.com. After seeing the setlist, I realized I was missing several songs, so I downloaded all that I was missing. I then created a playlist on my iPod so I could get used to all the songs. Though I love Rush, they have hundreds of songs in their catalog, and I certainly am not familiar with all of them.
Rush music is not easily digestible. They are a talented power trio and their music is powerful, their lyrics complex, and their songs are longer than average. After listening in my car and my iPod, I decided I wanted the lyrics as well. I used iLyrics to download the lyrics quickly into iTunes. I also have found a great online site called Songfacts.com. It not only has the lyrics, but includes facts about the music, albums and groups, as well as user comments. Knowing about the song makes it more pleasurable to hear, and I really want to have a great time at the shows.
The highlight of the show will be to see my favorite drummer, Neil Pert, in action. He is considered by many to be the best.
All this prep is great, but when it comes to the show I know I won’t remember the song order, the lyrics and I won’t have a lighter b/c I don’t smoke. But I found a way to overcome all that. I’m bringing my iPod Classic.
This will allow me to keep track of the setlist, lyrics, and most importantly, it will provide a light source for showing my Rush Love!
You can also participate in other conversation in our active forums with 200,000 other Members. It only takes 2 minutes to 
More power to you!
I have nothing but respect for anyone who uses technology so artfully to take their obsessions into the rarified regions of multi-platform devotion that few mortals ever reach.
I did much the same with my Zune and a recent Joe Jackson gig.
Now, if I could only get Tom Sawyer out of my head….
Z