Rush in Cleveland

Today we fulfilled the primary purpose of the trip: to see the Canadian progressive rock trio Rush in concert in Cleveland.

Attending today's concert completed a simple plan conceived after the last show I attended in Toronto in 2010: to see Rush up close in Cleveland. Up close because at almost every rock concert I have attended the distance from my seat to the stage has been so great I needed binoculars to pick out the performers on stage. Next time I wanted to be able to see the musicians with the naked eye.

And in Cleveland because it is a sort of second hometown to Rush. A Cleveland DJ gave Rush their first major radio exposure in the US. I wanted to compare audience reaction and experience another city.

We succeeded on both counts: our seats were just two rows from the stage and the Cleveland crowd were clearly excited to be there.

Not sure when I will see Rush again, but for now, mission accomplished!

Taking pictures at rock concerts is generally tolerated but there are limits. Point and shoot cameras are ok but pro gear is not. Problem is, what constitutes 'pro' gear? My micro four thirds camera has interchangeable lenses and therefore fits the definition sometimes used by venues and their security. Rather than take the chance I left the camera behind and used my iPhone to take a few pictures during the show. I could have used the control and optical zoom of a real camera, but my primary purpose in being there was to enjoy the show. So I am satisfied with the few decent 'record' shots I was able to create.

This picture is a simple panorama created with the iPhone's native camera app and then cropped and sharpened in Snapseed on the iPhone.