RUSH - Working Man (Live in Cleveland) | Millennial Reacts 

Alex Lifeson is a criminally underrated guitarist.

The craziest part of this whole performance is they were 58 yrs old, performing for nearly 40yrs an this was the encore after a 3hr set… Simply the the best 3 musicians any fan could ask for

The studio version of working man is dramatically different than this epic Raggae/Ska version. Their catalog is incredibly diverse.

Having seen them 17 times over 5 decades, there is no better band live.

This was at the end of a 2 1/2 hour show and the guys are in their late 50's here. The last part they were playing was from Cygnus Book1 off of A Farewell to Kings and there is a second song on a different album that completes the storyline Cygnus book 2 off of Hemispheres. I think you would enjoy both. Also, Xanadu from Exit Stage Left 1981. YYZ live in Rio Digital Man from the Snakes and Arrows tour Natural Science from the Molson Amphitheatre Toronto Cheers 🇨🇦

Just 3 Canadian Guys in their late 50's showing today's youth how its done... 3 hours into their set.

This is what us older folks mean when we say a band is "going off" and we grew up seeing them do it live. Enjoying your reaction to the music from our youth.

You want to see their live impact? React to YYZ Live in Rio. The audience is in a frenzy and it’s pure perfection.

Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee playing like 2 kids in the garage ..... I love them so much 😍

That's we call around here, a face melter solo. By all 3 of them, playing at the same time, coming together in a convergence of epicness.

Not only the difference from studio to live performance, it's the difference of 30 years in between...

The last bit was a nod to Cygnus X1 from the Hemispheres album. Excellent track.

Hello, if you want to see Rush live and at their peak, watch Xanadu, Exit Stage Left live 1981. It's long but amazing.

This song is very significant to the band. Working Man broke the band in the States. A Cleveland DJ played the song and got the band started in the USA. I was lucky enough to see the band on that first US tour. The Working Man was kind of the high light of the show. They grew so much from those early hard rock days to become something more, but we all appreciate that damn song a lot.

That was perfect. She's commenting on the first solo, calling it the "greatest guitar solo", then, WHAM! gets hit with the second, even more searing, solo.

This is in Cleveland and I was there. Didn’t know they were filming until there. Amazing memories from that show.❤

I was at this show for free. Center. 1st half was Moving Pictures. Thanks Bruce for this jamming show.

Yup. Lee and Lifeson were 58 when they gave this performance, and Peart was 59. In hindsight, it’s miraculous that the guys actually had another two more tours in them (in support of 2012’s Clockwork Angels album, their 19th and last studio album) and 2015’s R40, which turned out to be the band’s last, as Peart was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in the autumn of 2016 (having already announced himself as retired a year earlier). This was one of the 8 (or so) Rush concerts I attended, starting in 1984, when I was 16 (and therefore old enough to drive 100km into Toronto to see them). I say ‘or so’ because my personal memory is as bad as my ability to hear the top third of the spectrum available to human (for an explanation of my hearing loss, see: Rush). As other fellow Rush devotees will likely recall, one of my greatest regrets was giving away my tickets to one of the two R40 shows in Toronto, because I had to attend a hearing in Singapore that week. And we didn’t event win that case!!!

Worlds greatest 3 piece ORCHESTRA😊 saw them 21 times, they are a LIVE BAND. ROCK ON.

This is the closing of two and a half hour show performed by guys in their late 50's. Recently they played this, part of 2112 and YYZed at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute after being on the shelf for seven years and nearly 70 years old. AND they don't do it at old man speed either.

And that is how you end a 3 hour concert. This is what 3 amazingly talented people look like when they somehow create a 3 way solo with all of them shredding at the same time. To really see Neal play you should watch his Drum Solo in Frankfurt live. It is more of a composition than a drum solo. Also as mentioned below YYZ in Rio and Xanadu ESL are great as well.

I'm Brazilian and I don't even know how I landed on your channel, but I can't stop watching your reactions to bands I've loved my whole life.

Seeing RUSH live will always put a smile on your face! Keep watching them!

Becky, thank you for the most on-point reaction to this live rendition of Working Man. Yes, mouth open, lack of words to describe their talent and energy. Thanks everyone of us watching this video. And you’re 100% correct, as usual, the chill part was a Reagge take on this song, and the end piece is a bit of one of another of their songs. Another 2 Rush songs to blow your mind again I can recommend: “YYZ” at Rio (Brazil), where everybody “sings along” this instrumental piece; and “Xanadu” from their concert tour “Exit…Stage Left”, where Rush is at the height of their musical power, and deliver a brilliant and unbelievable performance, with a sound that other bands cannot duplicate with double the number of musicians. Keep having fun, Becky!

Once in a lifetime band. Truly the best of the best. Best to ever do it.

You just watched three guys pushing 60 perform an encore after a three hour concert and shredding better than a five piece band half their age could. The reggae intro was just the boys having some fun the studio version is full on metal.

This was there breakthrough song, first released in 1974. This performance was from 2011, a mere 37 years later!

Enjoyed that for the second time Becky, for another Rush song take a look at YYZ live in Rio, you will be gobsmacked 🤯

Hard work....Tired....Energy....then put it in the perspective of being the LAST SONG of the LAST CONCERT of their LAST TOUR at their oldest as a band and then judge the energy put out by the best trio ever!

Neil Peart does an awesome live drum solo from Frankfurt Germany it is a must see . 🤘RUSH🤘 Smiles 😃 from Canada 🇨🇦

The last bit was from the song Cygnus X1, from their 1977 album Farewell to Kings. Working Man is from their 1st of 19 studio albums! So they have had 4 + decades to practice & re-arrange the song adding the reggae intro! Love this band!!!

Had the pleasure of seeing them live once about 16 years ago. Nothing like them.

😄 Your enthusiasm is terrific! "Subdivisions" should be next!🏆

finale to a 3 hour show with an 8 minute drum solo in middle and Alex has arthritus in his hands quite astounding

Remember: You are listening to 3 virtuoso's....each a master at his craft, and all in the same band, which is almost unheard of. And yes, it IS different from Tom Sawyer done at LeStudio....in that setting, what you watched & listened to was the actual recording that went on the "Moving Pictures" album. It was their favorite place to record. But this Working Man version is one of my favorite live performances.....what power!! And more RUSH!!! "Limelight", "Freewill", "La Villa Strangiato" are all great choices.

I live an hour from New Orleans. A lot of bands have N.O. As a tour stop. I got to see Rush twice in the early 90’s. Either 92 and 93 or 93 and 94. The second concert is still a little fuzzy. We all ate multiple hits of acid on the way down to UNO Lakefront Arena. Primes opened for them both times I believe. The first one about 30 friends from my hometown went. Me and the two guys that went with me were late leaving and when we got in and to our seats. Rush was just coming on stage. To me they were by far the best two concerts I attended. And I went to a bunch in N.O. And the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum. I got to go to some concerts at 8-10 years old with my older brother. My Mom and Grandma would get rooms and tickets and take us and his friends before he was old enough to drive. AC/DC, Van Halen, Queen, Ozzy 3 times. My brother got to see Black Sabbath also. We also went to Super Star Sunday in City Park in N.O. In 1982. I stayed outside with my Grandma though. My Mom took my brother in for a while and got us shirts and programs. It was Foreigner, Loverboy, Leroux and Ozzy on his Diary of a Madman tour. This was in August and Randy Rhoda’s had died in March that year. Bernie Torme was playing with Ozzy to finish the tour. Wish I still had those long sleeve concert shirts and the programs. Grandmas house Burnt down and all those programs from some of the best bands all lost.

The geekiest rock gods to ever grace (under pressure) a (exit) stage (left). To truly appreciate the mastery of Neil Peart, you should listen to his drum solo, Live In Frankfurt. Also, "Spirit of Radio", "The Pass", "The Trees", "Red Barchetta", "The Garden", "Closer to the Heart", "Roll the Bones" and so many more great songs to explore from their 40 year career.

One thing to understand about Rush is they purposely evolved their style over 40 years and 19 studio albums. The sound you hear will be reflective of the time period, so expect to be surprised, lol. This song was from their first album (1974), so very straightforward, Zeppelin-esque hard rock. The reggae bit at the start is just what you do to keep it fresh when you’ve been playing the song for nearly 40 years, lol. Try the song Freewill for some great lyrics and an incredible 3-way instrumental “solo”. Cheers!

You need to watch a drum solo of Neil Peart. I saw a quote once that said "Musicians use a metronome to keep time. A mertonome uses Neil Peart to keep time." LOL. Great reaction! I saw them live twice in the 90's. They are just awesome live.

Welcome to the Rush 'rabbit hole', where you will find a lot of great music from three humble, funny, and brilliant musicians. Another great live performance is a medley of songs from early albums that goes into 'Spirit of Radio'. You can find the video under 'Best Intro Ever'. After that, I would suggest 'Xanadu' from 'Exit: Stage Left', and the video for 'Subdivisions'. They have so many great songs that it really doesn't matter what you choose from then on. 'Red Barchetta', 'Limelight', 'Big Money', 'Closer To The Heart'...these are just a few of the other fantastic songs from the band. Glad to see so many people reacting to Rush, and finding out why Rush fans love them so much.

30 years had elapsed between the Tom Sawyer video & this live performance

It's ironic that you said that listening to them makes you feel cool, because they weren't the cool kids or the cool band, and a lot of their fans identified with them. Great reaction. They're my favorite band. Please do more.

This was from their, "we like Led Zepplin and want to sound like them" phase, before Neil joined the band. When they wrote this, they were just 3 kids just past high school age who had been playing together since intermediate school (age 13 or so). They finally got a record deal, and Working Man charted thanks to a Cleveland, Ohio DJ, and it was time for their first tour. Their drummer was in poor health, and they realized he might not survive a road trip (literally). Not wanting to kill their old friend, they explained to him why he had to leave, and started auditioning for a new drummer. This gangly guy from a suburb to the west of Toronto showed up. He always seemed to have his head in a book, but he was a really good drummer, so they hired him. That's how they met Neil. Their new drummer became their lyricist. That's not a joke. He really did read all the time and was full of words, really good words. They started moving in a little more progressive rock direction. They got to the point where they were told to go make an album, and this next one had better be good, or your contract is not going to be renewed. They figured, "Well, that's it. We're going to make one more album, it'll flop, and that's it for our music. We might as well make the album we really want to make, go out with a bang. Maybe we'll get lucky and someone will actually like it." So they wrote 2112, a science fiction rock opera that sprawled over a side and a half on an album. Totally out there and totally unlistenable, telling a tale of a time when priests of the Temples of Syrinx control all music, video, and expression, a tale of one man finding an ancient guitar in a cave and finding joy in learning how to play it. It was a huge hit. 30 years later, audiences were singing along to the instrumental parts (no, I am not making that up!) Rush was here to stay. They took prog farther and farther, probably culminating with La Villa Strangiata from their Hemispheres album (named for the two hemispheres of the brain). After that, they wanted their music to be more accessible. So, they incorporated synthesizers into their music, and ended up with hits like: Tom Sawyer Limelight The Spirit of the Radio Red Barchetta Free Will Subdivisions They never stopped changing and evolving, they never sold out, never got stale, always had something to say. There are songs about Tall Poppy Syndrome (The Trees), songs about the downside of immortality (Xanadu), about the Cold War (Distant Early Warning), about the restlessness of youth (Dreamline). There's what might be the best anti-suicide song ever written (The Pass). There's one about how extraordinary ordinary people are, and who our role models should be (Nobody's Hero). Near the end of their career, they produced their only real concept album, Clockwork Angels, and instead of being a dinosaur, it's a masterpiece. It has some of the heaviest stuff they've ever done (BU2B) as well as a poignant farewell to touring together, and in a larger sense, to life itself (The Garden). It's a deep, deep, deep dive. Do Pink Floyd Fridays if you must but find time to fit in a new Rush reaction from time to time, please. Oh, and there's a video of one of Mr. Peart's drum solos, live in Frankfurt...worth a look sometime. If I could pick any one from this list, I'd suggest either The Spirit of the Radio or maybe Red Barchetta. If you'd like to see one of their instrumentals, YYZ would be good. It's based on the Morse code identifier for the Toronto airport, and takes you on an imaginary journey through that airport.

You know, after all these years, I think this was the first time I saw Rush playing live. I know the song, but it was barely recognizable here, they made it so different.

Keep going Becky. Lots of great Rush songs to check out - Songs to check out: Fly By Night, Bastille Day, La Villa Strangiato, A Passage To Bangkok, Closer To The Heart, The Spirit of Radio, Freewill, Subdivisions, Red Barchetta, The Trees, 2112, YYZ, New World Man, Red Sector A.

Niel pert is hands down the best drummer I've ever seen. RIP NIEL!

The reggae vibe at the beginning was inspired by The Police, a group that influenced their early 1980s music. If you'd like to hear some more examples of that, I recommend Vital Signs from this same show, along with the following: The Spirit Of Radio, Toronto Downsview Park (2003) Digital Man New World Man Live In Rio Distant Early Warning Live In Rio The Enemy Within 🎤 🎹 🎸 🥁 🎸 🔥 🔥 🔥

One of the reasons they show "more talent" in this live show, it 4 decades later than the Tom Sawyer video you saw. Not to mention this was an encore after a 2 1/2 hour performance!

I highly recommend "Xanadu" (live from Exit Stage Left) to see just how many instruments they can play live on stage at one time in one song. For one thing, we're talking Neil playing more percussion instruments than there are in most symphonies. I also really love the official videos for "Suburbs" and "The Spirit of Radio".

Rush are Great at showing their sense of humour live , and love to improvise too

They did this for 40 years. Always at top level.

It doesn't get any better than RUSH.

Was lucky to see them in Toronto r40 tour it was unreal experience they filmed the tour that night went in reverse order new tunes to oldest songs and changed the stage they played for over 3 hours

Thanks Becky. That was indeed crazy cool. Yes lots more Rush please. If youre in a live kind of mood id suggest Xanadu or By-tor and the Snow Dog from Exit Stage Left. Or YYZ from Rush in Rio an instrumental with crazy cool audience participation. Have a lovely week ☺

Ha! I just caught that Alex did the studio ending of this song at the end there, just before Cygnus X1. Nice reaction. Thank you. Rush started off as a 70's hard rock band on their first record, which is where this song, Working Man, is from. They had a different drummer on that album. For the second album, they changed drummers by adding Neil who started writing lyrics that were, shall we say, much more cerebral than "I get home at five o'clock and take myself out an ice-cold beer" and they really changed their sound into more of a hard rock/prog direction. There were prog bands at the time (like Yes and Genesis) and there were harder rock bands out like (Led Zeppelin or The Who) but Rush kind of fused both prog and hard rock into their own sound. Honestly, over their careers, their "sound" is all over the place and if you listen to more of their albums, you can easily hear their "prog" phase or their "synth" phase. But it all still sounded like Rush and it's all good.

I've been fortunate to grow up in an area that is a huge concert destination. I've seen many live performances, and these guys are at the top of the list. Incredible live performers. You should check out any song on the Rush in Rio. You know the crowd is into it when they "sing" along to an instrumental. Take care ✌️

As I'm sure others have said. One of Canada's greatest Band of which their are at least 60 such great bands.

Great reaction. 3 virtuoso musicians in their 60's giving a memorable encore at the end of a 3 hour show.

So many cool live performances from Rush: YYZ in Rio, Xanadu from Exit...Stage Left, and one of my faves: Leave That Thing Alone from this same show.

Such a great band.

Neil is the "professor"as they called him, but...this waa off their first studio album that got heavy play on a clevland radio station. Original drummer on their first album was john rutsey. He ended up getting sick and couldnt tour, and didnt want to so they found neil and the rest is history.

Last part is their signature Cygnus X-1 outro.

Great reaction just tell you this with Rush expect the unexpected, three master musician who in one Dong changes the timming several times each one played a solo then return yo the song with any effort MASTERS. Great reaction Again

The most amazing guitar solo I've ever seen!

A comment I've not seen: Rush had a great monitor engineer! There is a discussion with him on one of the concert DVDs. Every bit as technical as the visuals of their shows!

Time for you to really get in to Rush...My first experiance with them was 1976, I was 16 years old and I heard a record called 2112 ,witch change my world so please look that one up So even in Sweden at that time we knew that good music is good music..good reaction keep it up!

Last comment I promise , but I had to say that this 3 man band was made up of the most gifted , talented , and exceptional musicans to ever walk the planet. (and you should also look up the video of La Villa Strangiato to be more amazed).

Absolutely loved your reaction, just oozed excitement… Hope you review Neil’s R30:drum solo . Your jaw will drop …❤❤❤

Working man was their first song to get airplay in the 70s

Ok sweetheart...rush best intro ever!! A bunch of partsbfrom their catalog!!

RUSH were 2 introverts and a class clown. This video was quite late in their career. It's definitely worth going back to much earlier performances, like La Villa Strangiato from 1978. That last bit was an excerpt from a tune off their 1977 album "A Farewell to Kings".

For three guys they really put the sound out!

And they are in their 60s rocking the hell out of that show! Now start reading the lyrics and appreciate how mind blowing Neil Peart’s thoughts combine with the mind blowing talent to make them THE greatest of all time. Careful you will spend weeks and days discovering their talent.

This live reggae beginning is them just screwing around and keeping it fresh for themselves. That ending was the main riff from another epic song Cygnus X-1 off of their excellent, earlier album, Hemispheres. They screw around sometimes and are also very well known for their sense of humor. They are 3 very silly men along with being phenomenal musicians.

Skilled Musicians they have not lost.

The reggae intro was something that they only did live. I have a friend who dislikes it, but I always liked it because it really allowed the song to punch when they changed back to rock. The studio version....it was on their first album, 1974...some of their songs were much better live than in studio, and Working Man is one of them for sure. To me, this is the best live version I have heard/seen. During the extended solo section, I look at that and feel like there's something very special and unique happening right there in that moment. The kicker bit at the end is a part of another of their songs, very seldom played, Cygnus X-1, Book II. Just a little teaser to end the show. The crazy part to me is that all three of them had that level of energy remaining after a three-hour show to play with such vibrance. You can see how spent Alex is as he takes off the guitar. I don't know how they did it, but I'm glad they did. Saw them live nearly 30 times, and miss being able to go to those shows so much. Really, really enjoyed your reaction. So many reaction-to-Rush vids seem very contrived, the comments are usually not very engaging - your reactions were sincere, well-spoken, and enjoyable. Really enjoyed it. Want a recommendation? Do a reaction video to any Rush song. Trust me.😀

I generally like their live performances over their studio versions.

They were the best band Ive ever seen live. Check out Xanadu from the 1981 Exit Stage Left tour to them all multi-tasking on multiple instruments and sound like six guys. Or, check out YYZ live in Rio if you want to hear 40,000 fans SING ALONG with an instrumental. Cheers!

I feel early on Rush was overlooked by so many other groups, but now they are looked at more than them groups ! Well us early Rush fans knew.

Hi Becky! Great reaction to one of my fav bands!! You will love the song Xanadu from Exit Stage Left. Live performance that is out of this world. Peace and love from NY, USA.

That last bit was a quick quote from their song Cygnus X1

Geddy was born "Gary' but his friends (probably Alex the guitarist there.....they've been friends since school...) imitated the way his Jewish mother pronounced it and he became Geddy. That bit at the end was a little bit of Cygnus X-1. Check out YYZ from their Live in Rio tour. YYZ is the Toronto Airport identification sign and they start it with Morse code.

What a terrific reaction. Thanks! Xanadu would be great.

It's such a pleasure to watch you DIG Rush, the way you are! You are very authentic, Becky, and I appreciate that so much! Rush...will take you on a journey. You will be constantly amazed and delighted at what you are going to discover with Rush. So, what is your next Rush song? Hmmm...I am guessing you should watch them play their big hit called "Spirit of Radio"! I would suggest you watch a lyric video and dig on the lyrics! Now, there is an "official" video which is a animated video. I'm not a huge fan of that video, but you may like it. That said, the song is totally amazing and fun, regardless of which video you watch! Hey, if you want to watch a live version of Spirit of Radio, you should see the one from the "Grace Under Pressure" tour, from 1984! It's awesome!! Keep going! You are such a dear lady!

One of the greatest Live offerings from a band ALL TIME … LONG LIVE RUSH.. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🤘🤘🤘

Becky. In case it hasn't been mentioned, that cool piece at the end of Working Man was one of the themes of the song Cygnus X-1. Check out anything on A Farewell to Kings and you'll be happy.

That look from Neil, around 6:08, in response whatever that is Alex is doing! 😂

Another great track, for sure, it was always fantastic live. Time for a RUSH epic I would say, how about Xanadu? Live video from their prime would fill the bill. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶

wow totally different version of the song

They are having FUN with the REGGAE

Love listening to her talk & loved her reaction to this one . . . Change my mind . . . And try the original studio version of this one sometime. It was the hit on their first album. Amazing best "Pagelike" guitar work ever . . .

The last bit, the coda.. is just a tiny bit from another one of their songs "Cygnus X-1". Such a tease.

Neil also wrote the lyrics. Most reactors have reacted to Neil's solo from Germany, I think you would enjoy it. Loved your reaction.

Legends, all three.

The Reggae part was a add on for the concert , This is three guys in their Fifties ending a three hour concert, Yes they are older here then the Tom Sawer video

6:12 is my favorite video-recorded rush moment ever.

Exceptionally talented artists as well as exceptional human beings. Welcome to the World of Rush! Look for the live version of Xanadu from the 1981's Exit...Stage Left.

Best band ever. Period. You should check Neil Peart’s solo from live in Frankfurt! Then Xanadu live, then every other live video they have😁 For their history check out Beyond the lighted stage. Parts of it still bring me to tears…then live in Rio to get the happy ending.

You MUST do a Neil Peart drum solo. This is Rush law.

I have 3 points I think you'll appreciate, though this is long enough after you posted the reaction that you likely won't ever see this comment... First, you mentioned that Geddy Lee looks different. The Tom Sawyer video you watched was made in 1981, when Rush had already been together 13 years (Neil Peart replaced drummer John Rutsey in 1974). This performance in Cleveland you watched was on April 15, 2011, *30 years* after the Tom Sawyer video. Geddy and Alex were both 57 years old at this concert and Neil was 58. It didn't slow them down any, and the set was more than 2-1/2 hours long. I love the part where Geddy is jumping up and down. Second, the delicate reggae-style opening was an interesting twist and maybe even sort of a joke by the band. The song Working Man was on Rush's very first album (1974, with original drummer John Rutsey) and it was a hard-driving rock song all the way through. Anyone who knew the original song and was not wised in about this version would be very surprised until the point of the song where they drop the reggae sound. Third, this concert was in Cleveland, which was the city that started Rush's career. Alex and Geddy were from Toronto and Neil was from Hamilton, Ontario (about 50 miles/80 km from Toronto), but it was one DJ at a radio station in Cleveland who liked the (original) song Working Man and started playing it regularly on the air in 1974, and that publicity eventually lead to Rush's success. The band has always acknowledged this and had a fondness for Cleveland. Rush performed more than 2000 concerts and more than 30 of those were in or near Cleveland. Rush's performance of this particular song at this particular location was always a special bond between the band and crowd.