Test for Echo Tour


The Test for Echo Tour was a concert tour by Canadian rock band Rush in support of their sixteenth studio album Test for Echo.

Background

It was the band's first tour with no opening act, and was billed as "An Evening With Rush". The tour kicked off on October 19, 1996, at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York and culminated on July 4, 1997, at the Corel Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. This was the only concert tour in which Rush played the song "2112" in its entirety. During the tour, the band had included live camera footage, video, lasers and strobes as part of their sets. This marked the last tour until 2002 because of tragedies in Neil Peart's life. Recordings from the tour were released on the 1998 live album Different Stages.

Reception

On the opening night of the tour in Albany's Knickerbocker Arena, Michael Lisi from The Sunday Gazette wrote that the band had shown that practice makes perfect, when the band performed with a visual and aural attack which kept the audience on its feet and screaming the whole show, with other fans waving their hands during the performance of "2112" in its entirety, noting on the words of a fan after the band left the stage that it was "unbelievable". Lisi continued on the mix of old and new songs which he stated was superb, noting the new songs as "right on the mark". He stated that the band were able to breathe life into "Closer to the Heart" which was noted as a "powerful read". Commenting on the band, Lisi stated that they looked like they were having a blast, were right on the money when commenting positively on Lee's vocals being in perfect form, and that they sounded better than ever.
Reviewing the Civic Arena performance in Pittsburgh on November 3, 1996, Kathy Sabol from the Observer-Reporter, stated that she had enjoyed the concert, noting on the melodic songs along the video backdrop in which she appreciated drummer Neil Peart's statements on greed, ambition, death and despair. Regarding the change in the band's sound, she said that it was no accident that it came from Rush's efforts in the last five years when the band evolved to a richer, clarified sound of its own. Other than taking note on how "2112" performed in its entirety is a big deal, she stated that the sampling, and multi-layering of the guitar and drum work is a credit to the band's history with how they manage.
The Deseret Newss Scott Iwasald, reviewing the May 20, 1997 show at Salt Lake City's Delta Center, mentioned that the band did not need elaborate stage props, stage sets or costumes unlike modern bands those days, in which the music spoke for itself. He wrote that the band were as hot as ever, playing well, tight and looked like they were having fun on stage - working together to put on a terrific live show. He noted when the video backdrop was not working during the first half of the evening, but said the band did not need it, as he stated before that the music spoke for itself. Regarding the audience, he wrote that the instrumental "Limbo" and the power chorus of "Force Ten" brought them to their feet, later concluding that the band held them in their palm, and when the show ended, none of the audience were disappointed.

Set list

This is an example set list adapted from Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth – The Official Touring History of what were performed during the tour, but may not represent the majority of the shows.
Set 1
  1. "Dreamline"
  2. "Limelight"
  3. "Stick It Out"
  4. "The Big Money"
  5. "Driven"
  6. "Half the World"
  7. "Red Barchetta"
  8. "Animate"
  9. "Limbo"
  10. "The Trees"
  11. "Red Sector A"
  12. "Virtuality"
  13. "Nobody's Hero"
  14. "Closer to the Heart"
  15. "2112"
Set 2
  2. "Test for Echo"
  3. "Subdivisions"
  4. "Freewill"
  5. "Roll the Bones"
  6. "Resist"
  7. "Leave That Thing Alone"
  8. "The Rhythm Method"
  9. "Natural Science"
  10. "Force Ten"
  11. "Time and Motion"
  12. "The Spirit of Radio"
  13. "Tom Sawyer"
  14. ;Encore
  15. "YYZ"
  16. "Cygnus X-1"

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenueAttendance / Capacity / Gross
May 7, 1997San DiegoUnited StatesHospitality Point5,119 / 5,119 / $190,810
May 8, 1997PhoenixUnited StatesDesert Sky Pavilion9,856 / 20,144 / $267,785
May 10, 1997DevoreUnited StatesGlen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion18,040 / 18,040 / $379,270
May 11, 1997Mountain ViewUnited StatesShoreline Amphitheatre10,099 / 20,000 / $294,449
May 14, 1997PortlandUnited StatesRose Garden Arena8,243 / 10,412 / $232,778
May 16, 1997VancouverCanadaGeneral Motors Place5,497 / 13,340 / $154,162
May 17, 1997GeorgeUnited StatesThe Gorge Amphitheatre19,968 / 20,000 / $519,100
May 19, 1997BoiseUnited StatesBSU Pavilion5,535 / 8,500 / $121,206
May 20, 1997Salt Lake CityUnited StatesDelta Center10,837 / 11,512 / $330,750
May 22, 1997Greenwood VillageUnited StatesFiddler's Green Amphitheater11,156 / 17,416 / $257,616
May 24, 1997DallasUnited StatesStarplex Amphitheater9,414 / 20,111 / $234,936
May 25, 1997The WoodlandsUnited StatesCynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion13,024 / 13,024 / $382,245
June 4, 1997CincinnatiUnited StatesRiverbend Music Center8,538 / 14,175 / $209,332
June 5, 1997NashvilleUnited StatesStarwood Amphitheatre9,712 / 17,200 / $150,472
June 7, 1997Bonner SpringsUnited StatesSandstone Amphitheater9,511 / 13,500 / $264,258
June 8, 1997Maryland HeightsUnited StatesRiverport Amphitheater8,647 / 15,700 / $243,972
June 10, 1997NoblesvilleUnited StatesDeer Creek Music Center9,617 / 20,085 / $226,694
June 11, 1997BurgettstownUnited StatesStar Lake Amphitheater11,088 / 22,561 / $188,770
June 13, 1997MilwaukeeUnited StatesMarcus Amphitheater6,919 / 15,984 / $232,278
June 14, 1997Tinley ParkUnited StatesNew World Music Theater11,481 / 15,000 / $373,655
June 16, 1997ColumbusUnited StatesPolaris Amphitheater9,889 / 13,677 / $250,435
June 17, 1997ClarkstonUnited StatesPine Knob Music Theater13,409 / 14,500 / $348,742
June 19, 1997HolmdelUnited StatesPNC Bank Arts Center9,371 / 10,802 / $318,995
June 20, 1997BristowUnited StatesNissan Pavilion10,929 / 14,776 / $282,954
June 22, 1997CamdenUnited StatesBlockbuster-Sony E-Centre10,566 / 25,000 / $273,543
June 23, 1997MansfieldUnited StatesGreat Woods Performing Arts Center9,884 / 15,000 / $247,100
June 25, 1997WantaghUnited StatesJones Beach Amphitheater10,541 / 10,541 / $399,995
June 26, 1997CorfuUnited StatesDarien Lake Performing Arts Center7,165 / 8,500 / $178,325
June 28, 1997MontrealCanadaMolson Centre12,521 / 13,942 / $338,573
June 30, 1997TorontoCanadaMolson Amphitheatre16,000 / 16,000 / $366,396
July 2, 1997TorontoCanadaMolson Amphitheatre9,500 / 16,000 / $183,198
July 3, 1997Quebec CityCanadaQuebec Coliseum6,759 / 9,770 / $177,847
July 4, 1997OttawaCanadaCorel Centre8,500 / 11,000 / $170,262

Personnel