Our CONCERT EXPERIENCE!!!

     A RUSH EXPEDITION
        
        A Rush concert!  It's the one thing that every dedicated Rush fan's
 got in his or her sights.  The following is a true story of what happened
 at a Rush concert in Cleveland on November 04, 1996 to me (Tom Bauer)
 and my friends Ron Zlotnik and Josh.  It was really quite amazing!!
 Enjoy!!!...   And let's hope that you could maybe pull this off too!
 
        We got there at about 5:30 pm and parked in the lower level of the
 parking garage, providing us with an easy escape route after the concert.  
 Our seats were originally in the upper deck, such that when you looked 
 down at the stage it was so small that the band could barely be seen. 
 Ron and Josh laughed at me when I said that I wanted to try to get 
 Backstage.  So I left them, knowing that I could find them again if I 
 really had to.  But I was pretty upset at the fact that they didn't 
 even want to try to sneak in for better seats.  So I started to explore 
 a little.  The first thing that I did was go into the arena, and then  
 right back out and thus getting a big blue stamp on the back of my hand for 
 instant verification that I had paid for a ticket. (In case anyone asked)  
 I went to the back of the arena area and found a stairwell which was 
 really quite hidden from view.  I found that there was an unlocked push-bar 
 door which lead to into the stairwell and a downwards stairway. I 
 followed a hallway and came to another door.  To my surprise this too 
 was unlocked; for behind the door was the backstage area.  I gathered 
 myself up and walked confidently and quickly through it.  Surprisingly 
 nobody tried to stop me.  I think it was partly because everyone was so 
 busy preparing for the show, that they couldn't be bothered.  So I walked 
 towards the stage (from behind) and came out stage left.  I hopped the 
 mine tape and railing and sat in the area right next to the V.I.P. section.  
 I then asked some guy what section it was.  He looked strangely at me and 
 told me section 110.  The only way to get into that section of the lower 
 level is to pass through one of the many doors leading to that area.  
 Each of those doors has a guard there; actually two, one at each end of 
 the hallway.  I then proceeded to approach the guard to tell him that I 
 had lost my ticket. I said that I knew that I was in section 110 but 
 couldn't remember my exact seat.  I showed him the stamp on my hand too. 
 Since the only way into that area was to go past the guards, he believed 
 me... Except there was another way!!  So he then told me to sit somewhere, 
 and move if someone came to claim their seat.  Soon the concert hall 
 started to fill and just before the show began, the guard told me to 
 just go and sit in the V.I.P. section because there were always extra 
 seats there.  I definitely tipped my hat to him for that one!  
        I, however at this point needed to find Ron and Josh and tell them
 'bout where I was.  When I told them, they didn't believe me, so I went 
 back downstairs to my seat.  Both of the guards said that they would 
 remember who I was and would let me back in before I left; so there 
 was no problem.
        The concert started.  I then began to feel guilty, and halfway 
 through the first song I went back upstairs.  I went up to Josh and Ron 
 and said," Do you want to come with me or not?".  They looked at each 
 other and then said, "Sure".  When we got downstairs I told them that 
 when I go and talk to the first guard at the entrance of the hallway
 to slip behind the guard and I quickly; it was sort of like a distraction.  
 I told them that if they don't make it in that I would go back and sit 
 with them up in the upper deck.  Well, we made it past the first guard 
 and then the second using the same tactic and proceeded to sit in the 
 V.I.P. section for the duration of the show.  (But we were all standing)
        The V.I.P. section was half full with people who knew the band and
 others who had special treatment for one reason or another.  The show
 was amazing, and the look on Ron and Josh's faces was priceless when
 they saw how close we actually were.  We were actually as close as the
 front row, only to the left of the stage (band's pt. of view).  At
 a couple of points during the concert, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were
 only about ten feet away!  Geddy looked right at us a couple of times!
 I could have sworn that he even smiled at Ron while jamming away!!
 It was amazing.  At the time I wished that my girlfriend could have been 
 there.  She really likes Rush and I know that she would have had a blast.
        The concert went for 3 hours with only a 30 min. break in the 
 middle of the show.  After the show I asked Ron and Josh if they wanted 
 to try to get backstage.  They agreed whole heartedly.  We took the
 same route that I did before the concert began.  The entrance and 
 door-way was still unmanned and unlocked.  Josh exclaimed," What the
 fuck?!".  We were backstage.  I told them to walk quickly and confidently
 through the area.  Again, everybody was so busy that they barely even 
 noticed us.  We walked right through the backstage area right over to 
 as second stairwell exactly on the opposite side of the backstage area.
        We thought that this was the way out, except it was different 
 from the one we came from.  It was linked to a long carpeted hallway.
 There were security guards everywhere, but they were all facing outwards
 from the doors leading to this area, so they didn't see us come in.
 ('cause we came from the backstage area!!).
        We then started to quickly walk down the carpeted hall.  It was
 the dressing room area.  I got about halfway down the hall when a lady
 security guard called to us.  She said," Hey! do you work here?".  
 I said 'yes' while continuing to walk even quicker.  It was like...
 Oh shit, we're nabbed.  That's when she told us to "STOP!!"  
 She noticed that I was carrying my souvenir bag, (Concert program).
 She then showed us the way out.  Oh well!  Close but not close enough,
 eh?  We passed about 5 or 6 security guards on some different route back
 up to the main floor.  They all looked at us fans with a wondrous 
 expressions on their faces like, "How the hell did you get back there?".
        Ron and Josh were apologizing to me for the next half hour,
 I laughed and said it was ok... 'cause next time we'll MEET the band!
   On the way out of the parking garage, horns and stereo's were blasting,
   and car alarms were intentionally set off, making it the loudest spot
   in Cleveland!
     We went home with many a story to tell!
       The adrenalin RUSH of the car ride home was definitely there, 
       170 km/hr the whole way!!
                         
                         RUSH RULZ!!!!!!!!!!!
                                              TOMMY B. 1997

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