NYC Show Obsessive

  Bill: Rush Venue: Madison Square Garden , 4 Pennsylvania Plaza , New York, NY Date: Saturday 8/1/26 Ticket: $218.75 via Stubhub (Sec 203, Row 1, Seat 5) 7:30pm Rush Active: 1968 (Toronto, ON, Canada) Latest Release: Rush 50 (Anthem, 2025), Clockwork Angels (Anthem, 2012) Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Spotify It's been a while since I've last seen Rush. 22 years to be exact on the Snakes and Latters cover album tour at Radio City Music Hall .  Before that, I hadn't seen them since back to back '84 ( Grace Under Pressure ) and '85 (P ower Windows ) tours in Worcester.  This tour is the debut of 43 year old German fusion drummer Anika NiIles. It was a fine tribute to Neil Peart, two sets and encore lasting about three hours.  I got the song that never seemed to get played when I truly cared back in the 80's: "Working Man."  They have been alternating feature albums, so this time we got Moving Pictures start to finish at the...

 Bill: Eric Clapton/Wallflowers Venue: Madison Square Garden , 4 Penn Plaza , New York, NY Date: 9/19/25 Ticket: $150 (Section 109, Row 6 face at box office) 8:30 Eric Clapton Active: 1962 (Ripley, Surrey, UK) Affiliated: John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominoes  Latest Release: Meanwhile (Surfdog, 2024)   Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube Missed: Wallflowers I thought I had seen Eric Clapton for the last time a few years ago.  The buzz in the air was he was on his way out and between Covid shot paranoia and being rolled around in the wheelchair , the media played that up.  However, 2025 brings us a healthy looking active 80-year-old Clapton on stage, so maybe he has had a bit of a bounce back.   While he wasn't doing jumping jacks and played a large chunk in the center of the set sitting acoustic, there wasn't anything that seemed out of wack for a veteran of his stature.  C...

  Bill: Ghost Venue: Madison Square Garden , New York, NY Date: 7/22/25 Tickets $102.50 + 28.45 fee bought resale gifted 8:15 pm Ghost Active: 2006 ( Linköping ,   Östergötland , Sweden) Latest Release:  Skeletá (Loma Vista, 2025) Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Discogs Setlist AllMusic Wiki YouTube The last time I saw Ghost they were opening for Iron Maiden in 2016.  Singer Tobias Forge noted the bands' NYC debut was 2011 in the short lived (at least for Rock bands) Basement at Webster Hall (actually The Studio).  They've come a long way to headlining.  I had a friend in town and picked this show to see and got some good seats in section 108.  Unfortunately, there are no photos or clips from this vantage point because they band was doing the sporadic Yondr bags.  In the past decade I've only had the Yondr experience twice for the Misfits in Jersey and Bob Dylan at the Beacon. As for the show, there was no opener, so Ghost went on pretty fast ...

 Bill: Jeff Lynne's ELO/Rooney Date: 9/17/24 Venue: Madison Square Garden , New York, NY Door: (guest list plus 1, resale tickets were $62-$680+) 9:05pm Jeff Lynne's ELO Active: 2014-present under moniker, 1970 (Birmingham, UK as Electric Light Orchestra) Current Members: Jeff Lynne (Vocals Guitar, Electric Light Orchestra ,  George's Band ,  The Idle Race ,  The Move ,  The Nightriders (11) ,  The Olton Orioles ,  The Ordinaires (6) ,  The Trembling Blenders ,  The Warwickshire Wobblers ,  Traveling Wilburys ), Mike Stevens , (Musical Director, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Harmonica), Lee Pomeroy (Bass, Backing Vocals), Milton McDonald (Guitar, Backing Vocals), Marcus Byrne (Piano, Keyboards, Vocodor), Jo Webb (Keybaords, Guitar, Backing Vocals), Shannon Harris (Keyboards), Donavan Hepburn (Drums), Melanie Lewis-McDonald (Backing Vocals), Iain Hornal (Backing and Co-Lead Vocals, Guitar), Jessie Murphy (Violin), Amy Langley (Cello)...