Rush has another dozen dates on the books for its on-going Time Machine Tour across North America. The Canadian trio’s latest block of dates will take them across the South and up the West Coast, beginning June 8 at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC, and ending July 2 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, WA.
The prog-rock titans will continue exploring their hit songs — as well as the entirety of their best-selling album, 1981’s “Moving Pictures” — on the trek. Scheduled stops include a June 12 gig at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX, and a pair of shows on June 20 and 22 at the Gibson Amphitheater in Universal City, CA.
Ticket onsales opened January 24 for select dates of the June tour leg, while the remaining onsales are set for the coming weekend (January 28, 29 and 31). Prices vary widely — from a low of $22 to a high of $154 — but the majority of the new June markets will see tickets within the $40 to $100 ballpark.
Rush’s previously announced spring tour leg kicks off March 30 at Bank Atlantic Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, concluding one month (and 13 concerts) later on April 22 at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD.
The Time Machine Tour launched in summer 2010 with a 37-date itinerary stretching from the end of June into early October. No sell-outs were posted for at least 25 of those dates, based on box office numbers published by Billboard.com. But the nearly $19 million grossed by those shows was more than enough to put Rush atop the publication’s “Hot Tours” chart in October 2010.
Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart were also recognized at the 2010 Billboard Touring Awards in New York City last November. The trio received the honorary “Legend of Live” award for its contributions to music and touring.
At the present, the Canadian prog-rock trio has still more contributions to make. In addition to the fresh summer 2011 tour dates, Rush is currently working on its next studio album, “Clockwork Angels.” A release date for the in-progress effort has not been announced.
Rush began writing for the “Clockwork” album in 2010, but as the initial leg of the Time Machine Tour gained momentum, priorities shifted from recording to staying on the road a little longer, Lifeson explained in a recent interview with Guitarist magazine.
Now the band’s plan is to write until the next round of touring begins. Lifeson said, “Then we’ll prepare for the tour in March, finish in July, take the summer off then start work [on the album] in earnest in September.”
Rush itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)
| June 8 | Greenville, SC | Bi-Lo Center |
| June 10 | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans Arena |
| June 12 | Austin, TX | Frank Erwin Center |
| June 14 | El Paso, TX | UTEP Don Haskins Center |
| June 16 | Phoenix, AZ | US Airways Center |
| June 18 | Chula Vista, CA | Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre |
| June 20, 22 | Universal City, CA | Gibson Amphitheater |
| June 24 | Las Vegas, NV | MGM Grand Garden Arena |
| June 26 | Concord, CA | Sleep Train Pavilion At Concord |
| June 28 | Ridgefield, WA | Sleep Country Amphitheater |
| July 2 | Quincy, WA | Gorge Amphitheatre |
