Show Review: Mystic Rhythms—A Tribute to Rush

By: Mario Papa

The spirit of the legendary progressive rock band Rush lived on recently as the Rush Tribute Band Mystic Rhythms performed on November 24 at (Le) Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, New York City.

The band, composed of Paul Armento, Adam Pliss, and Steve Longo performed the popular 1981 album Moving Pictures in its entirety along with every song off the live album, Exit…Stage Left. Armento, Pliss, and Longo portrayed Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, and Alex Lifeson, respectively.

Each member of Mystic Rhythms dressed up like Rush did when they performed the album Exit…Stage Left back in the early 1980’s. Perhaps the best thing about the portrayal was that Armento wore a fake nose that resembled the one of Geddy Lee.

In terms of the music, Mystic Rhythms was as authentic as can be when playing some of Rush’s greatest hits such as Tom Sawyer, Limelight, The Spirit of Radio, and Freewill. Some of Rush’s 70’s classics were also performed including The Trees, By-Tor and the Snowdog, and La Villa Strangiato. Their music and authenticity really made the crowd of Rush fans of different ages felt like they were actually at a Rush Concert. This is what made Mystic Rhythms very exciting to listen to as they played throughout the night.

What was most appealing about the performance was a projection screen behind the band that flashed with images and clips based on the songs they were playing. For example, when they played The Camera Eye, images of New York City and London came up on the screen because the song is all about those two cities. It was exactly like how a Rush concert would be.

Another unforgettable moment was when the band played Xanadu. For this song, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson usually use a double neck bass and guitar respectively. Well, that is exactly what Armento and Longo used here. This moment really got the crowd excited because it is difficult to play a double neck, and these two guys really nailed it when it came to using them.
Mystic Rhythms put on a great show and did a really fantastic job of playing some of the most recognizable Rush songs out there. Although the real Rush may never perform live ever again, Mystic Rhythms will continue to be a great representation of Rush for a long time.

For more information on Mystic Rhythms, they can be found online at www.mysticrhythmsrush.com.