First off, my group presented our New Criticism project last week. I felt as though it went very well, but I felt as though I could have improved myself in some ways.
Next, in class this week, as a part of an assignment we had to watch “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, a movie about 3 prospectors on the hunt for gold. At first glance it would be a movie which most would consider to be a cheesy Western adventure film (well for me anyways). However, as the movie progressed it became more philosophical and analytical and I started to see certain aspects of the movie which reflected various morals.
Soon
thereafter, I was told that I wasn’t going to go to school on Friday. At first I was
hesitant to the whole idea of missing school, but once Friday came upon me; I
realized that it is not something to get worked up about. Normally I would be
panicking over missing a day of school, due to the fat that I hate changes in
my everyday schedule. Also, I found out that I have to resubmit one of my
online assignments due to the fact that I overwrote it. Normally, I would be
crying (literally), devastated over the fact that I failed or got a less than
pleasing mark, however when I read it, I didn’t do anything. I simply moved on
and rewrote it. It was a strange feeling which overpowered me during these two
times. A feeling that can only be described as “impassive”, emotionless, like
it was nothing to get upset up about. Also I felt a feeling which is highly unfamiliar
to me, the feeling of relaxation. This in itself was a breakthrough for me and
my progress to becoming a healthier minded person.
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| Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart of Rush |
The first part of the show was very atypical. It was opened with a video which featured them as post-apocalyptic androids. It also contained Carnival and Frankenstein vibes, hence the various videos throughout the show. The whole theme was very mind-warping and surreal. It almost reminded me of a cross between Pink Floyd (another one of my favourite bands) and Steampunk.
But while I was listening to the rhythm of Neil Peart's legendary 360 degree drum set, the tenors of Geddy Lee's astounding voice and the pulsation of the incredibly loud speakers flowed through my ears, I was able to sit back and listen to the lyrics and interpret them for what I thought they were.
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| Neil Peart's drum set (bird's eye view) |
The first song they opened with was “Subdivisions”, one of my favourite Rush songs of all time. It is about a teenager feeling like an outsider among conformity when prospects of diversity of escape are bleak. I believe that this song expresses that conformity is a social disease which affects everyone. The reason why I adore this song so much, despite the amazing beat and lyrics, is because I can relate to it. Being a social recluse in a world full of conceited people.
The second part of the show proved to be a spectacle in itself. They ramped up the lights, visual effects, and even brought in a string section, the Clockwork Angels themselves. They played some of their older songs including “Spirit of the Radio” and “Tom Sawyer”, which is about a rebellious individualist, named Tom Sawyer who is eager to learn. It is said that this song is highly influenced by the works of Ayn Rand. Tom Sawyer represents Howard Roark from The Fountainhead. Tom Sawyer could be linked to Mark Twain’s literary classic, entitled the same. Although part of the lyrics, don’t make an entire great deal of sense, some of the lines in the song reflect hidden meanings. For example, taking the 6th stanza of the song:
No, his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is
It can be said that “his mind is not for rent”, can
be indicative that Tom Sawyer is not willing to be owned by society, or its
means of transforming individuals into something that they are not.
Also, the following lines can be interpreted as
describing the world and its portrayal in relation to Tom Sawyer himself how he
is seen in society.
The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you
Next, the song “Limelight”, they use the theatre as
a metaphor for life. The phrase "in the limelight" means being
the center of attention. In the early days of theater, a limelight was a device
used to brightly illuminate the front of a stage, which put the main performer
in a spotlight, hence where the name came from. I believe that this song is
about the bands difficulties with coming to terms with fame and a sudden lack
of privacy and sudden demands. It can be a representation of them all being
stuck in the ‘limelight’, but just wanting to do what they love, making music
without all the drama.
Finally the song called “2112”, which
is structured like a story, which is performed in multiple parts like Pink
Floyd’s “The Wall”. This song to me is society and how it is corrupted by the
discovery of an historic artifact. It seems as though the ‘narrator’ of the
song had an epiphany about the way society should be and is only awaking to a
stark reality which he finds is intolerable, and in desperation commits suicide
to stop the pain. This song proves how overbearing society can become and how
it destroys individual’s minds. Unfortunately his hope was lost too soon to see
the dream come to reality.
My
sister ended up getting some pretty good videos of the concert which portray
the whole vibe of the concert that night. That's only if she decides to post them. Once the concert was finished, I
walked out of the Bell Centre deaf. Everything was muffled and quiet, even though the streets were filled with thousands of rowdy fans. After
walking around Montreal until 12:30am, we got back to the hotel, where I immediately
fell asleep once my head hit the pillow. The next morning, driving back took us
nearly 3 hours. 3 hours which seemed endless, being stuck in a car with your
sister, who is a Mac Miller-loving wanna-be gangster, blasting rap music out the
window. And a father, who thought it was a good idea to drive around looking
for a parking spot in downtown Montreal. After about an hour we ended up finding one, but
it resulted in a long, unpleasant walk through a massive downpour of rain.
Nonetheless,
it was an incredibly enjoyable experience which I hope to do again soon. It
provided me with a sort of release from all the stress I have been experiencing
lately.
So anyways those
were the highlights of my week. I hope you were satisfied with this week’s
post and I hope you'll continue to tune into more weekly provided by yours truly.
Until
next time,
-Shannon
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