Presto tour

The Presto Tour was a concert tour by Canadian rock band Rush in support of their thirteenth studio album Presto.

The tour started on February 17, 1990 at Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina^[1] and concluded on June 29, 1990 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California,^[2] having performed to more than 650,000 fans.^[3] Opening bands that premiered in the tour included Mr. Big, Chalk Circle and Voivod.^[4] The stage production for each of the shows were presented with elements of the Presto cover art, which had featured lasers and Vari-Lites that were dropped from trusses on extensions as well as two giant inflatable rabbits, two sets of rear PA speakers on the back end of the stage floor to represent a quadrophonic effect on the sound which was engineered by Robert Scoville,^[5] and a projection screen that displayed video sequences and retro films throughout the performance.^[3] When the band performed in Toronto for two shows in May 1990, both shows had raised $200,000 for United Way for the demands on the band for complimentary tickets.^[6]

Michael Hochanadel from the Daily Gazette opened his review stating that the visuals made the Rush concert at the Knickerbocker Arena on June 2, 1990, one of the biggest, brightest and overwhelming rock spectacles - with effects representing a 1970s arena rock throwback with the usage of lasers and haze. While criticizing the music's lyrics as being sometimes preachy, he stated that they were at the same time, anthemic and tackled subjects in a fairly obvious way, but added that they needed something to keep their songs from sounding too alike. Praising Lee's vocals, Hochanadel affirmed that his voice gave the songs emotion that the lyrics did not always earn.^[5]

Reviewing the Pittsburgh performance on June 7, 1990, Janice Haidet of The Vindicator stated that the band put a huge reliance on talent from the instruments they were using, treating a crowded arena of fans to a "searing rock and roll feast". Haidet noted that the band kept the audience standing on their seats with fists raised in time with the music, and Geddy Lee delivering extraordinary vocals that were presented by a balanced and clear sound mix - also noting the show as one of the best light shows in rock music, although outdone by Genesis and Pink Floyd.^[7] Peter B. King from the Pittsburgh Press who was in attendance at the same show that night, stated that the band had offered some of the best visuals seen at a rock concert, and expressed that Rush had delivered an intelligent, distinctive brand of "art rock".^[8]

This is an example set list adapted from Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth – The Official Touring History of what were performed during the tour, but may not represent the majority of the shows.^[9]

1. "Force Ten"
2. "Freewill"
3. "Distant Early Warning"
4. "Time Stand Still"
5. "Subdivisions"
6. "Marathon"
7. "Red Barchetta"
8. "Superconductor"
9. "Show Don't Tell"
10. "The Pass"
11. "Closer to the Heart"
12. "Manhattan Project"
13. "Xanadu"
14. "YYZ"
15. "The Rhythm Method" (Neil Peart drum solo)
16. "Scars"
17. "War Paint"
18. "Mission"
19. "Tom Sawyer"

    Encore

20. "The Big Money"
21. "2112: Overture"
22. "La Villa Strangiato"
23. "In the Mood"
24. "Wipeout!"

• Geddy Lee – vocals, bass, keyboards
• Alex Lifeson – guitar, backing vocals
• Neil Peart – drums

• Daly, Skip; Hansen, Eric (2019). Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth – The Official Touring History. Insight Editions. ISBN 978-1-68383-450-2.
• Popoff, Martin (2021). Limelight: Rush in the '80s. Toronto, Canada: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-569-0.