The Time Machine Tour started last year and its success has poured over into 2011 with the band returning to American stages for two further legs and a stop over in Europe. During their third stop in Chicago, they burst out of the gates with the spiraling guitar chords of "The Spirit of Radio". Rush took charge of the crowd and never relinquished it for the next 3-hours. Their set list covered their entire career and miraculously each song has a whiff of innocence. "Presto", from 1989, found the crowd swept up in the majesty of the moment. Presto is a record not initially viewed as a great one, but on this evening, the song melded its way into the audience's heart. The sprightly "Leave That Thing Alone" showcased an intense and solidifying reverberation by the three-piece. Watching them, you're truly astounded they don't bring more musicians with them onstage, their sound is that prevailing. This breathtaking instrumental pulled the whole crowd in even those who are unfamiliar with it. Moments like these you don't plan on relishing, but it's impossible not to be swayed and intoxicated by the musicianship of these three. On "Freewill" Lee still managed to find a way to hit those high notes, leaving the audience in a state of wonder. "Subdivisions" brought the first set to an invigorating climax where the band delivered eleven songs over the course of seventy non-stop minutes where nary a breath was taken. This is the length of most shows by many up and comers, let alone a first set.

This tour is a continuation of the one Rush started last year in honor of the 30th Anniversary of Moving Pictures opening the second set was a tongue-in-cheek video of "Tom Sawyer" followed by the band's ever faithful rendition of "Tom Sawyer" and Moving Pictures in its entirety. "YYZ" was glorious as the band coalesced all of their talents and emotions into a walloping climax. "Limelight" is one of the band's few staples that must be performed at every show, but when you see the smiles and grins escape from their faces, you can't help but be pulled inward with the rest of the crowd. You can't watch the three of them and not think they don't live for this. This is not a band who followed trends or fashions, but simply went into the studio every few years and made the best possible Rush record they could at that given moment. They weren't beholden to promoters, record company executives or managers, only themselves. This is a rarity these days and their catalog of music is here as living proof. Like a thoroughbred in their prime, the band delivered a non-stop set that covered every aspect of their career from hits to deep cuts to a pair of new songs signifying their continual growth and evolution. They're one of the few acts on the planet where different parts of the same song can evoke reactions in ways you couldn't imagine; a Geddy vocal, a Peart cymbal crash or a Lifeson's solo. In fact, Neil Peart's drum solo is one of the few in the concert industry that has all eyes intensely placed on the stage. There are no beer runs or people looking at their phones. Each set of eyes is on the stage as they watch one of the world's premier percussionist's works their magic.

Rush has an intense connection with their fan base. The fans latch onto these songs not just because they're euphoric and take our troubles away for a few hours, but we find guidance in them through he rough pastures. Despite being a band with continual forward movement, they still infuse the same young at heart liveliness into songs such as "The Spirit of Radio", "Limelight" and "Tom Sawyer". Rush has never had their proficiency as musicians called into question, but astoundingly, they continue to defy. Their onstage camaraderie is more gripping giving these archetypical songs dimensions not heard before. Any act can execute their classics, but can they attain a higher and more poignant plane through performance? Rush did this song-after-song. "Closer to the Heart" with its solemn acoustic opening revved up before its finish with the band providing a fresh take on a classic without tarnishing it. Geddy Lee sung with evocative empathy on "Time Stands Still", evoking a deeper reaction than when initially released nearly a quarter of a century back. On the flipside, the 2007 cut, "Far Cry" defines the will to survive. The ties that bind were showcased during these two numbers. While they may be unable to capture a specific moment in a bottle, they magically marinate the memory and live it out before a live audience.

After the final note of "Working Man" was performed and the evening's final video aired (I won't spoil it for you who have yet to see the show, but do not leave the show until the lights have come on), the masses exited the arena but not before basking in the sheer glow of everyone around them. Rush may not be the biggest band on the planet, but that was never something they attempted to attain, they're simply one of the rock eras most genuine. I think that the band's short hiatus made fans take stock of what is significant in this thing called life. Despite a series of trials and tribulations that would ended most other bands, Rush endured it all and comes through the other end. Their bliss on the lighted stage is among the most pure I've ever laid witness to. You are left with the sense that if the band never struck it big, they would be performing nightly in some small town in Canada, because it's in their blood. Their rebirth goes hand-in-hand with some of the emotionally charged performances of their career. Each and every show the band performs it as if it may be their last. When the DVD of this tour is released (hopefully) later this year, it will showcase a band at the peak of their powers.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter