| "All the world's indeed a stage, And we are merely | | | | white bunny through old fashioned clothes ringers and |
| players, Performers and portrayers, Each another's | | | | other household objects. The audience was engaged |
| audience outside the gilded cage." Neil Peart-1981 | | | | in laughter. At the end of the cartoon, a gun shot went |
| "Limelight." Rush's 1981 hit "Limelight" demonstrates the | | | | off and the focus changed to the stage where a large |
| first rule of engaging your audience. It is a paraphrase | | | | inflatable brown bunny wearing a gangster hat had just |
| of Shakespeare's quote from his comedy "As You | | | | shot and deflated his white bunny counterpart. The |
| Like It" written in 1599. | | | | audience let out a mass gasp. Then the bunny angels |
| The act of incorporating established ideas into your | | | | took the white bunny to bunny heaven and the |
| original pieces is called transformativeness; it is a great | | | | audience was elated. Then the opening notes of "Tom |
| way for an audience to relate to your original work. | | | | Sawyer" were played. This quick change of emotions |
| Transformativeness is legal under the US copyright | | | | can be equivalent to the rush that one feels when |
| law as long the original material is created or integrated | | | | riding on an exciting roller coaster. It goes beyond visual |
| into a new work that has a different meaning from the | | | | and auditory stimulation into the very core of our |
| original. In the example above, Shakespeare wrote his | | | | emotions. |
| "All the World's a Stage" speech to identify the seven | | | | Rush is a band that is not only seen and heard but |
| ages of a man's life. Neil Peart paraphrased this quote | | | | also physically felt. I remember the first time that I saw |
| to level the playing field as a private person when he is | | | | Rush in 1987 on the Hold Your Fire tour. I was standing |
| not performing. In this case, "All the world's a stage" | | | | four rows up from the floor at an arena show. When |
| has two very different but valuable meanings, the first | | | | Neil Peart performed his drum solo, the awesome |
| is a litany of a man's life and the second a plea for | | | | power was so incredible that it reverberated through |
| privacy. | | | | the floor into my entire body and my heart beat had to |
| The second rule of engaging your audience, as Peart | | | | sync up with his drums. It was an all encompassing |
| and Shakespeare make light of, is to realize that they | | | | experience that kept me entirely in the moment. After |
| are as much a part of the performance as the band | | | | all, that is what engaging an audience is about, |
| or the actors on the stage. Even though a set list may | | | | overloading as many senses as possible to ensure the |
| be the same every night, the audience makes every | | | | audience's attention is focused strictly on the band. |
| show unique through their interaction with the band. | | | | My final example is the chicken rotisserie ovens that |
| Shakespeare was the first to make this note and | | | | stood at Geddy's side during the "Snakes and Arrows" |
| Rush reiterated it some 382 years later. I remember | | | | tour. Rush used the strong sense of smell to entice our |
| running sound for "As You Like It" as a theater credit | | | | senses. Throughout the show, a roadie would come |
| for college in 1994. The director thought that it would | | | | out and baste the chickens. The tasty scent of |
| be interesting to present it as a fifties musical. Directors | | | | barbecued chicken wafted through the audience. If |
| often change the time periods of Shakespeare plays | | | | they had thrown the chickens in the audience, they |
| as a way to put a unique twist on the material and | | | | would not have only have stimulated our sense of |
| modernize it to a more relatable time period. In this | | | | sight, sound, feel, smell but taste as well. However, four |
| way, the audience can better identify with the play. | | | | senses is fairly comprehensive considering most bands |
| In the same vein, bands will often learn the local dialect | | | | only stimulate sight and sound. Bake some brownies |
| or about local sports teams to better relate to a | | | | for your next gig and see how many people return to |
| specific audience. When attending a Rush concert in | | | | see your shows. |
| Pittsburgh, I remember Geddy Lee asking, "How are | | | | Stimulating the senses of your audience is something |
| yinz guys doing tonight?" which is local Pittsburghese. | | | | to be considered when rehearsing. Your songs should |
| The audience laughed and appreciated the local | | | | be a tight and animated interaction between band |
| knowledge that these international performers had | | | | members is always a plus. If you can, add a visual |
| acquired. | | | | element; such as a light show, this will draw the eyes |
| The other ways that Rush has engaged its audiences | | | | of your audience to the stage. Talking directly to your |
| over the years, have been both surprising and | | | | audience, by name if possible, can also personalize |
| exhilarating. I remember on the Counterparts tour in | | | | your connection with the audience members, and |
| 1994, a sequence of cartoons involving two bunnies in | | | | finally, the senses of smell and taste can be a novel |
| a slap stick comedy. A brown bunny was chasing the | | | | addition to your show as well. |