So what took them so long? Bassist Geddy Lee answers embarrassingly: "We're not very smart... we didn't know we had that many fans down here." Perhaps it's taken Canada's prog heroes 30 years to find a promoter and venue that wouldn't leave them high and dry in the sometimes shady conditions of South America! Rush In Rio is a rare, long overdue spectacle. It displays the band much more loose than on say, Exit... Stage Left, where sonic perfection exceeded the rather frolicky nature of this heavy two-disc set. The backstage footage alone is worth the price of admission. The band normally shrouded in secrecy, we see Lee, Lifeson and shockingly Peart, as human beings. The lengthy documentary produced by Andrew MacNaughton displays Rush on their sacred ground: rehearsal, soundchecks, photo sessions, meet 'n' greets, and general carousing. The Boys In Brazil (as the segment is called) are first shown entering the country via Porto Allegre Airport and to their amazement, the Rush frenzy begins, as crowds of autograph-hunting fans greet the band. You're strapped to your seat as MacNaughton manages plenty of rhetoric from Peart himself, dressed in black, well-spoken and composed. And while charting the band's tour from Porto Allegre, San Paolo and Rio de Janeiro, we see forces of nature at work that nearly spell disaster. But crews and band overcame and the grand finale filmed at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on November 23rd, 2002, in front of an ecstatic audience of 60,000 fans, is a treasured piece of Rush history. Prior to the show, the football chants begin, and indeed many a match has been played under these lights. But tonight there are two winners. The crowd noise is as much of an instrument as any, the band choosing to keep the riotous backdrop in place, which adds to the spine-tingling power-of-people effect. 29 numbers pulled from almost every one of Rush's 17 studio are featured on the set which pretty much mimics the Vapor Trails tour that circled North America in 2002. Thus 'Tom Sawyer' greets us first and Rio laps it up. Other notable musical events include 'The Big Money', 'The Trees' and 'Freewill', the latter two particularly striking as the lyrical themes are taken quite personally. The inclusion of 'Closer To The Heart' (a recent addition) ends up being a tremendous crowd fave. The second half of the show sees Vapor Trails material peppered throughout, although a little heavy to my liking; the crowd are polite and responsive. During the breathtaking eight minute drum solo dubbed 'O Baterista', Peart takes the hearty souls into his hands and the crowd replies with a godly waving of the arms towards him. Peart is given a breather while Lee and Lifeson dwell in the acoustics of 'Resist'. The grand finale is unstoppable: '2112 Overture', 'The Temples Of Syrinx', 'Limelight, 'La Villa Strangiato', 'The Spirit Of Radio' and the encores of 'By-Tor And The Snow Dog', 'Cygnus X-1' and 'Working Man' are topnotch. A surreal experience for most attendees who never thought that their gods would land. Fans are provided with two soundtracks - a Dolby Digital 2.0 and a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. There are also multi-angle options for 'YYZ', 'O Baterista and 'La Villa Strangiato' which sees a camera focus on an individual band member. Seeing Peart in this format only adds to the awe. There are two hidden features: a vintage promo video for 'Anthem', and the By-Tor cartoon projected during the show. Good luck!