# Roll the Bones Tour

The Roll the Bones Tour was a concert tour by Canadian rock band Rush in support of their fourteenth studio album Roll the Bones.

## Background

The tour kicked off October 25, 1991 at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario and culminated on June 28, 1992 at the World Music Theater in Tinley Park, Illinois, estimated to have performed to more than 960,000 fans. Guitarist Eric Johnson was the initial opening act in the autumn of 1991, following the band losing a Grammy nomination for "Where's My Thing?" to Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover". American rock band Primus were the opening act for Rush later on this tour when Johnson canceled his last two weeks on the first leg as an opening act, as well as Vinnie Moore and Mr. Big. Opening for the band's hometown show in Toronto, Ontario on December 16 was The Tragically Hip, which was set up as a benefit for United Way, alongside the Daily Bread Food Bank - in which the audience had donated fifty thousand pounds of food. The band included super-sized screens, laser lights and moving pictures throughout their performances.
In Sacramento on January 27, 1992, the band performed what they had considered their worst show, as they performed to an unruly audience who threw objects at the band throughout the performance. Prior to the show, Rush refused to perform "general admission" performances due to rowdiness, potential injury and death in the crowd, but was booked to perform the show and was unexpectedly general admission.

## Reception

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's John Hayes, reviewing the Pittsburgh performance on October 28, 1991, opined that Rush had found an effective formula that held the attention of rock fans after the release of twenty albums and a long history of successful concert tours, later stating that the shows are kept alive by the "sheer talent" of the band members. Notifying the Roll the Bones Tour as one of the biggest productions on the road, he acknowledged the stage's usage of lasers, lighting, special effects, a rotating drum platform during Peart's solo and inflatable rabbits throughout the show.
Reviewing the Burgettstown concert on June 21, 1992, Kurt Bruner of the Observer-Reporter opened that the trio pulled no punches and was a knockout, sending the audience who was predominantly late 20s to middle aged reeling. He expressed on the usage of special effects and lighting, praising its usage in highlighting the songs performed, as well as the choreographed lasers and lights during Peart's drum solo, which he also noted as "outstanding", "superb" and as one of the memorable aspects of the show. He acknowledged the band, stating that they looked to be enjoying themselves without exerting much effort - as well as praising the stage design as simple, with only a ramp featured around the band.
The Toledo Blade's Ralph Kisiel, reviewing the Toledo performance, stated that Rush still showed that they could do their performances with "intensity" and "imagination". Noting on the audience, Kisiel commented that the overwhelming responses and emotions of the audience were whipped up quickly when the band performed crowd favorites, and when the show was over, had left fans satisfied. Kisiel continued, saying the band "clearly illustatrated that they can rock and rattle your bones for more than two hours".

## Set list

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. For the encore, the band performed a medley of older material, which would feature a minute of each song for the medley. This was also the first and only Rush tour to not feature "YYZ" in the setlist since the song's release.
* "Force Ten"
* "Limelight"
* "Freewill"
* "Distant Early Warning"
* "Time Stand Still"
* "Dreamline"
* "Bravado"
* "Roll the Bones"
* "Show Don't Tell"
* "The Big Money"
* "Ghost of a Chance"
* "Subdivisions"
* "The Pass"
* "The Trees"
* "Where's My Thing?"
* "The Rhythm Method" (drum solo)
* "Closer to the Heart"
* "Xanadu"
* "Superconductor"
* "Tom Sawyer"

### Encore

* "The Spirit of Radio"
* Medley: "2112" (Overture) / "Finding My Way" / "La Villa Strangiato" / "Anthem" / "Red Barchetta" / "The Spirit of Radio" (reprise)
* "Cygnus X-1" (teaser)

## Tour dates

List of 1991 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| October 25, 1991 | Hamilton | Canada | Copps Coliseum |
| October 26, 1991 | Rochester | United States | Rochester Community War Memorial |
| October 28, 1991 | Pittsburgh | United States | Civic Arena |
| October 29, 1991 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverfront Coliseum |
| October 31, 1991 | Indianapolis | United States | Market Square Arena |
| November 1, 1991 | Rosemont | United States | Rosemont Horizon |
| November 3, 1991 | Minneapolis | United States | Target Center |
| November 4, 1991 | Omaha | United States | Omaha Civic Auditorium |
| November 6, 1991 | Topeka | United States | Landon Arena |
| November 7, 1991 | St. Louis | United States | St. Louis Arena |
| November 9, 1991 | Normal | United States | Redbird Arena |
| November 10, 1991 | Milwaukee | United States | Bradley Center |
| November 13, 1991 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| November 14, 1991 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| November 16, 1991 | Toledo | United States | John F. Savage Hall |
| November 17, 1991 | Richfield | United States | Richfield Coliseum |
| November 18, 1991 | Richfield | United States | Richfield Coliseum |
| November 26, 1991 | Ottawa | Canada | Ottawa Civic Centre |
| November 28, 1991 | Montreal | Canada | Montreal Forum |
| November 29, 1991 | Quebec City | Canada | Colisée de Québec |
| December 1, 1991 | Philadelphia | United States | Spectrum |
| December 3, 1991 | Philadelphia | United States | Spectrum |
| December 4, 1991 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre |
| December 6, 1991 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| December 7, 1991 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| December 9, 1991 | Providence | United States | Providence Civic Center |
| December 10, 1991 | Worcester | United States | Worcester Centrum |
| December 12, 1991 | Albany | United States | Knickerbocker Arena |
| December 13, 1991 | Hartford | United States | Hartford Civic Center |
| December 15, 1991 | Buffalo | United States | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium |
| December 16, 1991 | Toronto | Canada | Maple Leaf Gardens |
List of 1992 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| January 18, 1992 | Las Cruces | United States | Pan American Center |
| January 20, 1992 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Sports Arena |
| January 22, 1992 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum |
| January 23, 1992 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum |
| January 25, 1992 | Fresno | United States | Selland Arena |
| January 27, 1992 | Sacramento | United States | ARCO Arena |
| January 29, 1992 | Oakland | United States | Oakland Arena |
| January 30, 1992 | Oakland | United States | Oakland Arena |
| February 2, 1992 | Vancouver | Canada | Pacific Coliseum |
| February 4, 1992 | Seattle | United States | Seattle Center Coliseum |
| February 5, 1992 | Portland | United States | Memorial Coliseum |
| February 15, 1992 | San Antonio | United States | HemisFair Arena |
| February 16, 1992 | Dallas | United States | Reunion Arena |
| February 18, 1992 | Houston | United States | The Summit |
| February 20, 1992 | Austin | United States | Frank Erwin Center |
| February 22, 1992 | Shreveport | United States | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum |
| February 23, 1992 | New Orleans | United States | Lakefront Arena |
| February 25, 1992 | Pensacola | United States | Pensacola Civic Center |
| February 26, 1992 | Jacksonville | United States | Jacksonville Coliseum |
| February 28, 1992 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena |
| February 29, 1992 | St. Petersburg | United States | Florida Suncoast Dome |
| March 2, 1992 | Orlando | United States | Orlando Arena |
| March 4, 1992 | Atlanta | United States | Omni Coliseum |
| March 5, 1992 | Columbia | United States | Carolina Coliseum |
| March 7, 1992 | Chapel Hill | United States | Dean Smith Center |
| March 10, 1992 | Richmond | United States | Richmond Coliseum |
| March 12, 1992 | Binghamton | United States | Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena |
| March 14, 1992 | New Haven | United States | New Haven Coliseum |
| March 15, 1992 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| April 10, 1992 | Sheffield | England | Sheffield Arena |
| April 12, 1992 | Birmingham | England | National Exhibition Centre |
| April 13, 1992 | Birmingham | England | National Exhibition Centre |
| April 15, 1992 | Glasgow | Scotland | Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre |
| April 17, 1992 | London | England | Wembley Arena |
| April 18, 1992 | London | England | Wembley Arena |
| April 21, 1992 | Hanover | Germany | Music Hall |
| April 23, 1992 | Cologne | Germany | Sporthalle |
| April 24, 1992 | Frankfurt | Germany | Festhalle Frankfurt |
| April 27, 1992 | Berlin | Germany | Eissporthalle an der Jafféstraße |
| April 28, 1992 | Nuremberg | Germany | Frankenhalle |
| April 29, 1992 | Stuttgart | Germany | Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle |
| May 1, 1992 | Paris | France | Le Zénith |
| May 3, 1992 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy |
| May 21, 1992 | Memphis | United States | Mid-South Coliseum |
| May 23, 1992 | Kansas City | United States | Kemper Arena |
| May 24, 1992 | Valley Center | United States | Kansas Coliseum |
| May 25, 1992 | Oklahoma City | United States | Myriad Convention Center |
| May 27, 1992 | Greenwood Village | United States | Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre |
| May 29, 1992 | Salt Lake City | United States | Delta Center |
| May 31, 1992 | Mountain View | United States | Shoreline Amphitheatre |
| June 1, 1992 | Reno | United States | Lawlor Events Center |
| June 3, 1992 | Irvine | United States | Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre |
| June 4, 1992 | Irvine | United States | Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre |
| June 6, 1992 | Las Vegas | United States | Thomas & Mack Center |
| June 7, 1992 | Phoenix | United States | Desert Sky Pavilion |
| June 9, 1992 | Albuquerque | United States | Tingley Coliseum |
| June 10, 1992 | Lubbock | United States | Lubbock Municipal Coliseum |
| June 12, 1992 | Maryland Heights | United States | Riverport Amphitheatre |
| June 13, 1992 | Nashville | United States | Starwood Amphitheatre |
| June 14, 1992 | Charlotte | United States | Blockbuster Pavilion |
| June 16, 1992 | Columbia | United States | Merriweather Post Pavilion |
| June 17, 1992 | Mansfield | United States | Great Woods PAC |
| June 19, 1992 | East Rutherford | United States | Brendan Byrne Arena |
| June 20, 1992 | Wantagh | United States | Jones Beach Amphitheater |
| June 21, 1992 | Burgettstown | United States | Star Lake Amphitheater |
| June 23, 1992 | Fairborn | United States | Nutter Center |
| June 24, 1992 | Noblesville | United States | Deer Creek Music Center |
| June 26, 1992 | Clarkston | United States | Pine Knob Music Theater |
| June 27, 1992 | East Troy | United States | Alpine Valley Music Theatre |
| June 28, 1992 | Tinley Park | United States | New World Music Theater |

### Box office score data

List of box office score data with date, city, venue, attendance, gross, references :
| Date (1992) | City | Venue | Attendance | Gross |
| June 3–4 | Irvine, United States | Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre | 28,492 / 30,000 | $724,295 |
| June 6 | Las Vegas, United States | Thomas & Mack Center | 8,993 / 10,500 | $206,198 |
| June 26 | Clarkston, United States | Pine Knob Music Theatre | 14,977 / 14,977 | $325,965 |
| June 27 | East Troy, United States | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | 21,474 / 35,000 | $359,932 |

## Personnel

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