Patterico's Pontifications

4/21/2013

The Greatest Acceptance Speech of All Time

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 1:07 pm



Rush, my favorite band, was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The following video is the band’s acceptance speech. If you’re a Rush fan, the whole video is worth watching. Even if you’re not, skip ahead to about 4:45 to watch Alex Lifeson’s speech, which (as the title suggests) is, in my opinion, the greatest acceptance speech of all time.

Each of the band members of the band gives a speech. First up was Neil Peart, the band’s drummer. Rush fans will recognize the sonorous baritone voice and almost lyrical quality of the words — qualities evidence in Rush’s albums over the years. Next up is Geddy Lee, who has a stirring tribute to the band’s fan base. And then comes Alex’s speech. I won’t describe it. You just have to watch it:

23 Responses to “The Greatest Acceptance Speech of All Time”

  1. hah canadians

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  2. “Rush, my favorite band…” Now that’s proof of both intellectual and cultural superiority if I’ve ever seen it.

    Dave Grohl’s induction speech made me want to run though a wall. I want that guy to address my favorite football team before their next big game.

    Will Collier (255daf)

  3. it’s Rush… they are the BeeGees of AOR, but without the talent.

    i’d rather listen to static.

    redc1c4 (403dff)

  4. I remember reading somewhere sometime (in another galaxy, perhaps) where Rush lyricist Neil Peart was awkwardly attempting to answer a journalist’s questions about his libertarian themed lyrics which appear in many of their songs.

    I don’t know if he realized he would lose street cred with the left-leaning rock critics if he openly embraced limited government ideals during that interview, but he actually told the journalist he considers himself a “left-leaning libertarian,” which makes about as much sense as professing to be a “meat-eating vegetarian.”

    Elephant Stone (65a34b)

  5. Great find! That is classic.

    sybilll (438c0e)

  6. it’s Rush… they are the BeeGees of AOR, but without the talent.

    I don’t know redc1c4: For what it’s worth, when my buddies and I were 13-14 years old and totally into heavy metal (Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, early Motley Crue — pretty much anyone in Hit Parader magazine), it was still completely acceptable to us to be a Rush fan. This sort of tolerance did not apply to, for example, Journey or Phil Collins.

    JVW (4826a9)

  7. . . . he actually told the journalist he considers himself a “left-leaning libertarian,” which makes about as much sense as professing to be a “meat-eating vegetarian.”

    According to this Cato Institute report, one in four libertarians generally vote Democrat in any given Presidential election, with John Kerry winning nearly two in five in 2004. The left-leaning libertarian may be more prevalent than you realize.

    http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/libertarian-vote-age-obama

    JVW (4826a9)

  8. Never having listened to a Rush song in its entirety because I just couldn’t take it, I dutifully listened to the acceptance speeches linked here. And ironically, the final acceptance speech once again reminded me why I have never listened to one of their songs in its entirety… The circle of life!

    I do think however that should be the model for every Oscar-winner when they give their acceptance speeches… far more entertaining And doesn’t bore the viewer to death.

    Glad your guys got inducted, Patterico.

    Dana (292dcf)

  9. The crowd loved it.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  10. How about a simple “Thank you very much for the memories and opportunity to entertain you over the years.” This seemed kinda dickish to me …

    Bobby (f7407a)

  11. I watched the vid. What’s up with the idea that someone’s speech isn’t complete if some idiot from the audience doesn’t yell in the middle of it?

    Steve57 (da9e0e)

  12. I guess it’s kind of the same idea that if some idiot doesn’t talk to the screen the movie isn’t really complete without their commentary. But that’s the reason I just wait until movies come out on DVD now.

    Steve57 (da9e0e)

  13. JVW,

    I’m merely interested in how some people self-identify as “X,” yet behave (or vote, in this instance) in conflict with their alleged belief.
    (Of course, I have no idea who he votes for, though I assume he lives in Canada, and thus votes in their elections.)

    In other words, just how libertarian is someone who votes for the party which promises to increase the size and scope of government ?
    It reminds me of someone who identifies as a vegetarian, then when given a choice between a steak vs salad, he chooses the steak.

    That being said, it’s hilarious to hear Bill Maher claim to be a ‘libertarian,’ when indeed, he’s a lefty who embraces bigger government.
    He wants to legalize pot, so he thinks that entitles him to grab on to the “libertarian” label.

    Ultimately, perhaps the “libertarians” who vote liberal aren’t really all that libertarian, despite what they self-idetntify as.

    Elephant Stone (65a34b)

  14. That being said, it’s hilarious to hear Bill Maher claim to be a ‘libertarian,’ when indeed, he’s a lefty who embraces bigger government.
    He wants to legalize pot, so he thinks that entitles him to grab on to the “libertarian” label.

    Agreed. Maher is a libertine, not a libertarian. His interest in freedom ends with the pursuit of his own physical pleasures and does not extend to any sort of aversion to collectivist actions undertaken by the government.

    JVW (4826a9)

  15. Greetings:

    Geez, what’s still up with these Canucks. Isn’t it about time that they got used to being number 2 ??? Or is that number 3 ???

    11B40 (9922c6)

  16. Didn’t Obama say just that at his last SotU?

    Kevin M (bf8ad7)

  17. Patterico-It could be worse-you could be worshiping Springsteen.

    mg (31009b)

  18. @Kevim M, so that’s what Obama said? Wow, now it’s all clear to me. Thanks.

    Charlie (1bf147)

  19. Been a Rush fan since ’77. Saw them for the first time opening for Boston!!! Dang do I feel old.

    Anyway…at first I thought Alex was being a dick. But then…after all of the bad blood between Rush and the former Hall president, I actually thought he said F’U in the nicest way he could…he was being a dick and I sort of agreed with it. And in spite of the “blah, blah blah’s”…I really did see a heartfelt “thank you” to the fans at the end.

    And someone please explain…why do you feel the need to dump on a group when someone else says the band is their favorite. I get it here at work all of the time. I don’t sh)t on their favorite groups, even though I know they couldn’t write a song if they had too. But they feel compelled to remind me again and again why they hate Rush. OK…I get it…now F’ off and leave me alone. I’m not making you listen to them.

    LCB (f4b3a1)

  20. Just for that speech, I may have to walk the two blocks from my office to the Rock Hall to see their display when they put it up!

    Tim Carroll (79f539)

  21. #4 – Peart is a Canadian, not an American. When he calls himself “libertarian”, he’s not talking in the self-serving, hypocritical and racist sense of gunnuts in the US, he’s talking from a world-wide sense of individual freedom to think and live.

    What passes for “liberal” in the US is a right-leaning conservative in democracies. The US has two political parties – the conservative Democrats and the fascist Republicans.

    P Smith (0a71e4)

  22. Thank you PSmith. We are all dummerer for having read your nonsense. Aren’t you just precious ?!

    JD (271cea)


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