UPDATE - 5/24@10:00AM: There's one other reason May 24th is significant to Rush fans that I'd neglected to mention (but was reminded of by RushFanForever). It was on this day back in 1974 that a certain program director at WMMS in Cleveland received an album by some unknown Canadian band named Rush from her friend Bob Roper (then a record promoter at A&M of Canada) and decided to play Working Man on the air. That program director was none other than Donna Halper, who wrote about the experience in her blog back in March.
It's Victoria Day in Canada today! ... sort of at least. The holiday was originally celebrated on May 24th but an amendment to the Statutes of Canada in 1952 moved the holiday to the last Monday before May 25th. So this year it was celebrated this past Monday, May 22nd. The date holds special significance for Rush fans due to its mention in the final verse of Rush's Lakeside Park
... Everyone would gather
On the twenty fourth of May
Sitting in the sand
To watch the fireworks display
Dancing fires on the beach
Singing songs together
Though it's just a memory
Some memories last forever
Rush has played at least a dozen live shows (that we know of) on the 24th of May over the years, but actually never played Lakeside Park at any of those shows (we think) up until the recent R40 Live tour. They played the song as part of their encore but left out the last verse. Many Rush fans had hoped that on that special day 2 years ago in Tampa they would humor their fanbase and throw in that last verse, but no such luck. Here's Rush playing the tune live back in 1976:
