Neil Peart has once again updated the News page on his website. In this news, weather and sports update, Neil focuses solely on the sports, describing in painstaking detail his experience recording The Hockey Theme for TSN back in December. He gives the entire back story of how the project came to be, how he became involved and his experience recording the song and filming the video. He includes plenty of great behind-the-scene photos and interesting anecdotes as well. All in all a very entertaining read. Thanks to hermy for the heads up.
Reader, Rush fan, and composer/performer Ben Sommer recently created a music discovery podcast and blog called Bands Like Rush where bands that have some kind of connection to Rush are interviewed. To kick off the site, Ben interviews 2 members of Detroit-based progressive rockers Tiles. Besides making great progressive rock music, Tiles has many connections with Rush. Original Rush producer Terry Brown has worked with Tiles since 1997's Fence the Clear, and Rush album artist Hugh Syme has done their last 3 album covers in addition to playing some keyboards on their latest album. Also on their latest album - Fly Paper - Alex Lifeson was a guest musician on the track Sacred & Mundane. I conducted a brief interview with guitarist Chris Herin and producer Terry Brown back when Fly Paper was released which you can check out in this post. Ben's interview is much more lengthy and in-depth; he talks with Chris and bassist Jeff Whittle for around 45 minutes about the band's history, their do-it-yourself approach to making music and running their business, why Tiles is known as the Anvil of Progressive Rock, and the pros and cons of being constantly compared to the band Rush. The interview also includes many amusing anecdotes and stories about their work with Terry, Hugh, and Alex Lifeson. Here's Chris discussing how he met Neil Peart at Terry Brown's 60th birthday party:
... So anyway, there were many luminaries from the Toronto music scene there. This was after Alex had recorded for us, so we were kind of hoping Alex would show up. But, he was already wherever Rush was was touring at the time. So Neil Peart comes walking in and ends up being Rush's representative at Terry's party. And, of course, that causes quite a stir because nobody expected him - they all kind of expected Alex and Geddy. But, Neil was the guy that was still left in town from rehearsals. He showed up, and hung out and I got to chit-chat with Neil. He's just a super nice guy too. You kind of see these stories about invading his space, but either he was kind of expecting it and well-prepared - he was very approachable. Afterward, I had passed him on a copy of Flypaper, and a little paperback book that I had picked up in North Carolina about nature, wind - something that a motorcycle guy might like. ...
You can read the entire interview or listen to the podcast at this link. Ben would also like everyone's feedback regarding the interview and suggestions on other bands like Rush he should interview.
We were hit with a big Rush rumor yesterday; that Rush will be performing at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver next Friday, February 12th. The word is that they'll be playing a version of YYZ as part of a larger performance showcasing Canadian music. The opening ceremony will air on NBC beginning at 7:30PM EST on Friday, February 12th. There's been no official confirmation of this or of who any of the performers will be; the organizers are being very tight-lipped about the whole affair.
Last week the tour date rumors started to fly when 105.7 WAPL out of Appleton, WI began announcing on the air that Rush will be playing Summerfest in Milwaukee on July 3rd. They even had a page up on their website promoting the event that has since been taken down. Apparently there was a mix-up and the station jumped the gun on the announcement. So I'm assuming that this information was likely accurate even though it was released prematurely.
As if the Winter Olympics and tour date rumors weren't enough, I've also heard a rumor that one of songs they are working on in the studio is an instrumental track titled The Unfinished Business. It's not clear whether this is in any way related to Rush's 6-minute instrumental The Main Monkey Business from Snakes & Arrows or if it's a completely new track. The original studio version of The Main Monkey Business was reportedly much longer than the version that appeared on the album.
On Wednesday we learned some details regarding the upcoming Rush and Philosophy book that Open Court Publishing will be releasing as part of their popular Culture and Philosophy book series. The table of contents for the book - listing the authors and titles of all the essays it will contain along with section titles - was posted to co-editor Durrell Bowman's website at this link. The book will be divided into 4 sections containing 16 essays with a complete title of Rush and Philosophy: Always Hopeful, Yet Discontent. For all the details check out this post.
Between Sun and Moon handmade jewelry by fellow Rush fan Katy has been turning out Rush inspired jewelry for over 4 years now. All of Katy's pieces are inspired by Rush, named after Rush lyrics and are usually made while she's listening to Rush! Check out her brand new website and webstore. Valentine's day is coming up fast and even if your lover isn't a Rush-lover, they will love a Valentine's Day gift from Between Sun and Moon. I've given my wife (definitely not a Rush fan!) a few of Katy's pieces and she absolutely loves them. Your order will come all wrapped up and ready to give along with your personal gift card message. Katy is still offering RushIsABand.com readers Free Priority Mail with any $30 purchase (coupon code: rushisaband) or just email Katy after you place your order and she will adjust it. Order by next Tuesday, February 9th to ensure delivery by Valentine's Day. Thanks Katy!
Rocker Joan Jett caused quite a flap last week when in several interviews she accused Rush of ridiculing her all-girl 70s band The Runaways when they opened for Rush back in 1977. Jett was making the interview rounds promoting the soon to be released biopic film The Runaways and made the following comments in this JAM! Music article:
... Their Order of Canada is probably safe. But Joan Jett says members of Rush were anything but polite Canucks when the Runaways opened for them in the 1970s. In the new film biopic about the band titled The Runaways, Jett (played by Kristen Stewart) is derided by an unidentified rock group they're opening for. She later retaliates by breaking into their dressing room and urinating on one of their guitars. Jett doesn't hesitate to identify the real-life inspiration for the scene. "Rush! They sat on the side of the stage and laughed at us," Jett says. "That sort of stuff pisses me off." ...
... "And by the way, the group that refuses to give the Runaways a sound check in the movie is Rush", Jett said. ...
The Runaways actually attended a party in Rush's honor in December of 1976 as pictured here but didn't tour with them until a couple of months later in February of 1977 where the alleged incident(s) would have taken place.
Reader, Rush fan and life coach Tripp Lanier recently interviewed Esquire and ESPN Magazine's Chris Jones about his experiences with George Clooney, John McCain, various sports stars, etc. Since he's from Canada Lanier asked him if Rush was a great band or the greatest band. It gets a little bumpy at that point; apparently the answer is neither. You can listen to the interview at this link. The Rush bit is right at the end.
Online radio show The Used Bin recently aired an episode titled Bootlegs and a Babaloo. Host Joe Carona discussed how he snuck in backstage through the kitchen entrance at the Great Western Forum back in 1980 on the Permanent Waves Tour to meet Geddy Lee and how he obtained a bootleg recording of the show. He then played a rare live bootleg version of Hemispheres on air in its entirety. You can listen to the episode at this link. The Rush piece runs from about 49:30 to 1:12:10. Thanks to RushFanForever for the heads up. You may recall that I was a guest on The Used Bin this past August. The hosts are big Rush fans and often discuss the band on the program. Thanks to RushFanForever for the heads up.
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual music festival that has taken place outside Nashville, TN every summer since 2002. This year's official lineup will be announced next Tuesday, February 9th and the festival will take place June 10-13. Reader barboy2112 just noticed this Examiner.com article from back in September which speculates on the 2010 headliners. They include Rush on their list saying the following:
Progressive rock legend Rush has never played Bonnaroo, but their influence is heavily felt every year at the festival, with bands like Umphrey's McGee and Les Claypool listing them as primary influences. Therefore, it's not surprising that Rush is often cited by Bonnaroo fans on their short list of groups they'd like to see headline Bonnaroo. With guitarist Alex Lifeson announcing that Rush will begin work on a new studio album in fall of the year, 2010 seems like a perfect time for Rush to finally make their Bonnaroo appearance. The only thing that makes this slightly unlikely is that Rush hasn't had a radio hit since the 1980's, making them less popular than the typical Friday and Saturday headliners. Odds of Appearing: 10:1
I doubt this will occur, but stranger things have happened.
UPDATE - 2/7@4:05PM: The article was also posted in today's Toronto Sun and several other papers.
UPDATE - 2/6@10:10AM: For some reason the article at the Belleville Intelligencer website has been taken down. No worries though, it also appeared in the St. Catharines Standard.
... What's happening with Rush? I read on your blog that you were going to meet in November to discuss your future. What happened?
Well, in fact, we've just started working on new material. So we plan to get some writing and recording done. And we're considering doing everything this year -- maybe even a bit of touring. We are in action.
And we feel a bit liberated by the state of the music business. Even since 2006, when we started Snakes and Arrows,the album has become less significant in these times of iTunes and shuffle settings and whatnot. But perhaps we can take advantage of that and work in a whole different way. So we decided, when we did meet, that we're not constrained by the patterns of the past, where you spend a year writing and recording, and the next year touring. Anything's possible now; we can record a couple of songs and put them out and then go on tour if we want. So at this point, we're just embarking on writing, but keeping ourselves open to all those other possibilities. One of our early titles for this year was Research and Development. That's where we're at.
So you might start making music in smaller increments?
Or larger. I went to see a band called Porcupine Tree not long ago. And I was talking with (singer-guitarist) Steven Wilson. They just put out a 55- minute piece. That's a finger to the whole iTunes shuffle thing, and he intended it as such. And I thought, 'Yeah, that's another way of rebelling against it -- by just saying no.' There's too much lost in giving up the integrity of an album -- what it represents to you as a musician, and as a human being, for that matter. So I like that approach. That's very possible for a band like us. So there are no limitations; we might go big or we might go small.
Tell me about the new material -- are there songs, or is it just ideas at this point?
Oh, we just literally started. There's nothing to tell, really, except that we're doing it. ...
You can read the entire article online at this link. Thanks to RushFanForever for the heads up.
Rumors are flying around that Rush will be performing at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver next Friday, February 12th. The word is that they'll be playing a version of YYZ as part of a larger performance showcasing Canadian music. The opening ceremony will air on NBC beginning at 9PM EST on Friday, February 12th. More information as I learn it.
Between Sun and Moon handmade jewelry by fellow Rush fan Katy has been turning out Rush inspired jewelry for over 4 years now. All of Katy's pieces are inspired by Rush, named after Rush lyrics and are usually made while she's listening to Rush! Check out her brand new website and webstore. Valentine's day is coming up fast and even if your lover isn't a Rush-lover, they will love a Valentine's Day gift from Between Sun and Moon. I've given my wife (definitely not a Rush fan!) a few of Katy's pieces and she absolutely loves them. Your order will come all wrapped up and ready to give along with your personal gift card message. Katy is still offering RushIsABand.com readers Free Priority Mail with any $30 purchase (coupon code: rushisaband) or just email Katy after you place your order and she will adjust it. Order by Tuesday, February 9th to ensure delivery by Valentine's Day. Thanks Katy!
Back in June I let you know that Open Court Publishing had put out a call for papers for a Rush and Philosophy book that they were planning to release as part of their popular Culture and Philosophy book series. The table of contents for the book - listing the authors and titles of all the essays it will contain along with section titles - has been posted to co-editor Durrell Bowman's website at this link. The book will be divided into 4 sections containing 16 essays with a complete title of Rush and Philosophy: Always Hopeful, Yet Discontent:
Rush and Philosophy: Always Hopeful, Yet Discontent
Chicago: Open Court, 2010 - edited by Jim Berti and Durrell Bowman
Introduction - Jim Berti and Durrell Bowman
Part I: "The Blacksmith and the Artist"
1. Rush's Libertarianism Never "Fit the Plan" - Steven Horwitz, Ph.D.; St. Lawrence U. 2. Hardly Rand-y Peart - Deena Weinstein, Ph.D.; DePaul U. and Michael A. Weinstein, Ph.D.; Purdue U. 3. "What Can This Strange Device Be?": Man and Machine in Rush - Timothy Smolko, M.L.S.; U. of Georgia 4. Barenaked Death Metal Trip-Hopping on Industrial Strings - Durrell Bowman, Ph.D.; Kitchener, Ontario
Part II: "I Want to Look Around Me Now"
1. Myth, Mystery, and Mist?: Secular Humanism and Mystical Language in Rush - Chris McDonald, Ph.D.; Cape Breton U. 2. The Inner and Outer Worlds of Minds and Selves - Todd Suomelo, MLIS; Minnetonka, Minnesota 3. Contre Nous: Musical Otherness in Rush - Nicole Biamonte, Ph.D.; U. of Iowa 4. How is Rush Canadian? - Durrell Bowman, Ph.D.; Kitchener, Ontario
Part III: "To the Margin of Error"
1. "Cruising in Prime Time": The Drumming of Neil Peart as Distraction - Nicholas P. Greco, Ph.D.; Providence College and Seminary 2. The Groove of Rush's Complex Rhythms - John J. Sheinbaum, Ph.D.; U. of Denver 3. 'Nailed It!': Virtuosity, YouTube Performance, and Rush's Aesthetics of Replicability - John T. Reuland, Princeton U. 4. From Plato's Cave to Benjamin's Language Forest: On Imitating Rush - Andrew Cole, Ph.D.; U. of Georgia
Part IV: "The Ebb and Flow of Tidal Fortune"
1. Training Listeners to Think, Feel, and Act - Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D.; U. at Albany 2. Ghost Riding on the Razor's Edge: Neil Peart's Search for Meaning through Tragedy - Jim Berti, North Colonie Schools, U. at Albany 3. Honey on the Rim of "The Larger Bowl" - Melissa L. Beck, Woodstock Academy 4. "Bearing a Gift Beyond Price": Valuing the Music of Rush - Kayla Kreuger, M.A.; West Virginia U.
The book is expected to release sometime this year but no definitive date has been given.
UPDATE - 2/2@8:44PM: The article has been posted online at this link (thanks RushFanForever).
The February 2010 edition of the At: Guitar Center magazine contains a 5-page feature interview with Neil Peart. Neil talks about his approach to drumming and writing lyrics, his kit, touring and his views on the current state of the music industry:
... "I know that the mechanism that brought us up doesn't exist anymore," he says. "For instance, a perfect example of how reversed it is, in those days we made no money touring for a long time, even into the successful years. You counted on record sales and songwriting to make your living. And touring was a way to publicize that. Suddenly, in the last 10, 15 years all that turned around and our income is entirely from touring, and recording is an indulgence. In a band like Rush, no one's going to pay us to make a record. It's going to be an indulgence. Even Snakes & Arrows basically paid for itself and that's it, and if we want to make a living beyond that we have to go on the road and tour."...
You can check out scans of the interview by clicking on the thumbnails above. Thanks to PetieLee for the heads up and the scans.
UPDATE - 2/1@8:04AM: The complete article is now available online (thanks RushFanForever).
On Friday I mentioned that the March 2010 issue of The Walrus magazine contains a feature on Rush titled Living on a Lighted Stage: Are we finally ready to take Rush seriously?. Thanks to reader Toronto Writer I was able to get a copy of the article. It's a 4-page feature that discusses all the attention that Rush has been garnering in recent years, and talks at length about the upcoming Rush documentary. It sounds like the author was given a sneak peek of the film and the article includes many quotes from filmmaker Sam Dunn. It also confirms what I'd mentioned last week; that the movie will contain footage of the Canadian Bandstand gig that Rush played at Laura Secord High School in St. Catharines, ON in 1974. From the article:
Recorded sometime in 1974, the earliest known moving pictures of the rock band Rush are set against a decidedly unglamorous backdrop: the auditorium of Laura Secord Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario. Two of the three musicians who take the stage do their best to look the part. Dressed in a black sweater plastered with big silver musical notes, the young Alex Lifeson looks like a timid version of the humble guitar hero he will become. As for Geddy Lee, he's unmistakable; if the weird high voice isn't a giveaway, the billowing precursor of the "prophetic robes" the group would adopt as standard stagewear for the rest of the '70s surely is.
If the drummer seems strange, that's because he's not who you'd expect. Seen not long before he departed the band, John Rutsey is the longhair who thunders his way through a greasy, Zeppelinesque rocker typical of Rush's first album. A few months later, Neil Peart, a Hamilton native who grew up in the St. Catharines area, would become the crucial final member of Can-rock's holy trinity.
Captured in what turns out to be the only surviving footage of Rush's paleolithic pre-Peart era, the Laura Secord gig was one of countless high school concerts the band played during its long rise up the rock 'n' roll ladder. "I've played a lot of Sadie Hawkins dances," Geddy Lee remarks in a forthcoming documentary about the group. "We've probably bummed out a lot of people in their high school memories." ...
... The St. Catharines footage was discovered during research for the latest entry in this body of celebratory work, a new documentary by Toronto's Banger Films. Creators Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen, the team behind such hardrocking docs as Metal: A Headbanger's Journey and Iron Maiden: Flight 666, began the project in 2007 and may release it as early as this spring. Tentatively titled Rush: The Documentary, it is the first in-depth film about the group and its history. Besides never-before-seen footage like the Laura Secord show and photographs culled from the members' personal collections, the movie will include testimonials about Rush's greatness from members of Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, and others inspired by the band over the past four decades. ...
... Using interview with fans he met through rushisaband.com, as well as his own analysis of lyrics and article about the group, McDonald argues that Rush's success is largely due to its embodiment of the values, aspirations, and anxieties of the middle class. ...
RushCon is also a topic of discussion and the author talks with RushCon executive director Judy Staley:
.. She floats an analogy that equates the band with a well-loved restaurant: "It may not be the trendiest new thing on the block, but it's been there for thirty-five years, and that place is full every night. And you know what you're going to get, and you know that they only buy top-quality ingredients and that they spend a lot of time on their menu and make sure it's exactly right. All of that boils down to the integrity of the people involved." ...
Well said Judy! They also speak with Geddy himself who has some mixed feelings about the experience of reliving Rush's history for the documentary:
... "It's unwieldy, frankly - I don't like to think so much about the passage of time. To be involved in the documentary has been hard from that point of view, because they're making so much of things we've done in the past, and asking questions about details twenty-five, thirty years ago - a lot of them have just gone out of my head. It's a bit uncomfortable dwelling so much on what has happened. I'm more comfortable looking forward and not being constantly aware of how long I've been in the same rock band."
The very business of looking back - through the archival footage and photographs - can feel "self-indulgent," Lee says. "You want to spend your time thinking about things other than your own face."
UPDATE - 1/29@4:52PM: Reader thing2jordan is the one who posted the early Rush image with John Rutsey referenced below to ImageShack. She says that the guy on the far right is promoter Nick Panaseiko and musician Ronny Legg is in the middle, but she's not sure who the bearded guy is.
Their Order of Canada is probably safe. But Joan Jett says members of Rush were anything but polite Canucks when the Runaways opened for them in the 1970s. In the new film biopic about the band titled The Runaways, Jett (played by Kristen Stewart) is derided by an unidentified rock group they're opening for. She later retaliates by breaking into their dressing room and urinating on one of their guitars. Jett doesn't hesitate to identify the real-life inspiration for the scene. "Rush! They sat on the side of the stage and laughed at us," Jett says. "That sort of stuff pisses me off."
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The tour date rumors have begun! Reader Mark let me know that 105.7 WAPL out of Appleton, WI has been announcing on the air that Rush will be playing Summerfest in Milwaukee on July 3rd and their website is confirming this (free registration required to read). There's no mention on the Summerfest website though, and certainly no official word from Rush yet. Chicago's WLUP is also once again announcing on the air that Rush will be playing Chicago this Summer (thanks malterb) although they aren't giving any date. WLUP was one of the stations that was running a contest last month to promote the release of the Working Men live compilation where they gave away a chance to win tickets to Rush's next tour. They also went as far to say that they were expecting Rush to be in Chicago in 2010 with details coming soon. These are good signs and I'm sure more tour date rumors will start to trickle in over the next few weeks leading up to the official announcement which I'm still hearing will be coming later next month.
Earlier this week I reported that the long-anticipated Rush documentary is finally finished and will be making its theatrical debut sometime this Spring. The word is that the band and their management have screened the entire film and given it the green light. The details of the theatrical release are still being worked out but it will most likely be a limited release of some kind at a film festival or festivals. It will also supposedly air on VH1 some time in the late Spring and be released on DVD later this year. In November I'd mentioned that the film would contain some pro-shot footage of the band with John Rutsey on drums, purportedly taken from a Canadian Bandstand gig that Rush played at Laura Secord High School in St. Catharines, ON in 1974. I've received separate confirmation that this is indeed the case and that about 2-3 minutes of surprisingly quality footage from this show will be included in the film. I'd also heard that a good bit of footage was cut for the theatrical release but that most of this would eventually make it to the DVD release as extras.
Speaking of the late John Rutsey, RushFanForever dug up this old photo of Rush that was recently posted to ImageShack. It shows John Rutsey, Geddy and Alex with 3 unknown (to me at least) people. If anyone has seen this before or knows who's in the photo, let us know.
Canadian television networks CBC, CTV and Global organized a one-hour charity telethon called Canada for Haiti which aired last Friday night at 7PM. They ended up raising millions of dollars for a group of Canadian charities working in Haiti. Geddy Lee made an appearance at the event but did not perform. You can see video of his appearance at this link. The event was then followed by a US benefit called Hope for Haiti Now. Canadians who would like to help out may call 1-877-51HAITI (42484) or you can give online at canadaforhaiti.com. Anyone can also donate via the Hope for Haiti website.
I didn't watch the live performance but based on this YouTube video, I can clearly hear the thumping during the clapping. If this allegation is solely based on not hearing the clapping thump on the mic, then it is clearly incorrect.
Tommy Shaw and Peter Frampton also chimed in, agreeing with Alex's assessment. Thanks to George for the heads up.
Back in the June 2009 issue of DRUM! Magazine, Neil Peart answered some questions that were sent in by readers for a cover feature titled Thus Spoke Neil: DRUM! Readers Interview Neil Peart. The magazine ended up receiving over 1000 question submissions from fans that they whittled down to 11, including questions from RIAB regulars Spindrifter, DrummerDad2112, and barboy2112. There was also a sidebar article where Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner asked his own question of Neil. DRUM! Magazine finally posted the article to their website earlier this week at this link. You can also check out full scans of the article in this post.
The March/April issue of The Walrus magazine contains a feature on Rush titled Living on a Lighted Stage: Are we finally ready to take Rush seriously?. It's a 4-page feature that discusses all the attention that Rush has been garnering recently. Thanks to Paul D for the heads up.
Rush gets a mention in a sidebar article to a recent San Antonio Express-News feature story on heavy metal band Anvil titled Canadian Bands Rocked San Antonio Airwaves In 1970s, 1980s. Writer David Glessner looks back on how San Antonio DJs championed Canadian rock bands during the late 1970s and 1980s:
... "The first Rush album was our introduction to Canadian rock 'n' roll," said former KMAC/KISS DJ Lou Roney. "At first, that album was an import. The record labels in Canada realized that these radio guys in San Antonio would play Canadian bands, so they started flooding us with stuff. Next came Triumph, Garfield and Moxy. It was kind of an accident, but fortunately we liked about 80 percent of the stuff they sent us."
While Rush and Triumph have long acknowledged the importance to their careers of the late, iconic KISS DJ Joe "The Godfather" Anthony, a long list of other Canadian bands, including Anvil, Aldo Nova, Coney Hatch, Killer Dwarfs, Helix, Exciter and April Wine, once crackled with life in San Antonio.
"When I think of Anvil, I think of my friends Joe Anthony and Lou Roney," said KZEP music director Tom Scheppke. "Those guys had a pipeline to all of the up-and-coming bands, especially from Canada. Anvil's problem was that they were ahead of their time musically, plus they didn't get good support from their record labels like fellow Canadian bands Rush and Triumph."
Rush gets a mention in this article on the soon to be released biopic film The Runaways which chronicles the story of 70s all-girl band The Runaways:
... The movie, which had its world premiere here at the Sundance Film Festival Sunday night, takes the viewer on the frenetic voyage shared by Currie and Jett, two women who accidentally rewrote the book on "c-rock" and, according to Jett herself, endured the ridicule of iconic Canadian band Rush when they shared the same bill. ...
The Runaways opened for Rush a couple of times back in the mid 70s and are pictured with band members Lita Ford, Cherie Currie and Joan Jett in this photograph. I'm not sure what form of ridicule Rush inflicted on them, but they seem cordial enough in the photo. Thanks to RushFanForever for the heads up.
... In Bangkok next week. Peter Makowski is joining me to do a travel story for Guitar Aficionado, so I looked at the new issue which has Alex Lifeson playing golf . Yes folks, lots of unrest in the forest as he blasts out the Trees on his ES355 in between holes, looking for Xanadu in the suburbs of Toronto. It was such a shock seeing Alex with his nine iron - wonder if Geddy caddies for him. The low point is a story on Mark Seliger with a portrait of him showing how ugly he is, with badly dyed hair.
"I have a stage pass from the "Moving Pictures" tour that features a giant turd in a toilet bowl as the picture. It was called "The Shit Pass" (for obvious reasons). Guys would come up to you and say that they'd lost their pass and needed another one - which was fine, only you'd see their girlfriend wearing their pass 20 minutes later. When you gave them "The Shit Pass" as a replacement, it was amazing how fast they'd find their original.")
You can check out the passes by clicking on the thumbnails above. Many thanks to Mr. Grandy and Skip for sharing these.
Speaking of Skip, last week his Rush Petition website was re-launched in preparation for the upcoming 2010 Rush tour. The site is a means for Rush fans to voice their opinion on which Rush songs they wanted to hear on tour. This time around they are asking fans to choose 5 songs that Rush has not played live in the past 20 years. If you haven't voted yet, go to RushPetition.com and do so. As of this posting The Camera Eye and Jacob's Ladder are holding onto the number one and two spots respectively with Hemispheres a strong third.
MusicTap.com ran an informal poll this past week to determine the most underrated guitarists. Alex Lifeson made the list with multiple votes. Thanks to Matteo for the heads up.
Nettie let me know that there's a new item for sale at Neil Peart's Bubba's Bar -n- Grill merchandise store: drink coasters! $9.99 for a set of four.
And I'll leave you this week with this bootleg video of a Rush soundcheck at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on May 17, 1990, during the Presto tour (thanks drummerdad2112).
Back in the June 2009 issue of DRUM! Magazine, Neil Peart answered some questions that were sent in by readers for a cover feature titled Thus Spoke Neil: DRUM! Readers Interview Neil Peart. The magazine ended up receiving over 1000 question submissions from fans that they whittled down to 11, including questions from RIAB regulars Spindrifter, DrummerDad2112, and barboy2112. There was also a sidebar article where Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner asked his own question of Neil.
It took them a while but they have finally posted the article to the DRUM! Magazine website at this link. The sidebar article and many of the images are not included so I posted scans so you can get the full effect. Just click on the thumbnails above. Thanks to RushFanForever for the heads up and the scans.
... the Rush Doc is done and dusted. Look for some announcements and possibly a premiere in the Spring!!
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I've recently received information that the long-anticipated Rush documentary is finally finished and will be making its theatrical debut sometime this Spring. The word is that the band and their management have screened the entire film and given it the green light. The details of the theatrical release are still being worked out but it will most likely be a limited release of some kind at a film festival or festivals. It will also supposedly air on VH1 some time in the late Spring and be released on DVD later this year. In November I'd mentioned that the film would contain some pro-shot footage of the band with John Rutsey on drums, purportedly taken from a Canadian Bandstand gig that Rush played at Laura Secord High School in St. Catharines, ON in 1974. I've received separate confirmation that this is indeed the case and that about 2-3 minutes of surprisingly quality footage from this show will be included in the film. I'd also heard that a good bit of footage was cut for the theatrical release but that most of this would eventually make it to the DVD release as extras.
UPDATE - 1/23@4:20PM: The Geddy portion of the show is now up on YouTube (thanks RushFanForever):
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UPDATE - 1/23@12:15PM: The entire program has been posted to the CBC's website at this link (thanks RushFanForever). Geddy's part comes in at around the 40-minute mark. Unfortunately you need to be in Canada to view the video.
UPDATE - 1/23@10:07AM:I added some photos from the event (thanks State of Grace and RushFanForever).
Canadian television networks CBC, CTV and Global organized a one-hour charity telethon called Canada for Haiti which aired last night at 7PM. They ended up raising over $9.4 million for a group of Canadian charities working in Haiti. Geddy Lee made an appearance at the event but did not perform. The event was then followed by a US benefit called Hope for Haiti Now. Canadians who would like to help out may call 1-877-51HAITI (42484) or you can give online at canadaforhaiti.com. Anyone can also donate via the Hope for Haiti website.
Earlier this week the Rush Petition website was re-launched in preparation for the upcoming 2010 Rush tour. The site was the brainchild of BOS Music co-founder, Rush fan and RIAB reader Skip Daly and his partner-in-crime Al Horta. The two created the site as a means for Rush fans to voice their opinion on which Rush songs they wanted to hear live. This time around they are asking fans to choose 5 songs that Rush has not played live in the past 20 years. As of this posting The Camera Eye and Jacob's Ladder are holding onto the number one and two spots respectively. The Rush Petition site was first launched prior to the Vapor Trails tour back in 2001 and has been re-launched prior to every tour since then. The band has admitted in interviews that they are familiar with the site and have taken it into consideration when building out their setlists.
Rush's Permanent Waves was the subject of an hour-long In The Studio with Redbeard rockumentary radio show which aired last week. The show featured interview segments with all 3 members of Rush from past In The Studio interviews where they discussed the album. Permanent Waves celebrated its 30th anniversary this past January 1st. The interview segments from the special (about 20-21 minutes) have been posted to the In The Studio website in the player on the home page.
Reader Rob T let me know that Rush's Caress of Steel gets a mention in the February 2010 issue of Stereophile Magazine in the Records to Die For feature where writers and contributors list their favorite recordings to listen to on their high end audio systems. Writer Brian Damkroger's list included Rush's Caress of Steel. Here's what he said about it:
Caress of Steel, Rush's third album narrowly edges out their fourth, 2112, as my R2D4. The sparse arrangements showcase their playing; in particular, Alex Lifeson's chord-based guitar style is shown off far better here than on their later, more complex albums. With Caress and 2112, Rush exploited the album format with longer, more developed operettas than were possible with their later focus on radio-friendly singles. Yes, "I think Im going bald" is woefully out of place, the lyrics a little pretentious, and Geddy Lee's vocals are an acquired taste, but the music and sound are incredible. Rush at their very best.
Rush was a topic of discussion in the third hour of this past Wednesday's edition of syndicated sports talk show The Dan Patrick Show. The guys started discussing the movie I Love You, Man and Rush's involvement with it. They then got on the topic of Rush not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At one point Dan says ... finding out Rush is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is more egregious than finding out Troy Aikman is not in the Hall of Fame... (Troy Aikman was a guest earlier in the show). Dan went on to mention that he saw Rush on the 2112 tour. You can listen to the discussion online at this link. The Rush bit begins at around the 32-minute mark. Thanks to cygnusceo and Dave R for the heads up.
The current Pollstar.com homepage poll is asking readers who their favorite drummer is. Neil Peart is one of the choices available and is currently in the lead with nearly half the vote. To cast your vote go to this link. Thanks to AnalogKidAudioVideo for the heads up.
Artist Tom Noll specializes in oil paintings of famous musicians and is currently offering a 27" x 18" Neil Peart Soulscape giclee print from his original energetic oil painting. The print sells for $350 plus shipping and is available via Tom's website at this link. Thanks to rosmakloma for the heads up.
Reader Tom let me know that Geddy Lee was recently featured at the Totally Looks Like blog. They say Geddy totally looks like ... Ozzy Osbourne? They have similar hair and glasses, but I'd say that's where the resemblance stops.
[NEWS, WEATHER, and SPORTS: February, 2010 - Fire On Ice]
We were hit with a big Rush rumor yesterday; that Rush will be performing at the 
Rumors are flying around that Rush will be performing at the 
