Rush is a Band

A blog devoted to RUSH:
Neil Peart, Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson

Thu, Mar 28, 2024

Updates and other random Rush stuff

Fri, Jul 7, 2017@11:53AM | comments

Last week Jacob Moon and David Barrett achieved their initial fundraising goal in an effort to organize a FREE concert of Rush and Rush-inspired music at the Lee Lifeson Art Park on Wednesday, July 19th. The pair launched a GoFundMe page a few weeks ago and after surpassing their original goal of $2112 and ensuring that the concert will happen, are now attempting to raise some more funds in order to enhance the experience. As part of the project they are also recording a version of Rush's Time Stand Still and hope to get former Rush producer Terry Brown to mix it. Here's their latest update:

We are looking to hire percussionist and drummer Rob 'Beatdown' Brown to join us on a bunch of tunes on the 19th and we need your help to cover this extra cost. I believe it's worth it to hire this amazing musician who played on covers of 'Something for Nothing' and 'Owner of a Lonely Heart', from my back catalog. Consider sharing this campaign with your friends and help us get there!

We are pre-producing 'Time Stand Still' this week and David has already laid down baritone guitar, laud, and mandolin. I will be performing some electric touches as well as vocals this week. It's gonna be a special version of this iconic song!

So far they've raised nearly $2300 and you can help them reach their new goal of $3000 at this location. Canadian singer-songwriter Jacob Moon garnered the attention of Rush and their fans when he posted a YouTube video of himself performing an impressive rooftop solo rendition of Rush's Subdivisions several years ago. The video quickly went viral, and Rush later asked Jacob to perform the song at their Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony back in March of 2010. Since then Moon has covered some other Rush songs including a rendition of Something for Nothing that was on the recent 2112 40th anniversary reissue, and also performed at the opening of the Lee Lifeson Art Park in Willowdale last fall. Musician David Barret of the David Barrett Trio is friends with Alex Lifeson, who helped produce the band's first 2 albums and the Trio often covers Rush and are a regular act at Lifeson's Toronto club The Orbit Room.

Geddy Lee has been fairly quiet on his official Instagram page this summer, but did manage to post a photo of some colorful Stratocaster guitars yesterday as seen here:

I'll always be a bassman first but sometimes a fella has to cozy up to some awesome Strats...just love these...
#everydayisstraturday #preCBS
#55SB #59RomanRed
#63CAR #63IncaSIlver
#63ShorelineGold
#64DaphneBlue #bassman #fender #stratocaster #strats

Rush has donated a rare acoustic guitar to the Kaitlyn Bates Initiative for a fundraiser gala to be held on September 22nd at the Cobourg Best Western. The Kaitlyn Bates Initiative works to build self-esteem and personal development in youth. During the day on Friday, September 22nd, Canadian artist Lorraine Segato will hold group workshops for children ages seven to 11 years old. The sessions will be structured around Parachute Club's most well-known and best loved song Rise Up and the power in the lyrics. The fundraising dinner begins at 7PM and is also hosted by Segato:

... Rush has donated a one-of-a-kind acoustic guitar valued at more than $5,000 that was made for and presented to the group during their induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Modern era category in 2010 as a rock group. All three members of Rush - Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart - signed the guitar along with fellow inductee Robert Charlebois. The special edition ES 1016 Boucher guitar is made by Quebec-based Boucher Guitars and comes with a case. The name Rush is inlaid in pearl in the neck of the guitar. It can only be won by purchasing a ticket to the Sept. 22 Kaitlyn Bates fundraiser. The winner must be in attendance for the draw.

Canada celebrated its 150th birthday this past Saturday, July 1st on Canada Day and to commemorate the occasion a number of Canadian radio stations and news outlets compiled lists of the greatest Canadian bands, artists, songs and albums. It's no surprise that Rush showed up on most of these lists that we've been featuring in the Friday Rush updates over the past several weeks. Sirius XM Canada compiled their list based on votes from listeners and revealed the results last weekend. Five Rush songs made the cut including Freewill at #99, Subdivisions at #61, Closer to the Heart at #41, The Spirit of Radio at #29, and Tom Sawyer made the top 5 coming in at #4. CBC Music asked a few Canadian artists what songs reminds them of Canada, and James Bryan of the Philosopher Kings picked Rush's The Spirit of Radio (thanks RushFanForever):

"Spirit of the Radio" by Rush. It's one of the first licks that I learned. And it was the first band I ever saw live. So it inspired me to do this whole thing.

And Kid Koala picked Bob and Doug McKenzie's Take Off which featured guest vocals from Geddy Lee:

I grew up listening to Bob and Doug McKenzie records and watching them on SCTV. This is the Canadian anthem. Bob and Doug McKenzie and Geddy Lee from Rush! What more could you ask for?

The Rush Backstage Club created a custom Canada 150 t-shirt to celebrate the 150th birthday of Rush's home country. The black t-shirt shows a version of the Rush starman but with the star replaced with a maple leaf with the text Canada 150 underneath and RUSH across the top. The shirt will be available for a limited time and you can purchase one at this location.

Author Kevin J. Anderson announced via his blog back in April that a graphic novel representation of he and Neil Peart's 2015 novel Clockwork Lives - the follow-up to Clockwork Angels - will be getting released in the near future. Clockwork Angels was released as a graphic novel back in 2015. Anderson has been tweeting reports on the progress of the graphic novel and revealed earlier this week that longtime Rush album artist Hugh Syme will be doing the cover art:

Progressive jam band Umphrey's McGee recently wrapped up a three-night run at Red Rocks in Colorado with a double-bill featuring an opening set from Bruce Hornsby followed by a two-set show from the headliners heavy on some of their live staples as well as a few surprises. One of those surprises was a debut cover of Rush's Red Barchetta featuring Jen Hartswick on vocals as seen in this YouTube video.

Neil Peart gets a mention in this recent National Post article titled Your hatred of fidget spinners is righteous and good: Our unscientific guide to why:

... Probably the greatest crime of the fidget spinner, though, is that it's a device designed to waste fidget energy. Many suppliers, in fact, tout the devices' effectiveness at "killing time." Look into the backgrounds of countless famous figures and you'll find a fidgeter. ... Here in Canada, Rush's Neil Peart grew up in St. Catharines, Ont., with a tapping problem. "Rhythm especially seemed to affect me, in a physical way, and soon I was tapping all the time - on tables, knees, and with a pair of chopsticks on baby sister Nancy's playpen," he said in a 1994 interview. Now ask yourself, Canada: Could you abide a world in which a young Neil Peart had been given a fidget spinner instead of a drum kit?

Like many state legislatures in the US this past weekend, the Oregon legislature struggled to get their state budget passed before the July 4th holiday amid a great deal of partisan bickering. Oregon Democratic representative and Rush fan, Mark Meek, acknowledged the tension in the chamber by standing at his desk and singing Rush's The Trees as seen in this video:

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!

Share