To celebrate the launch of their dedicated bass channel, MusicRadar.com is running a poll to determine the greatest bass player of all time. Geddy Lee is in the running and needs your help. You can vote for Geddy at this link; the poll is down the page a little in the middle column. Thanks to MechBill2112 for the heads up. While you're at it, keep voting for Rush's Moving Pictures in the Wines that Rock poll and vote for Countdown in NASA's Space Rock poll.
Neil Peart featured in Rhythm magazine's 25th anniversary issue
Rhythm has enjoyed 25 years as the UK's best-selling drumming magazine, and we're marking the occasion with a special issue jam-packed with star interviews. Past Rhythm cover stars including Thomas Lang, Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, Mike Portnoy, Steve Gadd, Joey Jordison, Nicko McBrain, Travis Barker, Ian Paice, Dave Weckl, Chad Smith, Terry Bozzio, Nick Mason and Steve Gadd share their memories of the magazine and their careers during the last 25 years, and reveal what lies ahead. We've also re-printed classic interviews with sadly departed drum legends Jeff Porcaro and Elvin Jones.
Just like they did back in 2008, VH1 Classic is using the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah as an excuse to air nothing but Rush programming for 24 hours straight. Rush Hashanah begins this evening at sundown with the Rush documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage at 7PM EST and the premiere of the 2112/Moving Pictures Classic Albums special immediately following at 9:30PM. You can check out the complete schedule at the VH1 Classic website. The Classic Albums special will also be released to DVD/Blu-ray later this month on September 28th. The DVD version will have a running time of 112 minutes including 50 minutes of bonus footage not included in the VH1 Classic broadcast. You can pre-order your copy on both DVD and Blu-ray, along with a special DVD/Blu-ray combo package that also includes both the 2112 and Moving Pictures CDs (4 discs total). The special includes commentary from all three members of Rush along with producer Terry Brown, Taylor Hawkins of The Foo Fighters, Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke and many others. You can watch a short minute-and-a-half preview video at this link. The video shows Neil Peart, David Fricke, Alex Lifeson and Terry Brown talking about Limelight.
... "Alex is definitely a highlight for us," says Fox. "We asked him if he would paint for us, and I think, to be honest, he was very pleasantly surprised with how well his first painting sold. It sold for $3,000, and that really got him excited, so he painted the next year and it sold for $5,700. He has been with us every step of the way." ...
Rush hits the PNC Bank Center in Holmdel, NJ tonight for show number 30 on the Time Machine Tour; the last before taking another 11-day hiatus, closing out the 2nd portion of the US leg. Hurricane Earl has thankfully decided not to attend tonight's show, veering off to the northeast and only leaving behind a little rain and wind. The show will go on! For everybody going this evening have fun, be safe, and make sure to share your photos/videos/reports.
Date/Time: Friday, September 3rd @ 7:30PM Show Number: 30 Venue:PNC Bank Arts Center Place: Holmdel, NJ
Rush hit the state fair circuit this past week playing shows at the Minnesota, Allentown and New York Fairs along with Sunday night's gig in Columbus. Despite the rumors, the Columbus show was obviously not filmed but the latest rumor is that the Pittsburgh show at the brand new Consol Energy Center will get this honor. Apparently one of the reasons behind not filming the Columbus show was Neil's recent ear issues and the fact that's he's been needing to wear headphones; they didn't want to film the show with Neil wearing the bulky headphones. After this evening's show at the PNC Bank Center in Holmdel, NJ they'll take another 11-day hiatus until cranking up the third and final US leg of the tour in Boston on September 14th. Hurricane Earl seems to have decided not to purchase a VIP ticket to the show tonight, so all should be well weather-wise except for a little wind/rain. Although the word is that Hurricane Lance will be making landfall in the first row - so watch out! Jared Max is the sports director at WCBS 880 in New York City and also a huge Rush fan. In honor of tonight's show he stuck a bunch of Rush references in today's sportscast. You can listen to it at this link or using the player below.
Earlier this week a new interview with Alex Lifeson was published at MusicRadar.com. The interview was conducted last week on Alex's 57th birthday just before the Minnesota State Fair show. The interview focuses on several of the same topics that Alex recently covered in his interview with Allentown's The Morning Call, such as the tour and the new album. He also discusses Rush's recent surge in popularity - especially with women, how the idea of playing Moving Pictures came about, and he expands a bit on their plans for recording the new album Clockwork Angels. You can read the entire interview at this link.
Just like they did 2 years ago, VH1 Classic will be airing a special in celebration of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah this coming Wednesday, September 8th called Rush Hashanah. Nothing but Rush programming will air for 24 hours straight starting with the Rush documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage at 7PM EST and the premiere of the 2112/Moving Pictures Classic Albums special immediately following at 9:30PM. You can check out the complete schedule at the VH1 Classic website.
Universal released yet another Rush compilationthis past Tuesday as part of their new ICON series. The package includes 12 Rush songs from the period when the band was on the Mercury record label (through 1987), including some very interesting selections not included on past compilations such as The Twilight Zone and The Necromancer. You can see the complete tracklist and order Rush ICON at this link.
A couple of weeks ago we learned that VH1 will be airing an updated version of thier 100 Greatest Music Artists of All Time special over 4 nights starting with a 2-hour program this coming Monday, September 6th. The list was determined by polling well-known music artists and industry experts including Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. VH1 conducted the same poll back in 1998 as their first ever countdown special. At that time Rush did not make their list, but this time they come in at #75. You can read the official press release at this link.
In an updates post from a couple of weeks ago and in subsequent posts, I'd mentioned that NASA was running a Space Rock contest where they were asking folks to vote for their favorite wakeup songs to be played on the upcoming STS-133 Space Shuttle mission. Two of the 40 songs up for voting will be chosen and one of the songs being considered is Rush's Countdown. Rush was doing very well in the voting until one Star Trek fan decided to hack the voting system and racked up 100,000+ votes for both the Star Trek Theme and Magic Carpet Ride (this song has Star Trek significance), effectively eliminating Rush from the top two. Several fans contacted NASA regarding the cheating and were told that they were working on a solution and that they are not taking the situation lightly. However, nothing has been done yet and Rush is still way behind in third place. I don't see the point of bothering with the poll until the cheating is addressed, but you can vote for Rush as often as you wish at this link.
While we wait for the cheating in the NASA poll to be handled, we can focus our attention on another poll where Rush needs some help from the fans. Several weeks ago I let you know that winemaker Wines That Rockare conducting a poll to determine the next classic album that will inspire the next Wine That Rocks. Rush's Moving Pictures is in the running and needs our help; they are currently in second place behind AC/DC's Back in Black. It also looks like you can vote multiple times so go vote for Rush!
Speaking of wine, internationally recognized wine expert Mark Oldmanjust released his new bookOldman's Brave New World of Wine and Alex Lifeson along with dozens of other celebrity wine lovers are profiled in the book. Alex discusses his favorite wines, wine-based experiences, and a few tricks he's picked up over the years. Here's an excerpt:
Bandmate Geddy Lee and I went to California's Turkey Wine Cellars in late September of 1998 to spend a few days working the harvest. We pulled all of the leaves and spiders and all that stuff out of the bins, and so we were covered head-to-toe in grape juice. Later, Ged and I stopped at this restaurant for lunch. Our shirts and fingers were all purple-we were so proud! People were like, "Yeah, you guys are locals, aren't you? We'll get you some service right away, sir." -Alex Lifeson
Geddy Lee: Well after I stop crying, I start drinking heavily. Alex Lifeson: It's interesting for me this summer because I celebrated my 21st birthday about a week or ten days or so after we went on the road on our first tour in Minneapolis. And we'll be playing on my 57th birthday in Minneapolis.
Thanks to Scott_PA for the heads up.
This year's RushCon conventions in Toronto and Las Vegas were a huge success and the folks at RushCon have posted their 2010 convention wrap-up write-up which you can check out at this link. It's chock full of great photos and a rundown of all the events.
Speaking of Rush conventions, the 2010 East Coast Rush TabCon will take place the weekend of September 10-11 at Blackdog Recording Studios in Rochester, NY. This is the first time in 10 years that TabCon participants have performed and recorded live Rush songs in a full recording studio. The next TabCon after this one will be annual Mid-West TabCon at St. Francis High School in St. Francis, WI October 8-11. For more information be sure to visit the Rush TabCon website and to view videos of past performances, check out the Rush TabCon page on YouTube.
The September special Percussion Issue of the Musician's Friend catalog features Neil Peart on the cover as well as a foldout photo of Neil at his kit which you can check out at this link. Thanks to Power Windows for the heads up.
Reader rb2112 let me know about a recent Chicago Tribune article which asks the question of whether the band The Ides of March is the longest-running current band in history. The article includes a graphic that features Rush along with a few other long-running bands which you can check out here.
Eric at Power Windows came across this article titled Rush to your wallet which discusses the exorbitant price of concert tickets of late.
Reader random_sample dug up an old Musician magazine article from June of 1988 titled Neil Peart's Heady Metal: Rush's Rhythmatist Holds Forth where Neil Peart is interviewed. You can check out some scans of the article by clicking on the thumbnails.
Speaking of iTunes, the guys at iLounge.com recently posted yet another article strewn with screenshots of Rush songs and playlists at this link (thanks rosmakloma).
Rush's debut album is the subject of this recent Consequence of Sound article. The author considers this album in the context of wondering what Rush would have become had John Rutsey never left the band. You can check it out at this link. Thanks to Power Windows for the heads up.
Rush was discussed on this past Sunday's airing of syndicated radio talk show Loveline with Mike and Dr. Drew. At one point they took a call from someone in Canada and Mike went off for a minute or so raving about the Rush documentary and the two talked for a minute or two about the band.
Reader A-CELL-OF-AWARENESS located this bootleg video of Rush performing Red Barchetta at the Allentown Fair earlier this week. The video is notable because Alex maneuvers around in a way reminiscent of how he used to strut the stage back in the 80s. Lerxst must be feeling energized since his 57th birthday. You can check it out at around the 4-4:35 section in this video (obvious tour SPOILERS).
That's all for this week. Have a great holiday weekend!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Alex Lifeson profiled in Oldman's Brave New World of Wine
Internationally recognized wine expert Mark Oldman just released his new book Oldman's Brave New World of Wine and Alex Lifeson along with dozens of other celebrity wine lovers are profiled in the book. Alex discusses his favorite wines, wine-based experiences, and a few tricks he's picked up over the years. Here's an excerpt:
Bandmate Geddy Lee and I went to California's Turkey Wine Cellars in late September of 1998 to spend a few days working the harvest. We pulled all of the leaves and spiders and all that stuff out of the bins, and so we were covered head-to-toe in grape juice. Later, Ged and I stopped at this restaurant for lunch. Our shirts and fingers were all purple-we were so proud! People were like, "Yeah, you guys are locals, aren't you? We'll get you some service right away, sir." -Alex Lifeson
Rush hits yet another state fair tonight, playing the Grandstand at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY for show #29. For everybody going to the show have fun, be safe, and make sure to share your photos/videos/reports.
The Rush Backstage Club is running a new contest where you could win a 23"x36" Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage poster. Unfortunately it's not autographed by the band though. The contest runs until September 15th and you can sign up to enter at this link. The posters can also be purchased through Amazon in the 24"x36" size or a larger 27"x40" size. Thanks to hermy for the heads up.
... I think the documentary, above anything else, made us accessible to women. Believe me, it hasn't gone unnoticed that we're seeing a lot more women at our shows than ever before, and that's probably not by accident. Something is definitely bringing women in. I think the documentary affected them somehow. ... Perhaps a lot of women - maybe their husbands or boyfriends were lifelong fans - might never have thought of coming to see us live, but they saw the documentary and see us in a new light. ...
On the idea of playing Moving Pictures in its entirety:
... Actually, the idea came from Neil. He had seen Steely Dan play last year, and they were doing a different album every night. So that got him thinking that maybe we should do something like that. We always needed to address the song Camera Eye because it's the most-requested track in our catalogue. So the decision to do Moving Pictures from beginning to end meant that we could do Camera Eye but also do something interesting that we knew our fans would enjoy. It's been absolutely terrific, I must say. We start playing Moving Pictures, and by the time we're done, it feels like time just flew by. The fans love it, we love it - I'm really glad at how it's being received. ...
He adds this interesting tidbit regarding the Limelight solo:
... I've always enjoyed the elasticity of that solo, particularly the way it sounds on the record. It has a certain tonality I just love. I do like playing the solo live, but I think I prefer listening to it on the album. On record, it has a magical quality to it - it really conveys the pathos of the song and the lyrics. I've never been able to re-create that live. I get pretty close, but it's never exactly the way it is on record. I'll keep trying, though. ...
And he expands on their plans for recording the new album Clockwork Angels:
... When we finish the tour, we'll review the songs we wrote. There's bound to be some changes and modifications. In fact, I think both Caravan and BU2B will be re-recorded. ... Because they've grown. And, you know, why not? We'll see what happens and see if we can better them - although we are happy with them as they are now. The title track, Clockwork Angels, is becoming quite an epic, so we'll have to see where that goes. It's going to be a lot of fun getting back in the studio, especially at this point in the game, when we're playing at our peak. ... we haven't made any decisions as to where we'll record when we pick things up again. You know, I have my own studio at home, so I'd love to do the guitars there. The thing about Nashville is, that's where Nick lives. He'd been away from home a lot, and I think he was really hoping that we'd agree to work there. We didn't have a problem with that. It's good for us to go away sometimes and be a little more focused - certainly, there are distractions when you're home. So going to Nashville and working for a week was no big deal. Blackbird is a terrific studio. Great gear, great rooms, a wonderful staff - it was a no-brainer to be there. Moving forward, however, we'll see. You know, Neil lives in Los Angeles, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we did the drums there. I want to do the guitars in my home studio. I don't know how Geddy feels about going to separate studios to do vocals and bass tracks. It's all a ways off, though. We still have a bunch of touring to do. ...
It's a well-done, extensive interview that I think every Rush fan will enjoy. You can check it out at this link. Thanks to Dalton for the heads up.
Rush Time Machine Tour: Allentown Fair open thread
Rush takes the Time Machine to the Allentown Fair this evening where it's going to be a HOT one; temperatures are going to reach the mid-90s! For everybody going to the show tonight have fun, stay cool, be safe, and be sure to share your photos/videos/reports.
Universal releases yet another Rush compilation today as part of their new ICON series. The package includes 12 Rush songs from the period when the band was on the Mercury record label (through 1987), including some very interesting selections not included on past compilations. Here's the complete tracklist:
1) Working Man 2) Fly By Night 3) The Necromancer 4) The Twilight Zone 5) Closer to the Heart 6) Circumstances 7) Freewill 8) Limelight 9) The Analog Kid 10) Red Sector A 11) Marathon 12) Force Ten
Rush continues their journey east, playing the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH this evening for stop #27 on the Time Machine Tour. For several weeks rumors were swirling that this show would be filmed. Unfortunately I'm now hearing that this won't be the case and that plans to film the Columbus show have been scrapped in favor of another show later in the tour. I have no information on what the reasoning behind this decision was, or which show will end up being filmed. In either case, it should be a great show to a packed house. Earlier this week it looked like the show had been sold out but Live Nation pushed the stage back and opened up a few more sections, so as of right now tickets are still available. There are several pre-show gatherings happening at the Gordon Biersch Brewery, O'Shaughnessy's Pub and The Frog Bear & Wild Boar. I'll be at the Gordon's gathering if you'd like to stop in and say hello. For everybody going to the show tonight have fun, be safe, and make sure to share your photos/videos/reports.
Date/Time: Sunday, August 29th @ 7:30PM Show Number: 27 Venue:Nationwide Arena Place: Columbus, OH
Neil Peart is one of the many drummers featured in the 25th anniversary issue of 
According to 
Rush hit the state fair circuit this past week playing shows at the 
Speaking of Rush conventions, the 2010 East Coast Rush TabCon will take place the weekend of September 10-11 at 
The September special Percussion Issue of the 
