2026 is here, and for the first time in over a decade, we have a Rush tour to look forward to this coming summer!! Rush's Fifty Something tour will kick off in Los Angeles in June, and finish up towards the end of the year on December 17th in Vancouver. Although that's likely not the end of the story, as additional legs outside of North America are planned. Now that the new year is upon us, it looks like Rush is gathering some of their old road crew together to prep for the upcoming tour. We already know that longtime Rush lighting director Howard Ungerleider will be heavily involved with the tour, and it's likely that Ged will be employing his old bass tech Scully, who was responsible for turning Rush onto new drummer Anika Nilles. Speaking of Anika, she'll be relying on the skills of Neil Peart's old drum tech Lorne Wheaton to help navigate the ins-and-outs of drumming on a Rush tour, as Lorne reveals in this Instagram post from earlier in the week, with the caption, "Dusting off the old work box". He also confirms in the comments that Anika will be using her own TAMA drums rather than any of Neil Peart's old kits.

Just like Rush themselves, the preeminent Rush fan gathering, RushCon is returning for 2026 after a decade-long hiatus. RushCon 2026 will take place in its traditional home of Toronto this summer over the weekend of August 7-9, coinciding with the band's hometown tour stops. This won't be the only RushCon event on the tour however. Earlier this week they announced that they'll be hosting a Madison Square Garden pre-show party on Saturday August 1st - the day of the 3rd of 4 MSG shows - with tickets available here. The event will take place at The Rutherford with exact timing TBD. From RushCon.org:

Join us in New York City for the RushCon NYC Pre-Show Party, a limited-capacity rooftop meetup bringing Rush fans together before the concert at Madison Square Garden. Connect with fellow fans, enjoy light food, grab a drink from the cash bar, and soak up the atmosphere at a private rooftop venue. After all, where better to warm up for a concert than a private party with a bunch of other Rush fans? Space is limited.

Join fans from around the world and grab your tickets now!

(Exact timing will be announced closer to the event.)

Six years ago this past Tuesday, on January 7, 2020, Neil Peart passed away at the age of 67 after a three-year battle with brain cancer. To commemorate the occasion, Rush tribute band YYNOT will be hosting their 4th annual Bubba Bash in celebration of The Professor TOMORROW night at the Keswick Theatre outside Philly (Glenside, PA). Like the previous 3 years, the show will be "In Celebration of Neil Peart", and feature YYNOT along with special guests, and all proceeds going to support cancer charities. In addition to YYNOT and returning artists, the new artists for this year will be Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob, Category 7), Fer Velasco (Rush Monterrey Tribute, Mexico), Greg Russell (Natural Science), Jack Gibson (Exodus, Category 7) and Tyme Rogers (Tech 21 NYC). You can check out some of videos from previous events on YYNOT's YouTube channel here, and tickets are still available for purchase via AXS.com. Rush posted this Instagram tribute to Neil on Tuesday:

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Back in June of last year, Rush followed up their November, 2024 release of The Albums: 1989-1996 vinyl box set, with a similar release covering the band's 2002-2012 period. The set contains Rush's 3 studio albums from that time period, each on 2 LPs, along with one LP containing their 2004 Feedback EP. Only a limited number of the sets were made available and quickly sold out. The LPs from this pressing were not made available for standalone purchase at the time the box set released, although each had already been available on vinyl in some shape or form in the past. But if you missed out on purchasing the sets this past summer, Rhino Records has included 3 of the 4 releases as part of their Start Your Ear Off Right (SYEOR) 2026 series. So as of today Vapor Trails, Feedback and Snakes & Arrows from the set can be purchased as standalone LPs from various online sellers. It's not quite clear why Clockwork Angels was not included in Rhino's SYEOR lineup.

Speaking of Rush on vinyl, the Rush Backstage Club sent out a newsletter this morning announcing the reissue of Rush's debut album on 180g black vinyl. It's currently available for pre-order for $39.98 with a slated release date of February 25th. The album had previously been released on 200g vinyl as part of a 40th anniversary box set called Rush Rediscovered back in 2014. Although those sets are now out of print, they can still be found for purchase online for right around the same price (around $40-50) as what they are asking for the black vinyl release (one example here), and that doesn't come with all the extras. Just sayin'.

Author Daniel Bukszpan will be following up his 2024 book Rush at 50 with a new Rush book celebrating the 50th anniversary of Rush's 2112, which released in March of 1976. Rush And 2112: 50 Years comes in at 176 pages and will release on March 10, 2026 with pre-orders now available. From the press release:

... Rush and 2112: 50 Years tells the complete story behind this landmark album through:

A deep exploration of how 2112 was created and why it remains the band's masterpiece
Track‑by‑track analysis, including insight into the iconic 20‑minute "2112" suite
Historical context on the state of rock in the mid‑70s and the band's evolution in the decades that followed
Rarely seen photography, including performance shots, candid off‑stage moments, and archival images
Interviews and commentary that illuminate the band's creative process and enduring influence

Rush's impact on rock music and popular culture is undeniable. With over 40 million records sold and a fiercely devoted global fanbase, the band continues to inspire musicians, writers, and listeners across generations. This volume captures the virtuosity, innovation, and spirit that made Rush one of the most celebrated rock bands of all time.

Rush and 2112: 50 Years is an essential volume for fans old and new - a definitive tribute to a record that changed everything. ...

A new documentary on iconic Toronto radio station CFNY (the inspiration behind Rush's The Spirit of Radio) has been in the works for 3 years now, and is now finally seeing the light of day. The film documents the station's Spirit of Radio years (1976-1991-ish) and features Rush's Geddy Lee among many others. It is currently available to stream in Canada via YouTube and TVO Docs as detailed in this Billboard Canada article. The film's trailer also prominently features Rush, Geddy Lee and Rush's The Spirit of Radio as seen here.

A special, year-end edition of Prog Magazine (Prog #166) went on sale earlier this week, with a cover feature reading The Ultimate Review of 2025. The special issue looks back on prog rock's biggest stories, concerts, and music from the past year, including Rush's surprise announcement of their Fifty Something tour in October. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are one the several artists pictured on the cover, with a tagline reading, RUSH: The upcoming tour. Why it's happening and what we can expect.

Gerry from the Something for Nothing podcast recently joined the Primus Tracks podcast hosts Josh and Frankie on their show to discuss Rush's influence on Primus. They talk about the general excellence of both bands, and how easy it is to kill a good party vibe by throwing on a Rush or Primus song. You can listen to the show below or wherever you get your podcasts:

30 years ago yesterday, on January 8, 1996, Rush hit the studio to begin recording their Test for Echo album, which would release later that year on September 10th. To promote the release, Rush was interviewed for the syndicated radio show Up Close with Dan Neer. The show aired in 3, 1-hour parts, and here is just the interview portion from the entire 3-hour show with the music and commercials removed; it runs for about 27 minutes:

The popular Pianote YouTube channel shared a new video this past week where Justin C. Gilbert, Justin Timberlake's longtime keyboard player, attempts to learn Rush's Tom Sawyer on the spot:

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