Rush continued to expand their Fifty Something tour this past week, adding a 3rd date at London's O2 for March 21, 2027 to join with the original March 16th and 18th dates, and also adding a second show at the Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo, Brazil for January 26th to pair with the January 24th show. Ticket sales for both of those shows went on sale to the general public earlier this morning. Rush announced that they'd be extending their upcoming Fifty Something into South America, UK and Europe in 2027 just last week, hitting 24 shows in 13 countries. Since that original announcement, they've added second shows in Manchester, Glasgow, London and Sao Paulo, bringing the total to 28 shows in 2027, on top of the already 58 shows on the 2026 leg. You can get all the details and ticket links via Rush.com. Here are all the 2027 tour dates as of today:

RUSH 2027 Fifty Something Tour Dates:

15 Jan - Buenos Aires, AR - Movistar Arena
22 Jan - Curitiba, BR - Arena da Baixada
24 Jan - São Paulo, BR - Allianz Parque
26 Jan - São Paulo, BR - Allianz Parque
30 Jan - Rio de Janeiro, BR - Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos (Engenhão)
01 Feb - Belo Horizonte, BR - Estádio Mineirão
04 Feb - Brasília, BR - Arena BRB Mané Garrincha
19 Feb - Paris, FR - La Défense Arena
21 Feb - Berlin, DE - Uber Arena
23 Feb - Amsterdam, NL - Ziggo Dome
25 Feb - Munich, DE - Olympiahalle
28 Feb - Cologne, DE - LANXESS Arena
02 Mar - Hamburg, DE - Barclays Arena
04 Mar - Stuttgart, DE - Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
08 Mar - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
10 Mar - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
12 Mar - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
14 Mar - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
16 Mar - London, UK - O2 Arena
18 Mar - London, UK - O2 Arena
21 Mar - London, UK - O2 Arena
27 Mar - Kraków, PL - TAURON Arena Kraków
30 Mar - Milan, IT - Unipol Dome
01 Apr - Basel, CH - St. Jakobshalle
04 Apr - Copenhagen, DK - Royal Arena
06 Apr - Oslo, NO - Unity Arena
08 Apr - Stockholm, SE - Avicii Arena
10 Apr - Helsinki, FI - Veikkaus Arena

Rush's PR interview circuit is winding down for now, but there are still a few trickling in. Here is one from GuitarPlayer.com which touches on much of the same topics as all the other interviews from last week, such as this excerpt:

... [Geddy and Alex] had briefly discussed regrouping after appearing with Dave Grohl at the 2022 Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert. Plans were floated, but Lifeson ultimately stepped back. When the idea resurfaced, Lee forced a decision. "I told Al: 'Look, we're either doing this or we're not doing it. I can't talk about it every two years,'" he says. "Because time marches on, and I don't know how much time we have. So if we're going to do it, we do it now. If we don't, fine - let's just not talk about it." This time, Lifeson was in. ...

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. The featured speakers will be Rush producer Nick Raskulinecz and author Kevin J. Anderson. The festivities will begin Friday evening with a welcome party and pre-show hangout at The Loose Moose. The main event will take place on Saturday at The El Mocambo with games, contests, guest speakers, and more, along with a Sunset Boat Cruise in the Toronto Harbor in the evening. Sunday will include a closing party and pre-show hangout at Henderson Brewing. You can get all the details and purchase tickets at RushCon.org, with hotel and travel discounts now available. This won't be the only RushCon event on the tour however; they'll also 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.

In a new interview with Nathaniel Puente of Charlotte, North Carolina's WCNC-TV, former Skid Row frontman and Rush fan Sebastian Bach was asked for his opinion on Rush's decision to reunite for a tour, and he fully supports it:

... "Well, I think it's amazing. You only have one life - you know what I'm saying? - so why should Geddy and Alex stop? There's no reason for them to stop. Neil Peart probably wouldn't want them to stop. He, unfortunately, did not get to live as long as he should have, but life is not fair at all. ... Jeff Beck doesn't mess around. Anika, the drummer, comes from the Jeff Beck group. Jeff Beck doesn't hire crappy musicians. He hires the best musicians that are out there. So I'm figuring if she made great music with Jeff Beck, I can't wait to hear what the music she's gonna make with RUSH. They wouldn't have her in the band if she stunk." ...

Rush will be releasing their long-anticipated 40th anniversary Grace Under Pressure box set in one week from today on March 13th, with pre-order/pre-save links available here. The set will feature a brand-new Terry Brown album mix commissioned by Rush, the first-ever release of the complete concert film and album of the September 21, 1984 Maple Leaf Gardens show, and liner notes from Geddy Lee reflecting on the album over 40 years after its release. Physical editions of the set will be available as a Super Deluxe version only, either with 4-CDs or 5 LPs. In addition, a Super Deluxe Digital Edition and a Dolby Atmos Digital Edition will be made available, along with the Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto 1984 being made available to video DSPs (Digital Service Providers like YouTube, Netflix, Apple TV+, etc.). A few weeks ago Rush posted the previously-unreleased video for Kid Gloves from the set to YouTube, and last week they posted a new visualizer video for the Terry Brown remix version of Distant Early Warning. You can check that out below or at this location, and get all the details as to what is and isn't included in the set in this post.

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 this coming Tuesday, March 10th, 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. ...

Speaking of 2112, the album was the subject of a cover feature in the Arts section of this past weekend's Globe & Mail titled Fifty Years of 2112.

Rick Beato's popular YouTube channel posted a video last week where Beato and his friend pianist Pierre Piscitelli count down the top 10 guitar songs that sound amazing when played on piano, and the #9 track is Rush's The Spirit of Radio as seen in this video at the 1:10 mark (thanks Jeff D).

The guest on the latest edition of the Something for Nothing podcast is Cory Marks - a North Bay, Ontario, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and drummer who cites two seemingly disparate seminal influences on his music: Merle Haggard and Rush. You can listen to the episode below or wherever you get your podcasts:

The 2026 Winter Olympics wrapped up a couple weeks ago with the US Hockey team securing a Gold medal. Back in 2016, it was Canada's turn to win Gold, when they defeated the US Team in a thrilling overtime final. Shortly after that victory, Canadian actor/comedian Mike Myers was a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and in one segment called Mike's Canada Corner, Mike sits at a desk and talks about US/Canada relations in the wake of Canada's hockey Gold. At one point he brings up the Rush-Bagot Treaty:

... Let's talk about the Rush-Bagot treaty of 1817. Now the Rush-Bagot treaty of 1817 is not to be confused with the Rush treaty of 2112 - a treaty in which every citizen in North America will be issued a copy of what is arguably the greatest concept album ever recorded by a power trio...

While he says this, a picture of Rush from the 70s is displayed along with the cover of the 2112 album, as seen in this clip:

That's all for this week. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one-hour Sunday morning, and have a great weekend!!