A new book from author Daniel Bukszpan celebrating Rush's 50 year career officially released this past Tuesday, October 8th and is now available for purchase. Rush at 50 comes in at 192 pages and examines the history of Rush through the lens of 50 milestone events and an illustrated gatefold timeline. From the product description:

... This richly illustrated and entertainingly written book from Rush expert and music journalist Dan Bukszpan pays tribute to the trio on the 50th anniversary of their debut album by curating and examining 50 of the most significant milestones in their career.

Bukszpan covers everything down through the decades:
* The band's formation by bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson in suburban Toronto and their early gigs and tours opening for the likes of Kiss
* Their breakthrough in the United States thanks to a Cleveland DJ
* The role of co-founding drummer John Rutsey
* Rush's early Led Zeppelin-influenced efforts and their breakthrough, 2112
* The band's ever-evolving musical style through the 1970s and 1980s
* The controversial influence of novelist Ayn Rand on Neil Peart's lyrics
* Geddy Lee's instantly recognizable vocal style
* Recording sessions with various producers in Wales, Quebec, and elsewhere

In examining 50 touchstones, Bukszpan presents a unique look at Rush's career arc from Toronto bar band to international mega-platinum stadium fillers. Every page is illustrated with stunning concert and candid offstage photography, including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, ticket stubs, and more. ...

Bukszpan was a guest on the the Booked on Rock podcast a few weeks ago to discuss the book, and you can listen to that interview below or on YouTube. The book is currently available to order via Amazon at this location.

Broon Promotions and The Canadian Music Scene announced via social media earlier this week that a new fan event dubbed RUSHfest Canada will debut next summer at Toronto's iconic Massey Hall. RUSHfest CANADA is a fan event celebrating the best band on the planet in their hometown, at the venue where they recorded their first live album. The 2-day event will take place next summer over the weekend of August 1-2, and feature world class Rush tribute bands, musicians and VIP guests such as Terry Brown and Hugh Syme. All profits from the event will go to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research. Tickets will go on sale soon, and you can keep up with all the news via the official Facebook group.

The late Neil Peart grew up in the St. Catharines, Ontario community of Port Dalhousie, the lakefront home of Lakeside Park which inspired the lyrics to the 1975 Rush song of the same name. Back in 2020 the St. Catharines City Council, with the full support of the community, voted to name the newly rebuilt pavilion at Lakeside Park the Neil Peart Pavilion at Lakeside Park in honor of the hometown icon who passed away over 4 years ago in January of 2020. The Council also established the Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force, with the objective to commission a public work of art commemorating Peart's life and legacy. Back in January of 2021 the Task Force officially began welcoming artists to submit requests for pre-qualification via the city's website, and revealed the finalists in September of 2021 along with the launch of a fundraising campaign for the Memorial. In November of 2022 the Task Force finally revealed that the artist who will have the honor of creating the memorial is Morgan MacDonald of The Newfoundland Bronze Foundry. The installation itself will depict two bronze statues of Peart - one as a young artist and the other in his later years. A pathway will connect the two statues with interpretive panels about Peart's personal and professional legacy. A video depicting what the Neil Peart memorial will look like in Lakeside Park can be seen on YouTube. The project and its timelines are contingent on the Task Force raising the $1 million required for completion, and an official fundraising campaign launched last month on Neil Peart's 72nd birthday. St. Catharines mayor Mat Siscoe gave an update on the fundraising campaign in an appearance on local news this past week, which you can watch online here (around the 1:50 mark). You can get all the info on the different ways to donate to the fundraising campaigh at this location.

Mixdown Magazine posted an article this past week where they profile the five most expensive drum kits ever, including Neil Peart's $1.5 Million Hockey kit:

Canadian trio Rush were avid hockey fans, and it was no surprise that drummer, the late Neil Peart, was asked to record a new version of Dolores Clama's 1968 theme song for TV's Hockey Night In Canada. ... Peart said he spent two months on the track, refining and rehearsing it. "It was one of the great experiences of my life. ... We had one minute. And basically I said, 'I want to get everything I know into this minute." In 2009 when Peart recorded the updated theme song, he returned to the Drum Workshop (DW) to build a hockey-themed drum kit. The set is airbrushed in Lacquer Graphics with NHL logos and ultra-custom Ice Blue hardware. DW Customs artist Louie Garcia said, "Neil told me he wanted to begin a new masterpiece with this drum kit. He really wanted it to represent the game of hockey, incorporating center ice and the face-off circles. For the look of ice, we with went with a pearlescent color called Blue Frost. It really is a unique kit." The kit, valued at $1.5 million, raised money for a cancer charity, when fans were allowed for a donation to have themselves photographed behind it.

Classic Rock magazine published an online piece this past week profiling Rush's debut album as part of their Album of the Week Club. They ask their community to rate the album on a scale of 1 to 10 and provide their own reviews, highlighting a few of the better ones. The average rating after 136 votes were cast was an exceptional 8.32. You can check out the entire article online here.

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