Another interview with Alex Lifeson from his interview blitz promoting Envy of None's Stygian Wavz last month was posted online this past week. Alex spoke to the Sea of Tranquility podcast about the release of Envy of None's Stygian Wavz album, Rush and more. Here's Alex opening up as to why Vapor Trails has no guitar solos:
"... Vapor Trails - a very, very difficult record to make emotionally. It took us over a year to make that record. Neil was rebounding after the horrible things that happened in his life. And we were kind of lost and trying to find a groove and get it all together. I don't think there are any solos on that record. I just didn't feel like playing solos on that record. It was weird. I really felt like it was taking too much attention away from what that record was really about. And it was really about Neil's experience and I didn't want to take up real estate selfishly ..."
You can watch the entire interview below or on YouTube. Alex also was a recent guest on The Andy Fox Rock Show where Alex chats with host Andy Fox in between spins of a few Envy of None tracks for about 30 minutesg. They play Not Dead Yet, Stygian Waves and Under The Stars while Alex shares some insights into each track. You can listen to the interview at this location or wherever you get your podcasts.
Armenian-American heavy metal band System of A Down are currently on a South American tour, and last Wednesday, April 30 they played a show in Ñuñoa, Chile. At the beginning of Psycho from their Toxicity album, guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian recited the chorus of Rush's Red Sector A before busting into the song. He says the line, All that we can do is just survive. All that we can do is help ourselves to stay alive twice. He then recites the lines, Are we the last ones left alive? Are we the only human beings to survive? twice. You can watch the performance below or on YouTube at this location.
Rush's Alex Lifeson along with Jully Black, Kairo McLean, Stephen Page, Lorraine Segato, and others gathered last weekend at Live Nation's The Lounge in Toronto to celebrate the launch of the Toronto Music Experience - a first-of-its-kind destination that will celebrate the city's unparalleled contributions to music in Canada and around the world. From the announcement:
... TME will take a storytelling-driven approach to explore Toronto's musical past, present, and future through immersive exhibits, pop-up activations, live performances, and education initiatives. From the Indigenous peoples who first made music on this land, to the musical legacy of the Underground Railroad, Yorkville's folk scene, Michie Mee's pioneering hip hop, and global icons like Drake, The Weeknd, Gordon Lightfoot, and Rush - TME will spotlight the artists and movements that shaped the city's music scene, celebrating the diversity that makes Toronto a cultural powerhouse. While music education will be a core tenet of TME, the experience will be immersive and interactive and display instruments, lyrics, costumes and rare artifacts from Toronto artists and the city's live music scene, and it won't stop there. TME will include multi-use performance and production spaces for artists at all stages of their careers, retail and café spaces that double as creative hubs, and ongoing educational programming designed to foster appreciation and access to music for everyone. It will also house a rotating calendar of temporary exhibitions, developed in partnership with other leading music institutions in Canada and beyond. ...
The Toronto Music Experience has a five-year plan guiding its path to opening a permanent cultural home by 2029. The organization is currently focused on building momentum through fundraising, partnerships, and community engagement to bring this bold cultural vision to life. For all the details visit torontomusicexperience.com.
20-year-old student Thalia Homes took home the winner's trophy in the final episode of BBC Two's Chess Masters: The Endgame, which aired last week. The show followed 12 rising chess stars as they compete in a tournament to be crowned Britain's Chess Master. Homes is interviewed in an article covering the event, and she cites Rush as inspiration when describing the tense final match:
... Thalia said one particular song by hit band Rush inspired her to take some chances. "When you're playing chess, you can get quite a lot of songs stuck in your head," Thalia explained. "I had a specific song called Roll The Bones by Rush. In the song, it says, 'We go out in the world and take our chances, fate is just the weight of circumstances, that's the way that Lady Luck dances, roll the bones.' "They're saying take the chances and create the chances for yourself. And I was like, 'Let's roll the bones here, let's try and create a chance, try and create something to get going." ...
RUSHfest Scotland takes place this weekend at Drygate Brewery in Glasgow, where several Rush tribute bands from around the world will perform, including Moving Pictures (Scotland), Karol & The Snow Dogs (Brazil), Vapor Trails (Norway), The Audiorayz (Scotland), and The RFS Allstars. Special guests will include Brandon Dyke, Alex Lifeson's sister Sally Zivojinovich and niece Xsenia, Mike Masse, David King and others. You can get all the details at rushfestscotland.co.uk. Neil Peart's sisters Nancy and Judy regret that they won't be able to attend this year, and sent out this video message to all attendees.
A new audience recording of Rush's October 24, 1974 show at Toronto's Massey Hall opening for Nazareth surfaced online earlier this week on the Rush Archives YouTube channel. It was Rush's first show at Toronto's iconic Massey Hall, and this previously uncirculated bootleg includes the band's first ever live recording of Anthem as detailed in the video description:
... This show features the earliest known live recording of Anthem, and Geddy states it was "written about a week and a half ago". It's possible to consider they may have waited to debut the song live during their homecoming in Toronto, however Geddy doesn't suggest it to be their first time playing it. Otherwise, the song would've only been played live no more than six shows prior to Toronto. If you listen closely, parts for bass, guitar, and drums are all slightly different compared to the more polished versions we will already hear later in 1974. Prior to obtaining this tape, we had no evidence that Anthem was played this much earlier than the November 19 Seattle show. Unique playing during the jam section of Working Man can be heard in this show, notably sounding a bit different than all other 1974 live versions we have. Early pieces of By-Tor And The Snow Dog can also be heard during the middle section of Working Man, as usual for 1974 shows with Neil. Prior to Working Man, Geddy addresses their Toronto fans who are already familiar with the band: "Before we end off tonight, a number of you have seen the band before, so you may notice a new face in the band. We'd like to feature our new drummer for this next tune, Neil Peart."
You can listen to the show below or on YouTube.
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend, and a happy early Mother's Day to all the Rush Moms out there!
