UPDATE - 8/7@2:03PM: Geddy Lee talks with Q107's Joanne Wilder about a remarkable moment he had recently on tour:
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Rush is back in the hometown to kick off their final 4-show run of the tour this evening at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena, where we learned yesterday that they'll be filming all 4 shows. From the Toronto Star:
... Geddy Lee commented: "It's always a hard decision as to where to film a live concert. Given the limited cities we are able to play, the demand for such a film has been off the charts, not only as a keepsake of their experience, but for those many fans that have not been able to see it live. Toronto being hometown made it a natural choice, and being the last mini-residency of four shows, playing over 40 songs which gives us the best chance to capture it all.
"We know there are fans traveling here from all across the globe and that will make it a special week," he continued. "This tour, being a celebration of our history and a tribute to [late RUSH drummer] Neil [Peart] has been an emotional outpouring from the fans and from us. They have been louder and prouder than ever before, and we hope to capture them letting their ya-yas out while rockin' their best 'Tom Sawyer' air drum fills!"
A representative for RUSH told the Toronto Star plans for the how the concert footage will be used is still being explored.
Lee's brother Allan Weinrib, a longtime RUSH collaborator, will oversee the concert footage, according to the Toronto Star, marking his directorial debut after years producing the band's projects, including the concert film "Rush: R40 Live". ...
Singer Aimee Mann performed backup on Time Stand Still for all 4 LA shows, and following the show she mentioned in an interview that she'd likely be doing some more shows - particularly in Cleveland where she said the band had planned on doing some filming. That might have been the original plan, but apparently no longer, and this likely means Aimee Mann will be on hand for at least one of the Toronto shows in order to capture her performance on film. Here's a short interview snippet from Q107 with Alex Lifeson giving a few more details:
Rush wrapped up their 4-night stint at NYC's Madison Square Garden this past Monday where they threw fans another night 4 surprise by slightly altering their standard Delta setlist, dropping Distant Early Warning altogether and changing the order of songs played. For their entire NYC run, the challenging logistics of MSG had them starting precisely at 7:30PM, shortening the intermission to 20 minutes, and ultimately having to drop a song on night 4. That shouldn't be an issue for the hometown shows, which start this evening and run through next Thursday. The shortened night 4 setlist did not seem to bother DJ/producer DJ Premier, who was at the show and posted this video to Instagram where he gushes over the band and how great the show was:
As Rush fans take over Toronto this weekend, they'll have plenty of events to keep them busy between shows. The first of these was RushFest Canada, which took place yesterday evening at The El Macambo with host Cathy Rankin and featuring special guests Terry Brown, Hugh Syme, Nancy and Judy Peart, and Bob "Starman" King. Next up is the big event - the return of RushCon - which kicks off tonight and will run through the entire weekend. Henderson Brewing will be hosting their annual Rush Day on Saturday, August 8th between Rush's first pair of YYZ shows, and there will be an official Rush Fifty Something Pop-Up Merch Shop set up on-site from 10am-6pm the entire weekend starting today. Henderson has also introduced three new exclusive releases to celebrate Rush's return. And last but not least, Toronto's iconic Long & McQuade music store will be hosting Rush drummer Anika Nilles for a signing event on Saturday:
Get ready to meet one of the most talked-about drummers of 2026!
Join @anika.nilles at @longandmcquade on Bloor St. in Toronto on August 8th, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, for an exclusive in-store signing event! Every guest will receive a signed event poster and a grab bag packed with accessories from TAMA, Promark, and Meinl worth $200 CAD.
Head to www.anikanilles.com to purchase your tickets now. Capacity is very limited, so act fast to lock in your spot today!
All proceeds from this event will benefit the Unison Fund, Canada's leading non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being of music industry professionals. #tama #tamadrums #anikanilles #longandmcquade
Unfortunately the event is SOLD OUT. Long & McQuade is a Toronto institution and happens to be the place where Rush first purchased their equipment shortly after Neil Peart joined the band back in the summer of '74.
Speaking of Rush fan events, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in partnership with RushCon will be celebrating the return of Rush to Cleveland with a 4-day fan event. Rush the Rock Hall will take place during Rush's 2-show run at Cleveland's Rocket Arena from Thursday, September 17th through Sunday, September 20th. From the announcement:
2013 Inductees RUSH are headed to town on their Fifty Something Tour in September. During their time in Cleveland, we are hosting RUSH the Rock Hall Weekend in partnership with RushCon.
RUSH the Rock Hall will feature newly displayed artifacts from the band, performance highlights on the big screen, educational programs, exclusive merch, and more.
Spend a day with us before or after you see the show. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a mile down the road from Rocket Arena.
The event will include special appearances by Rush album artist Hugh Syme, and author Kevin J. Anderson, along with special panel discussions From Working Man to the Spirit of Radio: Rush, Radio, and Industry on Friday, and Rush Nerds Rush the Rock Hall Panel on Saturday. The Saturday panel will include yours truly (Ed Stenger), Jillian Maryonovich (RUSHCON), Matt Wardlaw (Ultimate Classic Rock) and Annie Zaleski (author). For all the details and to purchase tickets, visit rockhall.org.
The CBC has announced the release of a documentary honoring the late Neil Peart titled No One's Disciple that will air on September 23rd as part of the documentary series The Passionate Eye. From the announcement:
... the doc will "[explore] rock's most enigmatic drummer through rare archival footage, intimate reflections and extraordinary live performances." It was created by Banger Films. A still provided by the CBC (above) shows surviving Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson jamming with RHCP drummer Chad Smith.
The September issue of Mojo magazine includes a short feature on Rush and their Fifty Something tour (thanks Rinus). The cover tagline reads Rush re-enter stage left.
In her latest blog post, Rush discoverer Donna Halper gives her thoughts on Rush choosing a female drummer to fill Neil Peart's shoes:
... But times definitely changed. When his health made it impossible for him to continue, Neil was happy to teach his little daughter Olivia about drumming; he was so proud of her when she showed an aptitude for it. And I have the feeling that, were he still here, he'd be absolutely fine about a female drummer for Rush, especially someone as talented as Anika. In fact, she wouldn't be a "female drummer"-- she'd just be considered a drummer. And isn't that the way it should be? When I was growing up, young girls were not encouraged to be drummers. Today, young girls have a wide range of options, and being a drummer isn't regarded as so unusual anymore. Meanwhile, Anika has settled in as Rush's new drummer, welcomed and loved by the fans. And somewhere in rock and roll heaven, Viola Smith is probably smiling.
Reader Ted H noticed that bestselling author and bookstore owner Ryan Holiday was featured in a segment on the morning news show Morning Joe a couple months back. In the segment filmed from his Painted Porch bookstore, Holiday points out a few books he recommends, including Neil Peart's bestselling travel memoir Ghost Rider, calling it "one of the best road trip books you will ever read". You can watch the segment below or on YouTube with the Ghost Rider portion towards the end.
Rush historian/archivist Ray Wawrzyniak is the guest on the latest edition of the Something for Nothing podcast, where Ray dishes on his duties as host of the VIP Xanadu Lounge on several of the Rush tour stops. You can listen to the show below or wherever you get your podcasts:
That's all for now. Have a great Rush homecoming weekend everyone!!
