Rush's Fifty Something tour rolls on and continues to expand, with the band announcing the addition of 4 new US dates this past Monday. One-off shows were added in Houston on October 1st, St. Louis on October 21st, Cincinnati on October 23rd, and Pittsburgh on November 15th, with tickets on sale now. The band played a pair of shows in the Motor City this past weekend, and the first of a pair of Montreal shows on Wednesday. They'll wrap up their Montreal stint tonight before taking an extended 8-day break and picking things back up in Boston next weekend. So far the band has been alternating between different versions of their Bravo and Charlie setlists respectively for their 2-night runs, and we expect that trend to continue. For night 1 in Detroit they played a version of the B setlist (B-4) featuring Natural Science in place of The Trees, while in Montreal Wednesday night they played that same setlist (B-5) but with the one change of dropping The Analog Kid for Distant Early Warning. Night 2 in Detroit saw the band pull out the same Charlie setlist (C-2) that was played for night 2 in Philly last week, and we should see a version of that setlist tonight in Montreal. Anika Nilles continued her end-of-show gags for this past week's shows, eating some chips for night 1 in Detroit, putting up a closed sign on night 2, and playing a triangle Wednesday night in Montreal. Iron Maiden's Steve Harris and Adrian Smith were in town for Maidens's show last night at Parc Jean-Drapeau, and both attended Rush's show the night prior. They hung out with the boys backstage as seen in this Instagram post:
Rush's touring drummer is the subject of a 14-page cover feature and new interview in the September, 2026 edition of Modern Drummer magazine. There's also an extensive, hour-long video interview to accompany the feature, which you can check out below or on YouTube. When asked about what the hardest Rush song for her to play is, Anika answered Xanadu:
... We played that at the second rehearsal when we already knew each other a little. But that song is so different from all the other songs I had on my list because it was on and off playing, and it was on and off time signatures. ... There are a lot of time signatures in there. As I listened to it, I didn't know how they played it live, and what was the feeling. I didn't know what was prepared, what had been discussed before, what was improvisational on stage, and especially in the intro of the song. I wasn't sure if it was all counted out and well planned, or if Neil came in with that wood block part by feeling. I didn't know if he was playing the same part every time. So I listened to a couple of live recordings, and it was kind of different, but also very similar, so it was hard to tell. ...
In addition to the interview, Anika and TAMA Drums unveiled the new Anika Nilles Signature Snare Drum this past week. From the announcement:
We are proud to unveil the new Anika Nilles Signature Snare Drum. Over the course of more than two years of meticulous development & refinement, Anika focused on three things: deep low end, clear snare wire definition, and a look inspired by her love of vintage snares. The result was a 14x6.5" 1.2mm Seamless Aluminum shell that delivers warmth, projection, and strong lows. The shell is formed with a slightly wider bearing edge & four grooves at the center of the shell for a touch of style, yet together these two design features enhance the shell's rigidity and natural resonance. Paired with Sound Arc Hoops, Anika's snare delivers the perfect blend of clarity and presence. A newly designed "Mod-Tone Muffler" lets players switch the mute on/off instantly and adjust the pressure with a single dial. The Anika Nilles Signature Snare embodies her musicality and depth-ideal for players seeking the grooves and expression that define her artistry. ...
Along with the announcement came this video where Anika describes the Signature Snare and how it came about.
The CBC will be releasing a documentary honoring the late Neil Peart titled No One's Disciple later this month, and a new trailer was released earlier this week. The doc will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in less than 2 weeks on September 16th at the Princess of Wales Theatre ahead of its airing on the CBC September 23rd as part of the documentary series The Passionate Eye. The film will include some recent footage of Geddy and Alex jamming some Rush tunes with drummers Stewart Copeland, Chad Smith, Gavin Harrison, and Tool's Danny Carey. Fellow Canadians The Tragically Hip are also in the film, as seen in this clip, and filmmaker Sam Dunn was interviewed about the film for a CTV News story as seen here.
Rush and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs have an extensive Rush reissue series in the works, where they will be releasing audiophile versions of Rush's Mercury-era catalog over the next few years. The first batch of titles will include Rush's debut album (Hybrid SACD, 2 LP), Fly by Night (Hybrid SACD, 2 LP) and A Farewell to Kings (Hybrid SACD, 2 LP). The 2 titles currently available are the Fly by Night vinyl edition and the Rush debut vinyl edition, which began shipping this past week and can be purchased at this location. The other titles have not yet been released, but are all currently available for pre-order. Rush plans to release a total of 11 albums over the next 2 years or so beginning this summer; the first time that the band's complete Mercury catalog has been issued as dedicated standalone audiophile editions. All titles will be available as hybrid SACDs and on vinyl, with many of the latter available in their UltraDisc One-Step format or as double LP sets. Following the first 3 titles, the remaining albums, beginning with 1975's Caress of Steel and concluding with 1985's Power Windows will arrive in 2027 and 2028.
Rush's huge Rolling Stone Canada summer cover feature will be made available as the first ever print edition of the magazine. From the announcement:
Rolling Stone Canada goes to print. Our first-ever print issue, featuring @rush as our Summer 2026 cover stars, is now available to pre-order. Get your copy of the special-edition issue now. Plus, hear more from Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson in an exclusive, full-length conversation on Rolling Stone Canada (Ch. 754), only on @SiriusXMCanada. ...
If you are interested in getting one for yourself, you can pre-order a copy at this location.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in partnership with RushCon will be celebrating the return of Rush to Cleveland next month with a 4-day fan event. Rush the Rock Hall will take place during Rush's 2-show run at Cleveland's Rocket Arena in a couple weeks from Thursday, September 17th through Sunday, September 20th. 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), Annie Zaleski (author) and Rush superfan/archivist/historian Ray Wawrzyniak. Fans will need to purchase Rock Hall admission tickets to get the full experience, and then each panel is an additional $10. If you plan to attend more than one day, then it makes more sense to just purchase a year-long Rock Hall membership, which will get you in all 4 days (and beyond). The Hugh Syme panel is sold out, but tickets for the other 3 panels are still available. For all the details and to purchase tickets, visit rockhall.org. Speaking of RushCon, they have just launched a RushCon Discord, a new place for the Rush fan community to connect. Talk Rush, meet other fans, plan meet-ups, share photos and memorabilia, exchange ticket info, talk Fifty Something tour and more. If you are interested in joining up, visit this link.
Record Collector magazine will be publishing a special Record Collector Presents ... Rush edition next month, and have revealed the cover and contents. From the description:
Record Collector Presents... Rush is a timely commemoration of the ultimate power trio: Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart.
Moving from lift-off in Toronto in the 1960s to glorious reformation and global delight in 2026, the magazine celebrates fifty-something years of some of the most original and influential progressive rock music produced in this universe (and the next).
Introduced by superfan rock bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, there are profiles of Lifeson, Lee, Peart, John Rutsey, and Anika Nilles (discussing joining the fold). There are also new interviews from early guiding hand Donna Halper, illustrious producer Terry Brown, longstanding art guru Hugh Syme, and science fiction writer Kevin J Anderson pays tribute to his time spent with Neil before, during and after Clockwork Angels.
Collectors stories abound, including an in-depth look at Rush archivist legend Ray Wawrznieyak and his favourite Rush items.
The issue is slated for release on October 9th and is now available for pre-order.
The American quiz show Jeopardy! is currently holding its Masters Tournament, and in yesterday evening's episode featured a Rush-themed question/answer. In a category called Recent Transitions the $600 answer to the question was:
Anika Nilles replaced the late Neil Peart as this band started playing out again
Contestant Andrew He answered correctly, What is Rush?. Jeopardy! seems to have a love affair with Rush, and have used the band in MANY clues over the last several years.
KISS frontman Gene Simmons was recently interviewed for Detroit's 101 WRIF, and spoke a bit about when Rush opened up for KISS in the '70s.
... "We took [RUSH] from nowhere - nobody would give them a tour, because they were Canadian. But when Paul [Stanley] and I heard 'Working Man' and especially [sings part of 'Finding My Way'], I thought, 'What is that?' And we didn't care where it was from. For heaven's sakes, I wasn't born in America. So, we took Rush out on their very first tour. ... And we'd had to torture the promoters who when you got there to do a show...I'll never forget, we played Winterland in San Francisco. And it was Kiss, The Tubes, and then Rush. And I remember, I think it was Geddy [Lee] who came into our dressing room as we're putting on makeup - 'cause we gotta start two hours earlier while the opening bands are going on. ... And he's going, 'We're really hungry, can you arrange food?' I go, 'What are you talking about? You should have food in your dressing room.' He goes, 'No.' The promoter cheaped out. So, half made up, I went over to Bill Graham, and I said, 'You don't feed our bands, we don't go on.' So, they went out and got burgers and stuff like that, yeah. Treat everybody the way you want to be treated." ...
With all the attention that Lake Ontario is getting lately, Eric Alper posted an article this past week titled America's Newest Lake Has A Songbook It Can't Rename: Songs That Mention Lake Ontario which takes a look at a number of songs that are about or mention the Lake. Rush's Lakeside Park made the cut:
Neil Peart wrote this one about the actual Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, a town on Lake Ontario's south shore where Peart spent his childhood summers working and playing. The song doesn't just mention the lake, it's soaked in the specific geography of growing up beside it, right down to the Victoria Day fireworks on the 24th of May.
Here's a goofy video of the band announcing the new shows:
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend, especially if you are attending Rush's show tonight. RUSH!!!
