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Just feel the need to share. I saw Rush for the first time 44 years ago. The ticket was $9 (if you keep score that means I paid 10x the inflation adjusted cost of 1982), the stage was sparse as they wre eback then, but they blew me away. And here all these years later, and all these tours later after having seen them scores of times, with modest but hopeful expectations, and they did it again. The setlist, the stage presentations and lights (wow, just wow) and the energy of Geddy and Alex (Geddy seemed downright possessed at time wailing on his bass, quite literally spazzing out while playing). I thought of the quote of Neil saying to Geddy after the first night of the Vapor Trails tour.. "It would have been a shame if that never happened again.." What a great night, a great crowd, great energy and a simply fabulous show. Sundry Items: I didnt buy any but the merch looked really cool - and I love that they have city specific merch I get it take a video clip or photo, but jesus, had a lot of Martin Scorceses around me videoing the entire show with their large format phones - folks - enjoy the show Standing for the whole show was rough! I needed a break as bad as Geddy and Alex and Anika? I miss smelling weed (which I do not partake in but still) at concerts. I always associate that smell with concerts. Geddy gave a dedication to our local DJ who played Rush over the decades, Pierre Robert, who just passed away this year Long and slower moving mens room lines as this crowd of largely older pasty white men dealt with both their prodigious beer intake and their enlarged prostates - prostate jokes were flying in there Setlist, as described elsewhere was truly great Geddy's voice really sounded pretty good - amazing at his age My ears are still ringing

I think Peart wore the Bag much better than Anika does - there are a bunch of little nuances that Neil did when he wore the Bag that she’s just not getting. I’m happy people are enjoying it…but it’s just not the same, and not as good.

Thought this might be happening given the matching schedules. Wonder if the guys returned the visit last night?

. . . This reply is a few years too late, but my site is indeed online and available. Cheers! - MitA https://www.rush-oddities.com/

Looks like they're still avoiding each other and struggling to stay in sync.

She did a VERY rare meet and greet on Saturday at Long & McQuade...and I made it to the video: Instagram

This is too funny! Enjoy!

I didn't expect to be so emotional at the show...but it really struck me that there was a collective sense of mourning and celebrating that we as fans had not been able to experience previously. It also was a real marker of time for me - when Neil died in 2020, I was in good health. Standing in the LA Forum on opening night, I was there as a person living with/surviving cancer. I hadn't really thought about Neil's cancer and mine until that night, and it hit me hard.

I went, didn't cry. It's a celebration not a funeral.

Better view of The Bag

Can't count on Facebook. And here's The Bag's origin story for those unfamiliar.

Hey, Sports Fans! I used to be a member here back in the day (Unattractive Truth) but lost access to the email account with which I registered. Getting re-registered was...a journey. Anyway, how crazy is it that Rush is back?! When I heard the news I could hardly believe it. I'm so glad and so grateful for this unexpected gift (first Porcupine Tree, then Rush!!). So, I'll start with some photos: Los Angeles, June 9, Show #2. Fifth Row.

I think this interview proves that she's more of a heavy metal drummer now and thus proving once and for all that RUSH are metal!

“When we initially booked this tour we didn’t know how well we would hold up to the rigours of the road - so we played it safe with lots of days off to recover - but life is nothing if not surprising and we’re doing fine and having a blast - so why not try to hit a few more of the cities that have always treated us so well.” - Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson of RUSH

This is a great read: In 1982, when I was 15 years old, I spent an afternoon driving two members of the band Rush around Monroe, Louisiana, in a beat-up '78 Honda Civic hatchback I'd proudly nicknamed the Green Barchetta. Forty years later, I managed to do it again, and it felt exactly the same. If you grew up in a small Southern town, the bands you loved didn't come to you - the closest they'd get would be cities like New Orleans, Dallas, or even Jackson, Miss. I had been obsessed with Rush since I was 10 years old, long before Moving Pictures made them a household name. When that album came out, with "Tom Sawyer" on the radio, suddenly everybody loved them. Part of me was thrilled, but another part felt like I'd lost hold of a tightly kept secret. In February 1982, a year after Moving Pictures‘ release, we heard news that barely seemed possible: Rush was coming to Monroe, La. As soon as we found out, my best friend, Joel Rundell, and I came up with a crazy plan. The two of us played in bands together, got into trouble together, and shared a wild amount of self-confidence. If I suggested we could simply show up at a hotel and meet our favorite rock band in the world, Joel would just ask what time I was picking him up. A friend's sister who worked at the front desk of the Holiday Inn Holidome confirmed what we'd been hoping: Rush was staying there the night before the show. At sunrise on April 3, armed with several rolls of quarters, we took up residence in the hotel's video arcade, strategically located where hotel guests entered the lobby. We played Galaga, Robotron, Joust, and Tempest, and tried to keep an eye out. Hour after hour passed, and nothing. Then suddenly… there they were. Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee walked past the indoor pool toward the lobby as casually as two businessmen headed to breakfast. I stood frozen, watching them walk toward us as Joel hit hyperspace on Defender, about to break the high score. I elbowed him so hard he nearly lost his game. For a few seconds, we just stared at two of the biggest rock stars in the world. By the time we gathered up enough courage to leave the arcade, Alex and Geddy were already outside. We speed-walked out the doors and were suddenly face-to-face with our idols. They were polite, if understandably cautious, faced with two skinny, six-foot-plus teenagers with wild eyes. We soon learned they were waiting for a car service, but the car wasn't showing up. A good 20 minutes passed with no car, and we talked about the tour, music, guitars, and, for reasons I still can't explain, NASA. At one point, I offered them a ride, and they brushed it off. But after another 10 minutes, Geddy gave in: "So… where's your car?" What I neglected to mention was that my car was a tired little 1978 Honda Civic hatchback that I'd named the Green Barchetta, a joke inspired by Rush's "Red Barchetta" that I thought was absolutely brilliant. As we walked across the parking lot, I started to panic. The Honda was filthy. There were Sonic and Captain D's cups on the floorboards, and fast-food bags stuffed behind the seats. To their everlasting credit, Alex and Geddy didn't hesitate, and insisted they sit in the back. Joel slid in next to me, and somehow, we pulled out of the Holiday Inn parking lot with two members of Rush sitting behind us. They wanted to stop at a health-food store for vitamins, then a sporting goods store to buy tennis rackets. We headed toward Twin City Mall, and with every glance in the rearview mirror, I caught myself thinking, They're actually back there. Eventually, we made our way toward H Michael Sporting Goods on Forsythe Avenue. Walking into that place, in small-town Louisiana, with two members of Rush? It made an impression. Our friend Jim Payne was working behind the counter, and we watched his jaw drop. Courtesy of Kevin Griffin Alex and Geddy headed to the tennis section while the three of us followed at a respectful distance, trying to keep cool. They selected their rackets, but there was a problem: They had to be strung, and it would take a couple of hours. Alex looked over at us. "Kevin," he said. "If you and Joel can pick these up and bring them to the venue this afternoon, we'll get you backstage passes. Come to soundcheck." I don't remember if I was able to get any words out in reply. We drove them back to the Holiday Inn, and as they climbed out Geddy leaned back into the car. "See you at soundcheck," he said. "With the tennis rackets," Alex added, wagging a finger at us with mock seriousness. Remember, this was before cell phones, before social media, before you could immediately prove something extraordinary had happened. So, Joel and I did what 15-year-olds did before cell phones - we drove around town trying to tell everyone we knew what had happened. Nobody believed us. By three o'clock, we were back at H Michael's, and the tennis rackets were waiting. We sped to the Monroe Civic Center and found the loading dock, where we asked for Donovan, the tour manager. "You guys want to watch soundcheck?" he asked. We followed him to the back of the stage and up the loading ramp. I saw road cases all over the place, crew members climbing lighting rigs, techs tuning guitars. Everything that looked effortless from arena seats turned out to be the product of dozens of people quietly doing their jobs. Rush walked onto the stage with the same lack of fanfare, just Geddy, Alex, and Neil headed to work. I looked over at Joel as they counted off a song I'd never heard before. Months later, I'd recognize it as "Subdivisions." As I watched that soundcheck, rock stars suddenly stopped looking supernatural to me. I learned they argued over arrangements, made mistakes and laughed at themselves when they had to start over. As the mystery disappeared, I saw the craftsmanship instead, and maybe that was even more impressive. During a break, Geddy headed to one of his keyboards, and Alex walked over to us. He asked if I played guitar, and after I nodded yes, I summoned the courage to ask: "Could you show me ‘The Spirit of Radio'?" He picked up his guitar and played that impossible opening riff, which I'd spent countless afternoons back in my bedroom trying to decode. Now it was happening three feet away. He slowed it down, played it again and stopped. He lifted the Les Paul over his shoulder and handed it to me. I can still remember the weight of it. For the next few minutes, Alex Lifeson stood beside me, and painstakingly showed me how to play that riff. Every time I stumbled, he'd laugh, and just show me again. I've been lucky enough to spend my own life making music. Whenever a young songwriter asks me for advice, or someone waits after a show hoping to meet me, I think about Alex handing me that guitar. The following week, the local paper, The News-Star, ran a story about two Monroe kids who'd spent the day with Rush. We got a lot of mileage out of that. Joel and I graduated high school, and went to LSU in Baton Rouge, where we started a band called Better Than Ezra. By then, we were listening to R.E.M., The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, and Pixies. We weren't trying to sound like Rush anymore, but every once in a while, we'd sneak an odd time signature into a song like "Desperately Wanting" or "King of New Orleans." Rush never stopped being part of our musical DNA. In the fall of 1990, Joel died. One day, my best friend was there, and the next day, he wasn't. For a long time, every happy memory from my teenage years led me back to my grief. Even the story about Rush, the craziest thing that ever happened to me, always ended with me wishing Joel were still around to tell it too. Years passed, and Better Than Ezra found an audience. We made records, platinum ones. We toured the world. We had songs that found their way into people's lives the way Rush's songs had found their way into mine. We even became part of Norm MacDonald's SNL legacy. And Jim Payne, the same friend who'd helped Alex and Geddy buy tennis rackets that afternoon in Monroe, eventually joined Better Than Ezra. Every time I looked across the stage at him, I couldn't help but think how strange and wonderful life is. In the summer of 2022, my wife, Erica, walked into the kitchen and asked, "Who's Alex Lifeson?" I looked up from whatever I was doing. "The guitarist in Rush. Why?" "Oh," she said, "I've been emailing with him." Erica was running the Gibson Gives foundation for Gibson guitars, and Alex was coming to Nashville to announce that royalties from one of his signature Epiphone guitars would benefit Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and Room In The Inn. Somewhere in the planning process, they'd become email acquaintances. I tried to sound calm. "When he comes… any chance I could just say hello?" A few weeks later I found myself at the Gibson Garage in downtown Nashville. Alex finished the press conference and arrived in the green room. People gathered around him, but I stayed back. Finally, the Gibson CEO, Cesar Gueikian, brought me over. "Kevin has a story he'd like to tell you," he said. I began talking. 1982. Monroe. The Holidome. The Green Barchetta. The health-food store. . When I got to H Michael's sports, he interrupted me. "Wait," he said. "The tennis rackets. I remember! I remember you guys!" For just a second, 40 years disappeared, and Joel was standing beside me again. The Green Barchetta was parked outside. Alex and I talked for another few minutes. He remembered showing me the guitar part to "The Spirit of Radio." Somebody snapped a picture of us talking together. As other people drifted over to say hello, I stepped away, thinking there was no way this day could become any more surreal. Erica walked over."Alex needs a ride back to his hotel," she said. I laughed. "Now you guys are f**ing with me." "No, really, I'm serious." Apparently, his car service or Uber had driven off. He needed a ride, and somehow, as improbable as it was, I was his driver. I went out the side entrance of the Garage toward my Tahoe parked down the street, which, again, was an absolute mess, with golden retriever hair, water bottles, and Starbucks cups everywhere. I made a hopeless attempt to clean up before pulling around to the front of the Gibson Garage. Alex climbed into the back seat, the same spot he'd occupied forty years earlier. We pulled into traffic, and for a minute, I couldn't think of anything to say. Suddenly, I wasn't the singer of Better Than Ezra. I wasn't a hit songwriter whose songs had been performed by Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, and Train. I wasn't a husband and a father. I was 15 years old again. Then Alex yelled. "Watch out!" Lost in 40 years of memories, I'd drifted into an intersection and nearly gotten us T-boned by a truck. I winced and glanced back at Alex, who looked understandably, uh, concerned. The hotel was only a few blocks away, and too soon we were there. We shook hands. He thanked me for the ride, and just like that, it was over. Driving home, I found myself thinking less about Alex than about Joel. About a friend who always said yes before he asked why. About all the years that had passed between those two rides. This summer, Rush, with their new touring drummer, Anika Nilles, are again walking onto stages in front of thousands of people. And the moment the first chords of "Xanadu" ring out, every person in those arenas will travel backward in time. I know where I'll end up in that moment, back one more time with two skinny 15-year-olds in a hotel arcade in Monroe, LA, feeding quarters into Galaga. One of those boys never got to grow old, and the other still sees him laughing every time he looks in the rearview mirror. Back then, we were always waiting for some magic to arrive, for the impossible to happen. On that one day in April 1982, against every reasonable expectation, it did. r

Yes it was- I started to watch it a bit, at the start. And then I started moving toward the exit. Very quick question and answer in my head- “Is that all this is going to be?” “Yes” That being said, this first Detroit show I thought was phenomenally good! Unbelievably good, honestly. I counted one minor mistake for about half of a measure and that was it, for the whole night. Got home at 3:30 AM and I still haven’t been to sleep yet.

Hello, everyone! New guy here. I wasn't sure if there was a dedicated thread to introductions, and I didn't want to start a new one, so I figured I'd post it here. My real name is Chuck, but I picked the username Peter Griffin as that's what I used to go by in the days of the now defunct Counterparts message board. I thought I had an account on here from long ago, but apparently not. It's good to see some familiar names posting here! I'm pretty old school in that I still feel message boards are among the better forms of social media, and it's disappointing that so many good online forums have now gone extinct, across many different subjects. Facebook changed the landscape of online forums. It's good to see that this community has survived and going fairly strong. I have a couple Rush shows coming up this week in Detroit, my home town, and I've been lurking on this forum daily since the tour was basically announced, so I figured it would be cool to create an account and pipe in here from time to time. These two shows will be pretty special in that I'll be attending them with a lifelong friend. We actually attended our first concert together as teenagers back 1984 on the P/G tour. We went to a couple more gigs together on the follow up Power Windows and HYF tours, but my buddy stopped going to Rush concerts as life progressed (he still stayed a fan of the band's music, though). So, needless to say, these shows on Wed. and Thurs. will be pretty exciting and emotional, for a multitude of reasons. Cheers to all! Chuck aka Peter Griffin

I haven't heard a note from this tour yet, but seeing them Wednesday night in Detroit- soooo looking forward to it!

Some great stuff in here, including how practically everyone doesn't want Geddy jumping around on stage anymore lol.

I agree with your analogy of the collective perspective between mourning Neil's passing and the return of Alex and Geddy, with new band members Anika and Loren, and the Rush fans there to celebrate the return of Rush. And let's not forget the incredible team of technicians who helped to put the amazing show together. We all come together in the remembrance of Neil AND to see the band move forward. Such is the spirit of the Rush community. Timbale - I was there on opening night also. The tears wouldn't stop. I really wish you the best with your recovery from cancer.

Friday night in Toronto I thought would be more emotional, first hometown show for them in over a decade.But I kept it together (well I rocked out like crazy).We had great seats facing the stage from the other end of the arena, but the band felt a little distant despite us being in awe of the show. Sunday however we were closer to side stage, such a great vantage point and watching the guys at work again was mesmerising. By the time the opening song was finishing tears were streaming down my face. Later on I noticed a big guy near me dabbing his eyes when he realised the first song in set two was getting a full airing. Before long I was doing similar, remembering being a teenager totally obsessed with that record. The song ended with a tearful group hug as my pals and I thought of our lost stooge, in whose memory we made the trip to Canada.

My 20-year old daughter might. She'd thought the "I could some day see Rush" door was closed when Neil died. The closest she thought she'd ever come was at the Seattle stop of the Geddy book tour. A few tears leaked from her eyes that night.

Anika rounds off the Toronto shows by playing The Bag

Now that I've seen both of my shows. Toronto (Night One) - when Geddy got a little choked up before Freewill talking about Neil and the crowd cheered for him with nothing but love and support, it was an incredible moment. There were a few moments throughout where I was very moved emotionally beyond just the Neil tributes. I think the recognition of how much Rush means to me, how much I missed hearing the music live in person, and the culmination of the wait since the announcement back in October really made me reflect on how special it was to see the first night of a grand homecoming. Montreal (Night One) - special for an entirely different reason, which is that I was able to take my youngest to see her very first concert. Originally my father was supposed to come with me, but he became unavailable for the week I was visiting and so, not wanting to sell my tickets, I opted to turn to my youngest. It seemed like it was not lost on her how special it was for me. Being able to watch Alex up close from the third row was nothing short of a dream come true for me.

(warning -- SPOILERs below) I attended both Detroit shows and going into them I knew I'd be emotional since I find that I often have to wipe a tear or two away every time I watch a great video from this tour. I think it comes with old age, realizing how vital this band's music has been in my life for 40+ years, and also a bit of sadness that Neil's life was cut way too short. The first night was more emotional overall, and while I didn't break down in tears, I did well up a bit during two parts of the show, especially: 1. In Freewill when Geddy absolutley nailed the "Each of us..." section, and the crowd gave him a huge cheer right afterwards. Amazing. 2. During The Analog Kid when Geddy sang the lines, "You move me — You move me — With your buildings and your eyes Autumn woods and winter skies" Such a great lyric from Neil, and sung so beautifully by Geddy. That one hit pretty hard.

Even if Rush had plans to record and/or tour after the 2027 leg is complete, they probably wouldn't do anything right away. They'd almost certainly take a break and be in a reflect and re-assess mode for awhile, which would give Anika plenty of time to do her own thing. My gut tells me this tour will be it for Rush. Even if they record some new music, I can't see it being a full album, and I can't see them doing another big tour in support of it. I get the feeling Geddy and Alex are feeling extremely fortunate that they were able to get out there for one more tour while they still had a little gas left in the tank. I think they'll count their blessings and call it a day, at least as far as touring. Some new music with Anika contributing would be interesting, though.

I attended the first Detroit show and have tickets for tonight, so it will be interesting to see what we get. I like how even though there is a basic, core group of 4 setlists, each one has a variation so you never know exactly what you are going to get. This is both a treat and an extreme rarity for a Rush fan going to multiple shows. I'll be happy with anything, of course, but hoping for Headlong Flight, By-Tor, and The Trees tonight, and possibly AFTK as well as Detroit #2, likely my last ever Rush concert. I'm going to both gigs with a lifelong friend, and we caught our first ever Rush concert in 1984 on P/G. They played zero songs from that album at the first Detroit show so I'm expecting DEW or Red Sector A tonight. Lastly, based on Philly nights #1 and #2 they played 13 different songs between the two shows, so that's pretty good variation.

the bottom ten least played songs on this tour are: Bangkok Animate Distant Early Warning Analog Kid Caravan Leave That Thing Alone Natural Science The Anarchist A Farewell To Kings The Pass

I was at both Philly shows and I guess I’m just so grateful to get the chance to see them again because I hardly saw them at all back in the day that even though I did hear things because I am a musician myself, I let them go and just reveled in being there and watching them have the time of their lives. and I got the one song I wanted and that was most important to me. I agree about the little videos though.

I'm glad the "B" set is the one they seem to be using as the basis for the 2112 nights. Analog Kid was one of the songs I was most excited when they broke out.

Philly night 2. 7th row in section 2 turned out to be 5th row.

Welled up during bravado and Time Stand Still. There I said it. Those songs hit hard for me and as I get older, even more so.

Yet, another interview:

Have you seen what this fan base looks like 😄

This was an announcement today from the RushCon people. You have to make a Discord account (they say it's simple.) I'm taking it with a grain of salt because they tried streaming the first night of the tour and the stream got shut down pretty quickly, but this might be worth a try if you dont have a VPN (guilty ) "" For anyone planning to watch the new Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple documentary, we’re putting together a worldwide watch party on the RushCon Discord. Wednesday, September 23 Join us at 7:45 PM ET Documentary starts at 8 PM ET We’ll all watch together and use the Discord chat during the film. No microphones, no talking over the movie, just a bunch of Rush fans watching and reacting together. The documentary is streaming in Canada on CBC Gem, and we’ll be broadcasting the Canadian stream through the watch party so everyone can watch along with us. And yes, bring Kleenex. I have a feeling we’re going to need it. You do not need to know anything about Discord. It’s free, and we’re setting this up to be as simple as possible for people who have never used it before. Join / RSVP to the watch party here: https://discord.gg/SKupTHYP9?event=1546684308721242133 We also just launched a permanent RushCon Discord for meetups, ticket exchanges, Rush news, event chatter and general Rush nerdery: https://discord.gg/FyraNyRJy Hope a bunch of you can join us. See you in the Cyber Sea."

Their first release after Neil's tragedies was Vapor Trails - not Feedback. Feedback was just the result of them wanting to put something small together to tour behind for R30.

I was fortunate to be at both Detroit shows. 3rd row center Wednesday, and 11th row on left side (stage right) for Friday. It was great for me to experience the two different prospectives, and what seemed like two very different Rush shows. Show 1 was AWESOME, and Show 2 was AWESOME, but seemed darker and more serious for me… Both shows were complimented by being surrounded by AWESOME RUSH FANS. What a freaking pleasure!!! It was show 25 and 26 for me since the Signals Tour in ‘82, and I absolutely could not be happier! Thank you Alex, Geddy, Neil, Anika, Loren and the whole Rush Team. You are delivering an amazing experience of the beauty that is RUSH!!! Now, I begin research on how show 27 goes down! 🙂

The Garden. I screamed and then I cried. ☺️

After seeing them again in Detroit, I can say that Alex definitely seemed happier and more relaxed than when I saw them in Chicago. He was smiling much more and his playing had far fewer flubs last night.

Maybe a spoiler alert, but I'll save everyone some time. The post concert video is such a waste. Just grab your shit and get to the car.

More from last night.

Unreal. And frankly as our friend posted his article in that other thread, opening wiht that opener is just the Rush-iest sh-t ever...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, this has happened a few times now. Can you please stop spoiling songs in the setlist in the titles of your threads? I am trying to avoid spoilers and when I look down to see what new topics have been posted, I don’t appreciate seeing setlist spoilers in new thread titles.

I'd be more willing to pay big $$$$$$ for a huge box set of all four shows in their entirety on blu-ray/CD than I am for these deluxe album box sets that just have reprinted ticket stubs and other bullshit like that as the extras.

i'm listening to jacobs ladder

It will be very interesting to see how they end up piecing the Blu-ray together. I know traditionally it has been one full night with the "extra songs" included as a bonus, but the list of extra songs will be much bigger this time around. Also, with no Aimee Mann last night, it already makes for interesting speculation on which performances from which nights might essentially be edited into one "consecutive" performance, and thus contain material from all four nights.

Expect rushbrazil.com clickbait article any time now.