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Kevin J. Anderson's "Clockwork Angels: The Comic Scripts" Now Available
Pop Culture References Update - December 2014
Time for the latest Rush References in Pop Culture update. There haven't been too many since my last update, but there have been a few:
- Starting with today, December 12th, the Scary Gary comic strip by Mark Buford includes two Rush references: when Scary Gary goes down to his "man cave", the clock reads approximately 9:12 (21:12 in military time) and a Rush bumper sticker is seen on his refrigerator.
- During the November 23rd episode of CSI: Las Vegas, two CSI techs discuss an impression of a championship football ring left in wax at a crime scene, for a game whose final score was 21-12.
- Not sure if this qualifies as pop-culture, but Rush fans are everywhere as demonstrated by this YouTube product review for a carpentry vise by "Half-Inch Shy", where he is wearing a t-shirt which reads "Keep Calm and Listen to YYZ".
- As previously posted, the book Finding Jesus by Winston Rowantree was published on October 28. Essentially a book of "Where's Waldo"-esqe illustrations but with amusing cultural references, one of the illustrations is "A Woman at a Prog Rock Show" which features a Rush show, complete with dozens of Rush references
- And finally, during the Seinfeld episode "The Old Man" which aired February 18, 1993, while leaving the Taxi cab with Kramer, Newman is holding a stack of albums which includes All The World's A Stage.
Rock Cellar Magazine December 2014 Cover Feature - Neil Peart: The World’s Audience
Rush to reissue all 14 Mercury Albums On Vinyl, plus 3 5.1 Blu-Ray Editions, in 2015
In addition, three of those albums, Fly By Night, A Farewell to Kings, and Signals, will also be released as a standalone Blu-Ray Pure Audio version with 96kHz / 24-bit 5.1 surround sound and stereo. Previously, these three albums were only available with their 5.1 surround sound mix as part of the Sectors boxed sets released in late 2011.
Fly By Night Coming to Blu-ray-Audio
This will be the second such high resolution release of Fly By Night in just over three years; it was released as a 5.1 surround sound DVD as part of the Sectors 1 boxed set in late 2011.
- Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!
Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - December (July) 2014
Neil Peart has just updated his website with the latest issue of "News Weather & Sports." From July but apparently not published until now, this issue is titled "Bamm Bamm and the Lemon Slug". Neil tells of his competing in the "24 Hours of LeMons", an endurance racing series for low-budget enthusiasts such as Neil. You can check it out here.
Rush R40 Collectors Box Opens at #2 on Billboard's Music Videos Chart
Click here for the linernotes, including a new essay written for this collection by music journalist Martin Popoff.
R40 contains Rush's five most recent live videos (Rush in Rio, R30, Snakes & Arrows Live, Time Machine, Clockwork Angels Tour), as well as an R40 bonus disc containing oft-requested items from the vault as well as a 56 page hardback book.
The gem of this collection is the bonus disc, containing the complete Laura Secord Secondary School 1974 footage of which only three tracks have been previously available. Other rarities include Lock And Key 88 (an outtake previously only available on select versions of the A Show of Hands laserdisk), the Passaic NJ Capitol Theatre show from 1976 (previously seen in Beyond The Lighted Stage), and Rush at the Molson Amphitheatre in 1997 (a portion of the previously shelved Different Stages video), as well as the I Still Love You Man video from the Time Machine Tour and footage of the the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction in 2013. For additional details view the official press release.
There is a special edition of R40 available at both RushBackstageClub.com and BestBuy.com, which includes an 'R40 Completest' DVD which contains additional content from the original R30 release, that is not included in the standard R40 release. The DVD edition 'R40 Completest' DVD contains: a) the eight songs not included on the original R30 DVD release; b) the Anthem "Church" video; and c) three songs from Molson Amphitheatre, June 30, 1996 which are in addition to those found on the standard R40 "Bonus Disc". The Blu-Ray edition 'R40 Completest' DVD also contains the Anthem "Church" video and the three added tracks from Molson '96, but instead of the eight R30 tracks (which are already on the R30 Blu-Ray), it contains the bonus features found on the original R30 "Deluxe Edition" DVD which, while they are already included in the DVD edition, were not included on the Blu-Ray release in 2009 (and hence are not included in standard R40 Blu-Ray edition either).
Rush Lighting Director Howard Ungerleider - 2014 Parnelli Vision Award Honoree
"While perhaps best known as the visual designer behind four decades of Rush concerts, he’s also worked with the likes of Blue Öyster Cult, Van Halen, Queensrÿche, Tesla, Rod Stewart, Supertramp, Def Leppard and Alicia Keys, among others. His work on the corporate side has been just as innovative, creating custom environments for companies ranging from General Motors and Mercedes-Benz to the Buffalo Sabres hockey team."PLSN has also shared a 14 minute video interview with Geddy and Alex regarding Howard's work which you can view here.
Stewart Copeland's Lost Jam with Lifeson and Peart
You might recall a couple of years ago when Neil Peart, Primus' Les Claypool, Tool's Danny Carey, and Stuart Copeland jammed at Copeland's house and recorded the track Count Drumula. A video of the session can be seen here.
In a new interview with Radio.com, Stewart Copeland discusses a similar epic jam session with not only Neil Peart but also Alex Lifeson, and what happened to the recordings of that night:
In a new interview with Radio.com, Stewart Copeland discusses a similar epic jam session with not only Neil Peart but also Alex Lifeson, and what happened to the recordings of that night:
"Well, I had one tragedy. I had the Rush guys, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson, over here, and we jammed through the night. We banged every drum, Neil and I had the drum battle from hell, Alex played every guitar, cello, horn, it was just music all night. And then I started cutting it and putting it together, and Les Claypool came over and he sang [Rush's 1975 epic] “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” or something like that over the sessions. And so I’m editing it together, and I pull out my fancy-schmancy film-scoring tools, my orchestral samples, and built this huge track. And then my hard drive crashed! And I sent it to two or three different “drive doctors,” who all charged a fortune, and none of them could rescue the disc. And I hadn’t even done a rough mix. I was a little crushed by all that. That kind of popped the balloon on the whole thing."- Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
Geddy Lee Reveals Plan to Fix Favorite Baseball Team - RollingStone.com
"From singing the praises of new Cubs manager Joe Maddon ("He's brilliant") to fending off fantasy baseball questions ("Too early. Way too early,") he gave us his quick takes on the Major League Baseball season that was, and, of course, what he expects from his beloved Toronto Blue Jays in 2015."Click here for more.
Alex Lifeson Limited Edition Signed Prints for the Kidney Foundation
Two of Alex Lifeson's paintings which were auctioned off for the Kidney Foundation of Canada are now available as a limited edition print individually numbered and signed by Alex. What a great Christmas gift for Rush fans which also will raise money for a great cause!"The Kidney Foundation of Canada - Atlantic Branch and Alex have teamed up to produce these two limited edition set of prints. Only 300 prints have been made of Self Portrait #1 and only 200 prints have been made of Greek Salad. Each print is numbered and Alex Lifeson has personally signed each individual print. That's right, each print has Alex Lifeson's ORIGINAL signature on it. The print is on high quality, heavy stock. In addition, each print comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, signed by the Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, confirming that the print that you have purchased is one of only 300. The certificate also shows the print number (eg. Print No. 33 Limited Edition of 300). The certificate is printed on linen paper, making it ideal for framing with the art print or for displaying on its own."Click here for more information and to purchase! - Thanks Trina for the headsup!
Nickelback channels Rush on Jimmy Kimmel Live
"4 Seemingly Normal Things That Are Inexplicably Hard to Find" - Cracked.com
The feature promotes the release of Finding Jesus by Winston Rowantree, a collection of such illustrations published last month.
One of the examples posted is "A Woman at a Prog Rock Show", and the illustration features a Rush show, complete with dozens of Rush references. - Thanks to Joe Pesch for the headsup!
Q&A: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Talk R40, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Future of Rush - Radio.com
Geddy Lee on Q103's "Out Of The Box"
Last night, Geddy Lee appeared on New York's Q104.3's "Out of the Box" with Jonathan 'JC' Clarke to talk about the R40 Collector's Boxed Set. The eight minute interview is available for your viewing pleasure here.
Geddy Lee Answers Your Twitter Questions - Rollingstone
CBC Music Celebrates Rush's R40 with Rush Week
- Rush: by the numbers (full of erroneous information - sorry CBC)
- Ten Rush Quotes To Live By
- Rush's Neil Peart on writing, riding motorcycles and his drumming legacy
- Neil Peart on the 10 best Rush songs ever
- Neil Peart's Guide to Neil Peart's Drums
- Rush, a legacy: 40 years of being unapologetically uncool
- Rush: 40 things you didn't know about the legendary prog rockers
- Win a Rush R40 box set by proving you are the world's biggest Rush fan
- From Trailer Park Boys to Freaks and Geeks, a brief history of Rush in pop culture
- An MPC full of Geddy Lee: 11 great songs that sample Rush
Kim Mitchell with Lorne Wheaton (Neil Peart’s Drum Tech) - Q107 Podcast
Today Lorne Wheaton appeared on Toronto's Q107 with Kim Mitchell. Check out the full interview here.
“Clockwork Angels” Comic Book #6 of 6 (the final issue) now available
"Once, he was just a boy tending to the apple orchards. Now, Owen Hardy is flying a magnificent airship across the skies of Albion! In the course of this adventure he learns a secret about his own family, one that will take him to the hallowed Seven Cities!"
Geddy Lee Performs at The Who's Concert for Teenage Cancer Trust
Last night Geddy Lee was one of the guest performers at The Who's concert for Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire. Today's review in London's Guardian newspaper noted "Rush’s Geddy Lee’s leather-lunged take on The Seeker confirms that when the Who rock, they really rock," and Rollingstone reported "Geddy Lee put in a laidback performance on 'The Seeker.' The Rush singer, who had flown in from Canada especially for the gig and celebrates his own band's 40th anniversary this year, also played bass and later said he was 'thrilled to support the Teenage Cancer Trust while celebrating the music of the Who, a band that changed my life.'"Geddy Lee's performance of "The Seeker", which was covered by Rush performed on Feedback, can be seen in these fan filmed video recordings here, here, here and here (embedded below) . An extensive gallery of photos from the event is available here.
"An evening of music in aid of Teenage Cancer TrustThe evening's setlist and list of performers was as follows:
The house band for the evening is The Who's band featuring Simon Townshend, Zak Starkey, Pino Palladino, Billy Nicholls, Frank Simes, Loren Gold and John Coury, and they will be joined onstage by some of the best artists in the world all performing Who classics.
"Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Liam Gallagher, Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs, Manic Street Preachers’ James Dean Bradfield, Geddy Lee from Rush, The Strypes, Brody Dalle, Tom Odell, Amy Macdonald, Andy Burrows and Rizzle Kicks as well more to be announced soon, have chosen their favourite WHO songs to perform in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust."
'I Can't Explain' - Andy Burrows; 'The Kids Are Alright' - Wilko Johnson + The Strypes; 'Getting In Tune' - Tom Odell; 'Behind Blue Eyes' - Amy Macdonald; 'Who Are You?' - Rizzle Kicks; 'You Better You Bet' - Rich Hall; '5.15' - Ricky Wilson; 'Bell Boy' - Ricky Wilson + Phil Daniels; 'Love Reign O'er Me' - Joe Elliott; 'Acid Queen' - Sheila Ferguson; 'The Seeker' - Geddy Lee; 'Baba O'Riley' - Leslie Mendelson; 'My Generation' - Liam Gallagher; 'Naked Eye' - Eddie Vedder; 'Won't Get Fooled Again' - Eddie Vedder; 'Listening To You' - Eddie Vedder; 'Substitute' - Roger Daltrey; 'Young Man Blues' - Roger Daltrey
3 Doors Down's Chris Henderson Digs Rush
In a new interview posted today at MemphisFlyer.com, 3 Doors Down guitarist Chris Henderson talks about how Rush's Chronicles compilation helped him through a bad breakup, and how working with Alex Lifeson (in spring 2000, shortly after the release of Better Life, Lifeson produced three 3 Doors Down tracks: "Wasted Me", "Dangerous Game" and "Dead Love") taught him to be a better producer.
- Thanks to Rushfanforever for the headsup!I had a girlfriend. I was engaged to her. We broke up after five years of being together. She went off and did whatever to get over it. I put in Rush Chronicles, got in my truck and drove around for five days. That's how I got over that relationship. After I listened to that record, I said, 'I don't need this crap. I've got Rush.' So needless to say, when Alex Lifeson's name came up as a producer, I was in, Jack. I didn't need to hear anybody else's name. I can't explain how nice a guy and how smart he was. How cultured he was and how great a musician he is. I can't put into words how much his influence brought to my life before I met him and after I met him. There's not a week that goes by that I don't think of that experience. I spent three weeks with him in the studio.
He taught me that the technical aspect of being a producer is not the most important part. Tee most important part is the song and how to delegate. If you want to change someone's art, they are going to fight you on it. If it's all about the art becoming better, you've got to get your point across. That's what Alex taught me. Instead of saying 'I'm a producer. I'm from Rush. You need to listen to me.' He wasn't like that. He came in and was like,' Think about it like this: What does the fan think? From a radio listener's perspective, you have about 13 seconds. They hit that seek button. That's the way it works. He taught us that.
Geddy Lee Discusses 2015 Tour and R40 Collectors Box - Rollingstone.com
"We're still talking. Everybody has a different idea how they want to spend the next couple of years, so we haven't come to a decision. I'm ready and happy to play if everyone else agrees. I think in the next couple of months we'll decide to do something or not."He also discusses the force behind the release of the R40 boxed set:
"The office and our manager is always pushing us to release some archival stuff. Seeing as we were off, we said, 'Have at it.' It was interesting seeing all the old footage. We recorded a show on the Test For Echo tour we'd forgotten about because it came just before a particularly dark period in our history. It was painful to think about, but when we listened back we realized we were in good form that night. It would have been a shame to not unearth at least part of it."Click here for the complete interview. - Thanks to Skip Daly for the headsup!
Neil Peart on The Strombo Show Sunday November 9th - Video Now Available
UPDATE: Nov 10: Neil Peart appeared on The Strombo Show this past Sunday, November 9 on CBC Radio 2 in Canada from 8-11pm. Neil's complete 28 minute interview is now available here. In addition, the complete broadcast is available as a podcast on Strombo's SoundCloud channel here (Neil's interview is from 55:00 to 2:10:22).
Vote for what you want to hear on tour in 2015 at RushPetition.com
"In the interest of encouraging the band to pull some choice rarities out of the vault, the song list (below) is limited to songs from the Peart recording era that Rush has never performed live ("Feedback" covers excluded). As in the past, each person gets to select FIVE songs from the list below and submit their votes, with each individual being allowed to cast one "ballot". No guarantees, of course, but with any luck the band will keep an eye on the results and take the results into some degree of consideration. (We'll certainly be letting Anthem/SRO know the site is up and running again)."To vote visit RushPetition.com.
Win a bottle of 12 year old Macallan whisky signed by Neil Peart of RUSH
RUSHfest Scotland, the Scotland convention for Rush fans, is hosting a world wide raffle to win a 12 year old bottle of The Macallan whisky signed by Neil Peart, in an effort to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.It is a well known fact amongst RUSH fans that Neil Peart’s favorite tipple after a show or a bike ride is a ‘wee measure’ of 'The Macallan', one of the most highly regarded distillers in Scotland. The 12 year old Macallan, which will come with a certificate of authenticity, is no longer in production and sure to go up in value within the whisky collector community.
Each drawing entry is just £5 GBP (~$8 USD), and it is open worldwide. The more you donate, the more times you get entered into the raffle - each multiple of £5 GBP is another entry in the raffle. The drawing will be made on April 18th, 2015.
For complete details, visit https://www.justgiving.com/rushfest-Scotland/. - Thanks to Mike Sword for the headsup!
TJ Martell World Tour of Wine Dinner & Auction
About The TJ Martell World Tour Of Wine & Auction:
Each year, our World Tour of Wine guests join us for full tastings from the cellars of some the most avid wine lovers and collectors in the United States who donate their wine for those at their table to drink. The 220+ guests in attendance also enjoy an exquisite five-course gourmet meal (featuring courses prepared by a celebrity chef) at this dinner while bidding on silent auction lots from the wine, sports and music/entertainment fields, as well as 8-10 live auction lots. What makes the World Tour of Wine truly unique is the fact that, unlike most charity dinners where the wines are provided by either one or a select few vineyards, each table is pouring wine from the collections of its “wine host”. Therefore, no two tables are alike in terms of what is being poured, and “table hopping” between guests begins almost as soon as the corks are pulled!
Speakeasy: An intimate conversation with Geddy Lee of Rush
UPDATE: The taped show will air next April 2015. Yesterday the day after the taping, Rush.com shared "75 minutes flew by talking to one of my favourite writers and a truly awesome person" - Geddy Lee (with Michael Chabon taping PBS Speakeasy airing in huge new year)"
Front & Center Presents
Speakeasy: An intimate conversation with Geddy Lee of Rush
Location: New York, NY | McKittrick Hotel (542 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001)
Event time: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
There will be 50 tickets available for this event for fans to be in the studio audience that will go on-sale on Tuesday, Nov 4 at 10am ET.
https://www.citiprivatepass.com/landing/speak_easy_geddy_lee.html
Rush.com will also be giving away a few pairs so stay tuned for your chance to win!
Neil Peart Appears in Cow Form in Chick-Fil-A's 2015 Calendar
Premiere of Rush with John Rutsey performing "The Loser"
Rush's R40 40th Anniversary Collectors Box Set is going to be released next Tuesday on DVD and Blu-Ray, and today Radio.com has posted another premiere of one of the rarities from the R40 "Bonus Disc", titled "The Loser". This is Rush with John Rutsey at their finest! Also included is a new interview with Geddy wherer he discusses the song, which you can read after the Youtube link below.
What went through your mind when you watched the footage of you guys performing in 1974?
Well, watching that is like an out-of-body experience for me. Because I remember it, and at the same time, it was so long ago, it’s hard to know if it’s a real memory, or a dream state memory. It’s hard to feel like that same guy who was screeching on the stage back then in unusual clothing.
Alex Lifeson told us that the thing that stuck out in his mind is that the audience were seated the entire time, no one got up!
That was a very Canadian response back then. Canadians, especially back then, were an almost self-conscious audience. Even if they were loving it, most of the crowd was quite quiet. That’s changed, of course, over the years. Back then, you would play a small town in Canada or across the country, and you wouldn’t be sure that they were loving it. When they actually were loving it, but they weren’t very demonstrative about it. So, we’d come back from the U.S. and American crowds were famously exuberant, and then you’d cross the border and do some small town in Saskatchewan or something, the crowd would be not so exuberant. You’d feel like you were bombing, but afterwards people would come up and say, “Man, I loved your show!”
Was it bittersweet, watching the footage with John Rutsey?
Yeah, it is sad in one sense, but it’s also quite a nice thing that this footage is available, so people can see what we were like with him, and what he was like. I think in a way, it helps keep his memory alive. He’s part of our history.
Back then, John was the guy in the band who talked to the audience from the stage. Did you prefer that you didn’t have to take on that role?
I was always the reluctant… everything. I was originally a guitarist, and the bass player in my old garage band quit, and they voted and I became the bass player. I was the only one that could sing, so I became the singer. I didn’t really want to write lyrics, so in the early days of Rush, John wrote the lyrics. I was a very shy kid, I didn’t really feel comfortable talking to the audience, so John did that. So I really kind of backed into my entire career.
It seems to have worked out.
It’s worked out really well! I’m still playing it by ear.
How long did it take for you to get comfortable with being the guy who had to do the onstage banter?
It took quite a long time, really. I didn’t really have a persona. All the singers from rock bands in those days were taking on a persona of a very loud, sort of gregarious guy who would rile up the crowd. That’s not me, I’m not that guy. I’m not that guy socially, I’m not that guy period. For me to suddenly have to talk to the audience… I was rather soft-spoken, so it was always work for me to psych for myself up to try to do that. In the early years, the lack of persona seemed to be a problem. As we hung around, I think my lack of onstage persona has actually become my onstage persona. So you kind of grow into who you actually are. It’s kind of worked out for me. The ideal person to be our MC would be Alex, he’s naturally hilarious, he’s such a goof and such a funny, warm guy. But he’s, at times, even more shy than me. He didn’t want to do it either!
What do you remember about the song “The Loser?”
I honestly don’t remember that song, and I didn’t remember it until I actually saw the footage of us playing it. And I didn’t remember it was called ‘The Loser.” So much for my memory! We wrote so many songs in the early days, and half of them fell by the wayside. A while back, Alex uncovered a demo tape that he and I had done for copyright purposes. Since we couldn’t write music, the only way you could submit a song for copyright in those days was, you’d record it. Alex would play guitar and I would sing onto a tape. We found one of these very basic tapes. I just could not remember half of the songs that were there. It was just teenage ramblings.
Any chance you’d consider putting out a compilation of previously unreleased pre-1974 Rush recordings?
They’re not very musical! Maybe after we’re dead and gone, if somebody uncovers those tapes. While we’re still alive, I don’t think we would want anybody to hear that stuff.
Rush Heard On The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Oct 29th
First Look at Rush Performing ‘I’ve Been Runnin” And New Alex Interview - Radio.com
"Oh my god, that was such a long time ago. I can vaguely remember it, I remember being on the stage in that auditorium in that school, and how all of the kids were sitting in their seats — no one was standing! — and it was a little uncomfortable. But it’s a good example of the band we were at that time playing bars and high schools...[John Rutsey] had a very witty sense of humor, and he had such balls. He would talk to the audience and say stuff; sometimes, I thought he’d get us killed. He was comfortable talking to people, and being that guy, whereas Geddy really wasn’t, and I’m not even sure he is that comfortable with it today. But John, he would tell stories, and tell jokes, he would pick someone from the audience and do running jokes with that person all night. He was really great at that. It was fun: those days were really fun with him. We were with him for six years. You know, John sang one or two songs… I think. He really didn’t have a singing voice, it was like a Bob Dylan-ish monotone. But there were a couple of songs that he sang, and he and I also did some backing vocals. His on-stage mic wasn’t just reserved for talking." - Alex Lifeson, Radio.com, October 30, 2014
Geddy & Alex's GRAPES UNDER PRESSURE 3 Charity eBay Auction
Geddy Lee have posted the following thank you regarding the Grapes Under Pressue 3 auction which took place the weekend of October 11th:
On behalf of Alex, myself and the entire GUP team I'd like to say a huge ginormous THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH to all of our fans, friends, and followers who took the time and spent their hard earned money to support this Grapes Under Pressure 3 Ebay auction in support of Grapes for Humanity Canada. Your money will go a super long way to help rebuild health care facilities in the Philippines that were damaged or destroyed in the Haiyan Typhoon. You have helped a lot of people!On October 8th, Rush.com posted:
Thank you all for caring!
my best to you,
Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have launched the most Rush memorabilia on their eBay auction as part of their Grapes Under Pressure 3 initiative in support of Grapes for Humanity, an organization that helps to raise funds to benefit humanitarian causes around the world with the assistance of the international wine community.
The Grapes Under Pressure eBay auction has been fast and furious since went live on Friday!
Some of the standouts include 53 bids for a signed Different Stages promo photo, 27 bids for a signed Moving Pictures Live test pressing, and 15 bids for Geddy’s home studio used Ovation acoustic guitar.
Things will really start to heat up as we move towards auction closing times on Monday evening, Oct. 13th.
You can watch the action here. Or even better, join in the fun and make a bid! It’s all for a good cause.
Included in the auction are:
ALL proceeds will be directed to Grapes for Humanity, Canada www.grapesforhumanity.com
- An autographed Geddy Lee Custom Shop Relic Fender Jazz Bass (limited edition, only 50 of these basses have been built as an exact replica of Geddy’s stage bass).
- An autographed Alex Lifeson Signature Gibson Axcess Les Paul Guitar signed by Alex, Geddy and Neil.
- A Rush autographed DW Snare Drum with NHL Logos Limited Edition, one of only 6 built.
Grapes for Humanity Canada is proud to partner with Magna Children at Risk, and proceeds for this exclusive event will go directly to rebuild health care facilities in the Philippines which were damaged by the Haiyan Typhoon.
Thanks for your support!
Geddy & Alex
#GUP3auction
Alex Lifeson Talks About The '70s In New Video Interview
Alex Lifeson was recently interviewed by Indie Power. During the brief chat he was asked what it was about the '70s that is still so powerful today over all the decades.
"I guess it was an era in music," replied the iconic Canadian musician. "And there's staying power in a lot of that music. Things were so different then. Communication is so instant now and everybody's got thousands of songs on their iPhone. It's a whole different thing. Certainly the music of that era, for the most part, is quite enduring."
Danforth & Pape's "Union Of Maples" T-Shirt Now Available
Danforth & Pape Outfitters, the Rush-fan t-shirt makers based in the UK, have announced their latest release, the "Grand Union Of Maples" t-shirt available in black and of course, forest green! From their Facebook page:Want equal rights for Maples? Then Brothers and Sisters, the Grand Union of Maples needs you!...You know the manifesto. You know our demands. Now here’s the T-shirt.
The Grand Union of Maples shirts are £17.00. Postage and Packing is £3.00 for UK and £5.00 for the rest of the world per item.
The closing date for pre-orders is Halloween when we’ll all be topping up the sugar levels on a Witch Hunt! Shipping will commence in Mid-November.For additional information including sizing and ordering, visit their Facebook page. Also look for their previous releases including tshirts for Le Studio, Blah Blah Blah, Barchetta Racing Club, and the Cygnus-X1 Rocinante crew shirt.
The Ents cover "Fly By Night" on their "Traveling Lights" EP
Bill Hader is a Rush fan
Rush fans are everywhere. In the first three minutes of this interview on Speakeasy with Paul F. Tompkins originially published in August, 2013, Hader tells how when growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, being a fan of the comedy talents of Monty Python was a quick way of meeting fans who shared similar tastes, and goes on to say "It was the same thing as if you saw someone who was wearing a Rush tshirt..." - Thanks to Bryan Benner for the headsup!
Geddy Lee - The Mind Of The Baseball Collector
Tonight, Geddy Lee will be featured in a Sportsnet documentary regarding baseball collectors.
"The Mind of the Baseball Collector looks at the addictive world of sports memorabilia collecting. The past comes to life through the collections and stories of: rock legend Geddy Lee, eclectic collector and lawyer Allan Stitt and the Guinness Book of World Records holder of the most autographed baseballs, Dennis Schrader."The documentary airs tonight (Monday), October 13th at 7PM on Sportsnet in Canada. - Thanks to Ed @ RushIsABand for the headsup!
"Far and Near: An Interview with Neil Peart" - Huffington Post
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| Buy Now |
"I think in music you're always hoping that you'll have a like-minded audience and that the music you like making will appeal to them too. That's the same way that I approach the stories. Just as we play our music for an ideal listener as it were, I have an ideal reader in mind who's interested in nature like I am, interested in physical activity like I am, and human history."- Thanks to Skip Daly for the headsup!
Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - October 2014
Alex Lifeson Participates in Scott Medlock-Robby Krieger Invitational Golf Tournament and All-Star Concert
UPDATE: Rock journalist Lucas H. Gordon interviewed Alex on video to discuss the band's activity, performing in Argentina with the flu, and more.
UPDATE: The tournament took place yesterday, and today KISS tweeted the photo to the right, with the caption: "Now here's a team! Patrick Warburton, Dan Dutton, Alex Lifeson, Paula Trickey, #KISS' Tommy Thayer and Alice Cooper".
Videos from last night's All-Star Concert are available here, including "Working Man" and "The Spirit of Radio", as well as other classic songs from The Doors.
The seventh annual Scott Medlock-Robby Krieger Invitational Golf Tournament and All-Star Concert will return to Moorpark Country Club on Mon., Sept. 22 for the benefit of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The event will be hosted by artist Scott Medlock, renowned for his paintings in the world of sports, and Robby Krieger, the legendary Doors lead guitarist.
The event has raised nearly $1 million for St. Jude, and the fundraising goal this year is $300,000. Microsemi Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach, Waste Management and Monster Energy are sponsors of the day-long event, which will kick off with a golf tournament at 10:30 a.m., followed by a 19thhole reception presented by A La Maison, Mastro's Steakhouse and Ketel One Vodka.
At 8 p.m., the rockers will take the stage for an all-star concert that will feature Krieger, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Tommy Thayer (KISS), Danny Seraphine (Chicago), David Sikes (Boston), Lita Ford and Cherie Currie (The Runaways), plus Jonny Lang, Ray Goren and comedians Gary Mule Deer, Mark Eddie, Scott Henry and Michael Wilson.
Concert tickets are $50 for general admission, and $100 for VIP access and the 19th hole reception. Golf entries are $5,000 per Foursome Sponsor. For details to purchase tickets visit www.medlockkriegerinvitational.com. - The Acorn.com, September 11, 2014 - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
UPDATE: The tournament took place yesterday, and today KISS tweeted the photo to the right, with the caption: "Now here's a team! Patrick Warburton, Dan Dutton, Alex Lifeson, Paula Trickey, #KISS' Tommy Thayer and Alice Cooper".Videos from last night's All-Star Concert are available here, including "Working Man" and "The Spirit of Radio", as well as other classic songs from The Doors.
The seventh annual Scott Medlock-Robby Krieger Invitational Golf Tournament and All-Star Concert will return to Moorpark Country Club on Mon., Sept. 22 for the benefit of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The event will be hosted by artist Scott Medlock, renowned for his paintings in the world of sports, and Robby Krieger, the legendary Doors lead guitarist.
The event has raised nearly $1 million for St. Jude, and the fundraising goal this year is $300,000. Microsemi Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach, Waste Management and Monster Energy are sponsors of the day-long event, which will kick off with a golf tournament at 10:30 a.m., followed by a 19thhole reception presented by A La Maison, Mastro's Steakhouse and Ketel One Vodka.At 8 p.m., the rockers will take the stage for an all-star concert that will feature Krieger, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Tommy Thayer (KISS), Danny Seraphine (Chicago), David Sikes (Boston), Lita Ford and Cherie Currie (The Runaways), plus Jonny Lang, Ray Goren and comedians Gary Mule Deer, Mark Eddie, Scott Henry and Michael Wilson.
Concert tickets are $50 for general admission, and $100 for VIP access and the 19th hole reception. Golf entries are $5,000 per Foursome Sponsor. For details to purchase tickets visit www.medlockkriegerinvitational.com. - The Acorn.com, September 11, 2014 - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
Neil Peart's "Far And Near ... On Days Like These" Now Shipping
Don't delay, the book can be ordered in hardback and ebook options.
Whether navigating the backroads of Louisiana or Thuringia, exploring the snowy Quebec woods, or performing onstage at Rush concerts, Neil Peart has stories to tell. His first volume in this series, Far and Away, combined words and images to form an intimate, insightful narrative that won many readers.- Thanks to Vagner Cruz for the headsup!
Now Far and Near brings together reflections from another three years of an artist’s life as he celebrates seasons, landscapes, and characters, travels roads and trails, receives honors, climbs mountains, composes and performs music. With passionate insight, wry humor, and an adventurous spirit, once again Peart offers a collection of open letters that take readers on the road, behind the scenes, and into the inner workings of an ever-inquisitive mind.
These popular stories, originally posted on Peart’s website, are now collected and contextualized with a new introduction and conclusion in this beautifully designed collector’s volume.
“Clockwork Angels” Comic Book #5 of 6 now available
Alex Lifeson guest appearance on Wilderness of Manitoba's album "Between Colours" coming September 16
Durrell Bowman's "Experiencing Rush: A Listener's Companion" Coming In November
"In Experiencing Rush: A Listener’s Companion, music scholar Durrell Bowman guides readers through Rush’s long career, explaining through the artful combination of biography, history, and musical exegesis how to listen to this unique act. From Rush’s emergence as an early blues-rock power trio of guitar, bass, and drums into the godfathers of progressive hard rock, Bowman marks the band’s first breakthrough with its landmark, sci-fi/individualist album 2112. From there, readers explore Rush’s movement from “prog rock” extended compositions into shorter, potential-radio-play “post-prog” songs, leading to Rush’s most successful album Moving Pictures in 1981. In its later career, Rush adventurously mixed progressive hard rock and music technology, generating a new power trio sound that featured further stylistic evolutions. As Bowman makes clear, it is the band’s stalwart path and many influences on fans, musicians, and others that resulted in Rush’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013."- Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!
R40 6-disc Blu-ray box set coming in November
It's worth mentioning that this will contain the first release of Rush in Rio on blu-ray, and in addition this edition of the R30 blu-ray does include the bonus features, which were left off the original R30 blu-ray edition.
The bonus disc is purported to include the complete Laura Secord Secondary School 1974 footage of which only three tracks have been previously available, Lock And Key 88 (outtake previously only available on select versions of the A Show of Hands laserdisk), the Passaic NJ Capitol Theatre show from 1976 (previously seen in Beyond The Lighted Stage), and Rush at the Molson Amphitheatre in 1997 (the previously shelved Different Stages video[?]), as well as the I Still Love You Man video from the Time Machine Tour and footage of the the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction in 2013.
From the product description:
2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Rush's eponymous debut album in 1974. This superb collector's box set brings together live performances by Rush from each decade of their career. It includes "Rush In Rio", "R30", "Snakes & Arrows Live", "Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland" and "Clockwork Angels Tour" plus a bonus disc of previously unseen live material stretching from 1974 to 2013. Rush are renowned for the energy and excitement of their live concerts and this set brings together some of their finest performances. The 6 Blu-ray discs are contained in a stunning 56 page hardback book measuring 305mm x 225mm with the 6 discs contained in 5 additional rigid insert pages. The 56 pages of the book are filled with memorabilia and photographs documenting 40 years of Rush live in concert. This is the ultimate collection of Rush live performances, beautifully presented.And here are the bonus disc details:
Disc Six - R40 Bonus DiscThe UK release date is given as Monday, November 17th so the North American release will likely by the following Tuesday, November 18th. Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the heads up.
Laura Secord Secondary School 1974
1) Need Some Love 2) Before and After 3) Best I Can 4) I’ve Been Runnin’ 5) Bad Boy 6) The Loser 7) Working Man 8) In the Mood (partial)
Capitol Theatre 1976
1) Bastille Day 2) Anthem 3) Lakeside Park 4) 2112 5) Fly By Night/In The Mood
Lock and Key 1988
Molson Amphitheatre 1997
1) Limelight 2) Half the World 3) Limbo 4) Virtuality 5) Nobody's Hero 6) Test for Echo 7) Leave That Thing Alone/Drum Solo 8) 2112 (all seven parts)
I Still Love You Man 2011
Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction 2013
"The Spirit of Radio" makes BBC's 'Greatest Guitar Riffs Ever'
On Thursday, BBC Radio 2 released their list of the top 20 'Greatest Guitar Riffs Ever'. The songs were not ranked, but "The Spirit of Radio" did make the top 20. More importantly, the BBC posted a short audio clip of Geddy Lee where he thanks the fans for voting, and also gives a short description of how Alex created the songs' signature introductory riff. - Thanks to Martin Goodfellow for the headsup!
Billy Corgan expresses the ongoing inspiration of Rush
In a new interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Corgan discusses how "his inspirations are now bands that continue to make music but without artistic pretense, such as Neil Young, Iggy Pop, and particularly Rush. He says the Canadian rock giants have taught him that 'the right way to get older is no apologies, do your thing, and when you get out there, you can still walk off the stage feeling you’re one of the best at what you do. You don’t feel they’re leaving anything on the table or phoning it in,' he says. 'That’s the spirit that made you love them in the first place.'” Check out the full interview here. - Thanks to David Cooper for the headsup!
"Alex Lifeson On John Wesley" in Guitar Player, October 2014 issue
Rush Referenced Again on FX's "The Bridge"
In the followup episode "Lamia" (aired August 20), Daniel is at his apartment (wearing the Grace Under Pressure shirt from the previous episode) with Gary (who is wearing a Rush explosion t-shirt), doing cocaine and listening to "The Spirit of Radio".
- Thanks to everyone who alerted me, and to RushIsABand for the sceenshot.
Alex Lifeson in His Own Words - Gibson.com
Vertical Horizon's Matt Scannell Talks Peart in new Guitar Player Interview
"Recording with Neil Peart, the legend, is actually just like recording with Neil Peart, one of your best friends. He’s one of my favorite human beings. But what you quickly realize with Neil is that he’s just a guy who has a job, and he’s really good at his job. When we were doing our last record, Burning the Days, he and I decided to try to write a song together. It was a song called 'Even Now' and it went really well and he ended up playing drums on it. On Echoes From The Underground he plays on 'Instamatic' and 'South for the Winter.' One thing people might not realize about Neil’s drumming is how much he plays for the singer. It’s uncanny how sensitive he is to the voice. He wants to build you up as a singer and build up the vocal performance. As the singer in the band, it’s really incredible to hear him propel me forward and raise me up. 'Instamatic,' to me, is one of the greatest performances of his incredible career. It’s a master class in rock drumming and I was thrilled beyond belief to have him appear on our record."
Kevin J. Anderson announces new Anthology of Rush Short Stories
Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - August 2014
Geddy Lee's ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Geddy Lee of accepts "Les Claypool"'s ice bucket challenge - and in The Spirit of the ALS Ice Bucket challenge, puts it forward to musician Ed Robertson of BNL, actor Jay Baruchel and baseball legend Randy Johnson.
Don't forget to donate!
http://www.alsa.org/
Don't forget to donate!
http://www.alsa.org/
"The Stoic Wisdom of Neil Peart" - Progarchy.com
Neil Peart to participate in Music Radar's Drum Expo 2014
Music Radar has announced that Neil Peart will participate in the Drum Expo 2014, which will go live this Wednesday and Thursday. The Expo will feature a
number of online interviews, drum lessons and more from a some of rock's
biggest drummers including Rush's Neil Peart. Visit Music Radar for details.
"Rush: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Excellence" by Robert Freedman
"Rush is often referred to as a libertarian rock band, but really what the band is channeling is an Aristotelian individualism, a philosophy that strongly resonates with today's 40-somethings. This helps explain the band's resurgence in popularity, culminating in its 2013 induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 'Rush: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Excellence' brings together the excitement of the band's progressive music, performed by three musicians whose mastery of their instruments has won them the admiration of their peers, and the surprising philosophical sophistication of their music's lyrics. The book is a systematic look at the Aristotelian philosophy embedded in the band's lyrics over its 40-year recording career.For more info, visit the author's book page here. - Thanks Robert for the headsup!
Although the topic of the book is academic, the writing is sharp, down-to-earth, and leavened with a dry wit. Anyone interested in the band's music, popular culture, and philosophical ideas simply explained will enjoy this entertaining and thought-provoking work.
As a cultural phenomenon, Rush is worthy of serious study, and although other books have looked at the philosophical character of the band's music, this is the first time the music over the band's entire 40-year career is demonstrated to fall under a single, unified theory: Aristotelian individualism.
Even readers who have pored over earlier books on Rush will enjoy this unifying theme. 'Rush, Rock Music and the Middle Class' (by Chris McDonald), says Rush is an avatar of middle class values. While the work ethic and value structure of the middle class is part of the band's philosophy, that is just a subset of the band's Aristotelianism, as shown by Robert Freedman here. The unified Aristotelian philosophy is also different from what's discussed in 'Rush and Philosophy' (edited by Durrell Bowman and Jim Berti) looks at the band's music through multiple philosophical filters and no attempt is made to look at the music through a single, unifying lens. Another book that studies Rush lyrics, 'Mystic Rhythms' (Carol Selby Price ad Robert M. Price), provides an interpretation of selected lyrics but does not systematically look at any philosophy. Rather, it approaches the lyrics as literary analysis and provides no overarching theoretical framework."
“Clockwork Angels” Comic Book #4 of 6 now available
Rush 40th Anniversary Reissue Box Set Nominated for Prog's "Storm Thorgerson Grand Design Award"
Rush have been nominated for an award at this year’s Prog Awards in the following category: STORM THORGERSON GRAND DESIGN AWARD, for the Rush 40th Anniversary Reissue Box Set.
This year the Awards take place at the prestigious Underglobe beneath Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, on Thursday September 11.
Voting closes Friday, August 8th... you can vote via the website here: http://awards.prog.teamrock.com
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