50 Years of Sonic Exploration: Alex Lifeson Launches LERXST Amplifiers

Alex Lifeson has announced the launch of LERXST, a new family of amplifiers inspired by the Rush guitarist’s five decades of musical exploration on the guitar while also offering modern players a versatile tonal platform upon which to build their own sonic identity.

LERXST amplifiers offer a diverse palette of sounds that range from crystal-clear cleans to raging arena rock sounds and everything in between, supplemented with key features like power-scaling and serial effects loops to suit the needs of the next generation of sonic explorers, all designed to Lifeson’s exacting specifications and hand crafted in the USA by Mojotone. The initial launch includes the OMEGA amplifier head, CHI amplifier head and combo, and an accompanying range of matching guitar cabinets. For more information and to purchase LERXST amplifiers, please visit https://lerxstamps.com/. 

Geddy Lee is selling the bulk of his baseball memorabilia collection Dec 6

Geddy Lee is selling some 300 items at Christie’s on December 6. It is being billed as "Selections from The Collection of Geddy Lee.”  For more check out the below interview published today by TheAthtletic.com:

Speaking on the phone from his home office, Geddy Lee asks if he can take a second to grab one particular baseball. He knows its story by heart but wants to get it exactly right, in its own words. Of the hundreds of baseballs Lee has collected, this ball is among the least valuable. There are items in his collection worth well over $100,000. They are signed by U.S. presidents and baseball Hall of Famers; they have been thrown in no-hitters and hit for milestone home runs.

But Lee has reached for a ball signed by Bert Shepard, a left-handed pitcher who pitched exactly one game in the major leagues before fading into obscurity. When Shepard signed the ball, he found room between the seams to write his life's story.

"I lost my right leg being shot down over Germany in World War II," Lee says, reading from the ink. "I got a new leg and pitched for the Washington Senators."

At this, Lee starts laughing, but it's an emotional laugh, as if the smile is helping him choke back something more. Lee's parents were Holocaust survivors.

"And then on August 14, 1945," Lee continues, "gave up one run and three hits in five and one-third innings."

It is a box score brought to vivid, handwritten life, and when the bulk of Lee's memorabilia goes to auction next month, that ball will not be among the items for sale. How could anyone put a price on something like that?

"To me, it's kind of just a miraculous thing," Lee said.

If there is such a thing as wholesome indulgence, this is it. Lee, 70, is the singer and renowned bass player of the Canadian rock band Rush. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his signature literally etched into its walls. He is a rock star in every sense of the word.

But Lee is also a meticulous curator of the American pastime. Over many decades, Lee has filled his office with baseball treasures. He has a a 1917 Chicago White Sox ball signed by Shoeless Joe Jackson, a 1942 Negro Leagues ball signed by Josh Gibson, and a Mickey Mantle bat that's been traced back to the 1960 World Series. He also has a ball signed by The Beatles and four signed by John F. Kennedy. It is a collection of Rock and Roll excess, but also of passion and stewardship.

Some 300 items from Lee's collection will be auctioned by Christie's on December 6. It is being billed as "Selections from The Collection of Geddy Lee," and the auction house has estimated The Beatles ball alone to be worth upwards of $300,000. Same for the Mantle bat and a ball signed by Rube Waddell. One of the Kennedy autographs could fetch $100,000. It's a lot of money.