Alex Lifeson "Hentor Sportscaster" replicas from Freddy's Frets

Custom guitar shop "Freddy's Frets" has received permission from Alex Lifeson to create and sell replicas of his Hentor Sportscaster, a customized Fender Strat which Alex named after Peter Henderson, co-producer of Grace Under Pressure.  A portion of the proceeds will go to the Grapes Under Pressure charity:

"Hello my fellow Rush fans! Alex Lifeson has given me permission to backwards engineer and meticulously blueprint his iconic Hentor Sportscaster so that I may make and sell accurate replicas. I have had the Hentor in my possession for about 6 months and have documented every property and detail of this amazing and unique sounding guitar. Alex's only stipulation was that for every guitar sold, a portion of the profit goes to his charity "Grapes Under Pressure". While in my possession over the last few months I made suggestions to Alex on upgrading the guitar. The Hentor now sports Dimarzio FS-1 single coils and I also fabricated a huge brass sustain block for the Floyd Rose, the biggest one I've seen and yet there is still a good amount of movement available. These two upgrades as well as others are listed in my OPTIONS category." - Freddy Gabrsek, FreddysFrets.com (Thanks to RushIsABand for the headsup!)

MixOnline - "All Access: Rush"

On Tuesday, MixOnline published "All Access: Rush", a behind the scenes look at the Clockwork Angels tour, with front of house engineer Brad Maddix, monitor engineer Brent Carpenter, guitar tech Scott Appleton, bass tech John Skully McIntosh, and keyboard tech Tony Geranios.

Six-string wizards: Meet the unsung heroes of rock ’n’ roll

Alex Lifeson's guitar tech, Scott Appleton (aka Great Scott) is featured in "Guitar Techs: The Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n Roll" in today's Globe & Mail. - Thanks to Rush for the headsup!

Transporter: The Series - "Working Man" Theme

Making its Canadian premiere this Friday night, the theme song of HBO's all new Transporter: The Series, based on Luc Besson's Transporter film franchise, is a cover of Rush's "Working Man".  Arranged by Jamie Forsyth and performed by Danielle Armstrong, you can hear the Transporter theme song here.

The series premiered last October 11 in Germany, and on December 6 in France.  The Canadian premiere is set for this Friday, January 4, on HBO Canada, while US viewers will have to wait until June 21st. - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Further Reading:

• Transporter: The Series - Thierry Attard, December 6, 2012
• Former 'Prison Break' star Chris Vance takes lead on 'Transporter: The Series' - Canadian Press, January 2, 2013

Rush 2112 Deluxe Edition Now Available

Rush's all new 5.1 edition of 2112 was released December 18th.  Three versions are available, click to order:

• Deluxe Edition CD/DVD
• Deluxe Edition CD/Blu-ray
• Super Deluxe Edition, CD/Blu-ray/hardbound comic book case
• iBook Edition 

The week after the reissue's release, sales of the new release propelled 2112 back into the Billboard 200 at #138.

All versions include 5.1 surround sound mixes as well as unreleased live tracks – and the super deluxe edition holds the band’s first ever comic book. Three configurations will be available.  The Deluxe Edition can be purchased in CD/DVD and CD/Blu-ray, with the pack including the remastered album and three bonus live tracks. The second disc includes 5.1 surround sound mix and an interactive digital comic book. Original sleeve designer Hugh Syme has created a new cover and the liner notes are accompanied by previously unpublished photos.  The Super Deluxe Edition is sold as a CD/Blu-ray pack, assembled in a hardbound book case including a 40-page comic book which refers to every song on the album.  Click here for a video preview of the new release.

Unreleased bonus live tracks:

Overture (Northland Coliseum, Edmonton, AB – June 25, 1981)
The Temples of Syrinx (Northland Coliseum, Edmonton, AB – June 25, 1981)
A Passage To Bangkok (Manchester Apollo, Manchester, England – June 17, 1980)

Deluxe Edition CD/DVD

Expanded artwork; liner notes by David Fricke; lyrics and unreleased photos.
CD: Digitally remastered plus 3 unreleased bonus live tracks
DVD: 5.1 Surround Sound mix by Richard Chycki in PCM (DVD-Audio players) and 48kHZ / 24-bit Dolby Digital (DVD-Video players); 96kHz / 24-bit PCM Stereo (DVD-Audio players) and 48kHZ / 24-bit Dolby Digital Stereo (DVD-Video players); Digital comic book; gallery: unreleased photos and handwritten lyrics by Neil Peart

Deluxe Edition CD/Blu-ray

Expanded artwork; liner notes by David Fricke; lyrics and unreleased photos.
CD: Digitally remastered plus 3 unreleased bonus live tracks
Blu-Ray: 5.1 Surround Sound mix by Richard Chycki in 96kHz / 24-bit PCM and DTS-HD Master Audio; 96kHz / 24-bit PCM Stereo; Digital comic book; gallery: unreleased photos and handwritten lyrics by Neil Peart

Super Deluxe Edition

Hardbound book case; 40-page comic book by story artist Tom Hodges; 24-page book with expanded artwork, liner notes, lyrics and unreleased photos; new iner notes by David Fricke

CD: Digitally remastered plus 3 unreleased bonus live tracks
Blu-Ray: 5.1 Surround Sound mix by Richard Chycki in 96kHz / 24-bit PCM and DTS-HD Master Audio; 96kHz / 24-bit PCM stereo; digital comic book; gallery of unreleased photos and handwritten lyrics by Neil Peart

iBook

As a companion of the 2112 Deluxe Edition, Rush have released their first ever iBook for 2112. The iBook consists of unpublished pictures, black and white ink art and pencil sketches for every comic book cell, and preview music for the newly remastered Mastered for iTunes (mFit) audio of 2112 with 3 bonus live tracks.

• 40-page comic book by story artist Tom Hodges (“Star Wars -The Clone Wars,” The Simpson’s “Treehouse of Horrors #17″)
• Unpublished pictures
• Black and white ink art and pencil sketches for every comic book cell
• Preview of the remastered audio of 2112
• Expanded artwork, liner notes, lyrics and unreleased photos
• Brand new liner notes by David Fricke, Rolling Stone

"Clockwork Angels: The Novel" Rare Author VIP Editions Auction Ends Tomorrow

Kevin J. Anderson is auctioning off two rare Author VIP editions of Clockwork Angels.  They are copies #107 and #110 out of 150 created, and were never for sale to the public and are only available from Kevin and Neil.  These have slipcovers, are still sealed in shrink wrap, are signed by both Kevin and Neil Peart, and are coming from Kevin directly.
Kevin is auctioning these copies to raise money for Sean, one of his fans who has Brittle Bone Disease and recently had medical issues.  In addition, his wheelchair equipped van has stopped working, and Kevin wants to raise money to help get Sean a down payment for a van as well as to help with his medical costs.

To bid on the books, visit http://www.onelittlelight.net/auctions/. In addition, if you would like to donate to Sean's cause, Paypal donations are being taken at 1littlelight2112@gmail.com.

UPDATE: Kevin J. Anderson has made the auction more interesting, adding additional items, and extended the auction to 11/27 at 11:59 p.m. MST.

James A. Owen is a writer and illustrator.  His most recent book series is "Here there be Dragons" and he is a close friend to Kevin J. Anderson.  James is illustrating a Neil Peart dragon with 6 arms playing the drums and has the symbols from Clockwork Angels.  13 prints will be made, signed by James and Kevin.  The two winning bids on the Clockwork Angels books will get a print each.  Ten more prints will be available to the first 10 people that pledge to donate at least $100.  Those that want one of those 10 prints, must email 1littlelight2112@gmail.com with Rush Dragon in the title. The final print will be available to the person that pledges the highest amount in a separate auction going live here shortly. It will be hand colored by James A. Owen himself.

There will only be 13 of these, and all will be signed by James and Kevin.  See attached first pencil sketch. - Thanks to Tracy Mangum for the headup!

Happy Rush Day!

Today is Rush Day, and to celebrate Geddy Lee will be appearing live on the UK's Planet Rock from 9-10am EST.  In addition, Alex Lifeson will be appearing on Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" show which starts at 11pm EST on Q104.3 in New York City; Friday's entire show has been dubbed The Holiday Rush and will be dedicated entirely to Rush.

Today the USAToday posted an feature story about Rush Day, including a short interview with Geddy Lee:

As for the International Rush Day Friday, he says, "It sort of took off on Facebook or one of those social-media things, the idea of it being a fan day. We've got amazing fans, and they look for every moment to celebrate their support of us. I am very appreciative of that, I can tell you."

• UPDATE 2: Click here for Geddy's interview with Planet Rock Radio: Geddy Lee Celebrates Rush Day, Geddy chatted about the reissue of their classic album 2112, entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the British tour of "Clockwork Angels" next year and winter safety.- Planet Rock, December 24, 2012
• UPDATE: Click here for Friday night's "Holiday Rush" special, Eddie Trunk with Mike Portnoy. Alex's interview is halfway through.

RollingStone.com: "Rush Celebrate '2112' Reissue with iBook Comic"

From today's RollingStone.com:

Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Rush today released their first-ever iBook for their classic record 2112, complete with previews of the remastered album, a 40-page comic book, sketches for each comic book cell, expanded artwork and new liner notes from Rolling Stone's David Fricke. now you can get an exclusive first look at the comic, written by Tom Hodges. 

The comic is also available in physical form, though the iBook includes previously unpublished photos not available in the physical version. The iBook does not include the album, though it does come with samples of the six original songs and three bonus tracks. You can order the iBook here. - RollingStone.com

Vote for Rush in Q103.4 New York's "The Year That Rocked" Awards

Q104.3 in New York City have launched their first-annual Q104.3's The Year that Rocked Awards for 2012 and Rush is up for 2 awards - Classic Rock Album of the Year and Best Live Performance!  Voting will be open through the morning of 12/31 and with the winners announced later that day.  VOTE NOW!

Rush Referenced On Saturday Night Live

During the Weekend Update segment on last night's episode of Saturday Night Live, anchorman Seth Myers announced that Donna Summer, Rush and Public Enemy were all 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Showing a photo of the three of them he then joked "'Who are those other two?' said the fans of any one of them." - Thanks to Vincent Sorrentino for the headsup, and RushIsABand for the screencap!

Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - December 2012

Neil Peart has just updated his website with "Adventures in the Wild West" the latest edition of News, Weather & Sports.  Among other adventures, Neil writes about getting stuck in the Arizona outback, leading to saying some bad words, getting help from other travelers just "because", and eventually "coming out" as a rock star and inviting them to the Rush show the following night.  Check it out now.

Rolling Stone: "Rockers Who Love 'The Lord of the Rings'"

Celebrating the release of "The Hobbit" in theaters today, Rollingstone.com has posted "Rockers Who Love 'The Lord of the Rings'", which includes the following regarding Rush:

Rush's drummer-lyricist Neil Peart has always been a voracious reader. He must have worked his way towards The Lord of the Rings by the mid-1970s, because 1975's "Rivendell" was named after the great Elven city where Elrond dwelt. The following year, Peart wrote "The Necromancer" – which was Gandalf's name for Sauron in The Hobbit. - RollingStone.com, December 14, 2012

In addition, UltimateClassicRock.com has posted their "Top 10 The Hobbit-Lord of the Rings Songs".

Rush To Release iBook for 2112

Today Rush announced that as a companion of the 2112 Deluxe Edition, on December 18th they will release their first ever iBook for 2112. The iBook will consist of unpublished pictures, black and white ink art and pencil sketches for every comic book cell, and preview music for the newly remastered Mastered for iTunes (mFit) audio of 2112 with 3 bonus live tracks.

Originally released in 1976, 2112 was the creative and commercial breakthrough album. With lyrics written by Neil Peart, 2112 kicks off with the ambitious seven-suite title track (originally side one), set in a futuristic world run by the “Priests of the Temples of Syrinx” who regulate “every single facet of every life,” which includes books, music, work and play. “2112” conveys the story of humanity’s instinctual, inner need for one’s free will.

iBook content includes:

• 40-page comic book by story artist Tom Hodges (“Star Wars -The Clone Wars,” The Simpson’s “Treehouse of Horrors #17″)
• Unpublished pictures
• Black and white ink art and pencil sketches for every comic book cell
• Preview of the remastered audio of 2112
• Expanded artwork, liner notes, lyrics and unreleased photos
• Brand new liner notes by David Fricke, Rolling Stone

Rush To Be Inducted Into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

It's official, the 2013 inductees have been announced and Rush is in! In addition to Rush, the late Donna Summer, Public Enemy, Heart, Randy Newman and Albert King complete the class of 2013 to be inducted this coming April 18th in Los Angeles.

“We are honored to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The 3 of us are especially appreciative of our loyal fans whose support and dedication has gone a long way to making this possible. P.S. And special thanks to our moms for voting 6000 times!” – Alex, Geddy, & Neil, Rush.com, December 11, 2012

"It's a terrific honor and we'll show up smiling," Rush's singer and bassist, Geddy Lee, tells Rolling Stone. "It made my mom happy, so that's worth it." Lee is especially happy for Rush's army of hardcore fans. "It was a cause they championed," he says. "I'm very relieved for them and we share this honor with them, for sure." - RollingStone.com, December 11, 2012

"First of all it's all water under the bridge and it was a ve

ry tiny bridge," the 59-year-old guitarist said in a phone interview from his home in Toronto. "I think our fans are more upset than we were because they feel a real bond to this band and it's been an important part of their lives in some form, and to be snubbed was snubbing them at the same time. ... Perhaps there were times when I thought if this ever happens I'm not going to bother going, or who cares or whatever, but at the end of the day positive karma is an important thing and this is an important thing to a lot of our fans and people we know." - Edmonton Journal, December 12, 2012

Additional News Stories

• Geddy Lee on Rush's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction: 'We'll Show Up Smiling' - Rolling Stone, December 11, 2012
• Rush finally to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Globe & Mail, December 11, 2012
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees: Rush, Public Enemy, Heart and Randy Newman - Rolling Stone, December 11, 2012
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees: Heart, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Rush and Donna Summer - Billboard.biz, December 11, 2012
• Fan support lands prog rockers Rush in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Detroit Free Press, December 11, 2012
• 'Finally': Rush Fans React to the Band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction - Rolling Stone, December 11, 2012
• Why Rush deserves its spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Globe & Mail, December 11, 2012
• For woman who discovered Rush, induction marks end of long 'injustice' - CTV News, December 12, 2012
• Video: Billy Corgan on Rush & Heart Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions - Fuse News, December 12, 2012
• Interview with Suzanne Krause, creator of the Petition To Induct Rush Into The Rock Hall Of Fame - Global TV Toronto's 'The Morning Show, December 13, 2012

Mark Oldman: "Liquid Rush"

Mark Oldman has just published his latest episode of Drink Bravely (no. 70), where he takes the audience back inside Alex Lifeson's personal wine cellar in Toronto, in anticipation of this week's Roll and Roll Hall of Fame announcement. - Thanks to Alf Phillips for the headsup!

Mere days before we learn if legendary rockers RUSH will finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mark provides another exclusive glimpse into the diverse wine cellar of guru guitarist Alex Lifeson. Alex reveals his penchant for Syrah-based reds from Australia and France, Madeira from Portugal, and even Aquavit from Scandinavia.

Featured wines:

• Penfolds Grange (Australia; 1982, 1983, 1995, 1996, 1998)
• E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie "La Mouline" (France)
• E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie "La Landonne" (France; incl. 1978)
• E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie "La Turque" (France)
• Clarendon Hills "Astralis" (Australia)
• Gammal Norrlands Akvavit (Sweden)
• Madeira - The Royal Wedding of Charles and Diana, 1981 (Island of Madeira, Portugal)
• Madeira - The Investiture of the Prince of Wales, July, 1969 (Madeira, Portugal)

Song snippets from RUSH at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, October 22, 2012; "The Analog Kid" (from Signals), "2112 - Overture" (2112), "2112 - Grand Finale" (2112).

"Poosh It!"

Mesa Engineering's Tour Of Alex's Rig With Scott Appleton

Mesa Engineering, makers of the Mesa Boogie Mark V, have posted a new video tour with Alex's guitar tech Scott Appleton. Scott walks us through Alex's amps and effects, explains how he no longer needs an acoustic guitar on stage, and why live guitar cabinets are no longer used on stage. - Thanks to Mark Rosenthal for the headsup!

Classic Rock's "The Best Of 2012" Now Onsale: Rush On The Cover

The current issue of the UK's Classic Rock magazine features "The Best Of 2012".  The magazine is running with five different cover photos including RUSH, with the headline "Band Of The Year?".  The article is now online , courtesy of John at Cygnus-X1.net.

Led Zeppelin… Rush… the Rolling Stones… Black Country Communion… Rivals Sons… But which is really Band Of The Year?

The greatest albums, bands, gigs, bust-ups and more. This is what rocked our year…

The new issue of Classic Rock is dedicated to The Best Of 2012: the ultimate review of the past 12 months. The Albums Of The Year. The Songs Of The Year. The Stories Of The Year. And, most importantly, The Bands Of The Year!

We’ve produced five different front covers featuring Led Zeppelin, Rush, the Rolling Stones, Black Country Communion and Rival Sons. Each is a worthy candidate for the honour of Band Of The Year. But who will ultimately wear the crown?

Rush – The Canadians have delivered one of the finest albums of their career, but there has been tragedy as well as triumph.

Click here for more. - Thanks to John @ Cygnus-X1.net for the headsup!

Rush "more dates in the spring and summer of 2013 in North America"

Today Rush posted the following thank you to their website, which includes the first official confirmation that additional North American dates will be added soon for the spring and summer of 2013:

"Thanks to all the fans who came out to see the Clockwork Angels Tour 2012! It was an amazing run – from the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble, the filming in Dallas & Phoenix, and YOU. It proved, once again, how dedicated and loyal the Rush fans are and are such a part of the overall show. Europe, are you ready? Clockwork Angels 2013 in Europe is on sale now. And just because we had such a good time, we are now making plans for more dates in the spring and summer of 2013 in North America – so stay tuned for more announcements. Looking forward to seeing you out on the road again soon!" - Rush.com, December 6, 2012

Rush For Robe On Clockwork Angels - Tour Lighting Feature

Robe Lighting has published a new news item, Rush For Robe On Clockwork Angels, where they speak with Howard Ungerleider about the lighting used on the current tour.

For this tour, Howard specified Robe’s ROBIN 600 LEDWash for the first time.  Forty-eight LEDWash 600s are an integral part of the show, rigged onto four triangular shaped trusses - two on stage left and two on stage right, flown at different heights - and used for side washes and for beaming into the audience.

He really loves the way that the look of the LEDWash beam can resemble the specific “silky and velvety” textures and light qualities of a PAR 64. “You would never think it was an LED source!” he affirms.

The LEDWash 600s are used heavily during a song called ‘The Garden’ which is highly theatrical. “They are absolutely ideal for this,” states Howard, “Really just like an old style PAR” …but a fraction of the weight and power consumption and much more versatile!

The story also includes this confirmation of the U.S. tour extending into the spring:

The tour continues in the U.S. into Spring 2013 and is then scheduled to visit Europe before returning to North America for the rest of the summer, when it will have been on the road for a year.

For the full story visit robe.cz. - Thanks to Greg Nosek for the headsup!

Rush's "2112" Heard On "American Dad"

During tonight's episode of "American Dad" ("Error Guitar", Season 9, Ep. 5), Rush's "2112" was heard twice and an apartment number was 2112.

This is the third Rush reference by a Seth MacFarlane property, after Chester The Cheetah and a notation that Rhode Island was 2112 miles from Aspen, both on Family Guy, as well as the recent sighting of a Rush poster in the film "Ted". - Thanks to Dennis Phelps for the headsup!