Rush R40 Tour News and Reviews

Rush's R40 Tour visited 34 cities throughout North America from May 8 in Tulsa, Oklahoma through August 1 in Los Angeles, California.

At the final show in Los Angeles, Jonathan Dinklage joined in one final time on "Losing It." Other than that it could have been any other show on the R40 tour, until at the end of the show, between "Working Man" and "Garden Road", Geddy and Alex paused as Neil pulled out a camera and took a couple of photos. Then, after "Garden Road" Neil wrapped his arms around the shoulders of Geddy and Alex and joined them in an emotional bow before running of stage. 

Click here for the R40 Tour Archive, which includes details about the show setup, the setlists, the tour book transcript, and more. See below for the latest news and reviews from the road:

• You’re An Idiot If You Don’t Think Rush Is the Best Live Band in the World - Noisey, August 9, 2015
• Great expectations: Rush concerts attract cargo shorts, long man-hair, and really nice guys - Santa Maria Sun, August 5, 2015
• Rush at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre and The Forum - KLOS.com, August 4, 2015
• Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Tool & The Police Drummers Rock Out At Rush Show - Alternative Nation, August 3, 2015
• Rush at the end of the road - ClassicRock, August 2, 2015
• Star-Studded Crowd Toasts Rush at the Forum for Last (Ever?) Show - Hollywood Reporter, August 2, 2015

Randy Johnson receives R30 Drumkit as the Diamondbacks retire his jersey

Today as the Arizona Diamondacks retired Randy Johnson's jersey, he received a special surprise:

"The Diamondbacks presented Johnson with an exact replica of the drum set used by the rock group Rush. Johnson is friends with members of the band, particularly bass player and lead singer Geddy Lee.". - ESPN.com

Here's the entire ceremony, he receives the drumkit at the 5-minute mark:

 - Thanks to Joe Pesch for the headsup!

Outer Limits: Rupert Hine - Prog

Last week Prog magazine posted a new interview with Rupert Hine where he looks back on his career.  Hine produced Rush's Presto and Roll the Bones albums, and in the interview, tells about how his work with The Fixx, led to his gig with Rush:

He is especially proud of his work with The Fixx, the British band who became prophets without honour in their own land, yet enjoyed huge success in the States with their Hine‑enhanced attack.  “I came up with an entirely new guitar sound,” he asserts, marking the transition from the traditional “big, heavy, dumpy, lumpy rock guitar sound” to something “far more shiny but no less exciting”. It was a sound mimicked by countless acts. “It had a huge appeal to rock bands,” he marvels. Rush, for example. “Doing The Fixx led to Rush [1989’s Presto and 1991’s Roll The Bones] – they required constant sonic refreshment and they loved The Fixx. Neil Peart also loved the thinking behind my early 80s solo albums and thought that would be good for Rush.”

You can check out the full interview here. - Thanks to RushFanForever the for the headsup!

Buy a Sabian Paragon Cymbal, Get a Neil Peart T-shirt

Between August 1 - September 30, 2015, get a free Sabian limited edition Paragon t-shirt designed by Neil Peart with the purchase of any Paragon cymbal model.  Click here for details. - Thanks to Rosmakloma for the headsup!

Rock Band 4 coming October 6 - will include Rush's "A Passage To Bangkok"

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Rock Band 4 is due for release on October 6 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (click to order).  Included in the setlist is Rush's "A Passage To Bangkok".   You can see the trailer below, but unfortunately it does not include a sample of AP2K. - Thanks to Stew Gilray for the headsup!

For Rush's Geddy Lee, touring means training - LA Times

In advance of tonight's final show of the R40 Tour at the LA Forum, the Los Angeles Times published a new interview with Geddy Lee titled "For Rush's Geddy Lee, touring means training", were he talks about his training habits before and during the tour.

A Timeless Wavelength: An Interview With Alex Lifeson of Rush - Spin

Today Spin magazine posted 'A Timeless Wavelength: An Interview With Alex Lifeson of Rush', where Alex talks about the R40 tour, staying together as a cohesive group for 40+ years, their multi-generational fanbase, the challenges in today's music business, Victor and more. Check it out here.

Paul Semel vintage interviews with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson from 1996

Music journalist Paul Semel has just posted two vintage interviews with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson from 1996.  Of the interviews, he writes:

"The following interview...took place in July of 1996, at the offices of his manager when the band were gearing up to release their album Test For Echo. Parts of this interview were used in a piece I did on him for the music magazine Huh."

You can read the interview with Geddy Lee here, and the interview with Alex Lifeson is here. - Thanks Paul for sharing!

Qello Concerts: R40 on the Road: Webisode 4 - Geddy's Basses #2

Qello Concerts Rush channel has been updated to include the second half of their interview with Geddy Lee where he talks about his touring basses.  You'll note he mentions not being a fan of Steinberger's any longer "one tour was enough", and mentions having many more basses at home, including a "Batman" bass(?!), and more.

Moving Pictures Vinyl Reissue and Tshirt Bundle Now Available

As announced last fall, Rush is reissuing the complete Mercury era albums on 200-gram heavyweight vinyl in chronological order throughout 2015. The next release is Moving Pictures, which hits store shelves today (July 24th).  It is also available as a tshirt bundle. 

Eventually the vinyl reissues will include all studio and live albums through A Show of Hands.  Previous vinyl reissues include Rush reDISCovered, Fly By Night (vinyl and blu-ray pure audio in 5.1 surround sound), Caress of Steel, the 2112 hologram edition, A Farewell To Kings (vinyl and blu-ray pure audio in 5.1 surround sound), Hemispheres and Permanent Waves.  These vinyl reissues also include a 320kbps MP4 vinyl ripped Digital Audio album download, and can also be purchased separately as high resolution Digital Audio. 

The Eddie Trunk Podcast Interview with Alex Lifeson

Eddie Trunk flew in to Denver to catch the R40 show at the Pepsi Center on July 11th.  Before the show, he sat down with Alex Lifeson for his weekly podcast which you can check out here.  He talks at length about Rush in general, and speaks to Alex beginning at the 31 minute mark.

"Go backstage with Eddie Trunk and Alex Lifeson during Rush's R40 tour on this episode of The Eddie Trunk Podcast. The legendary prog guitarist talks 40+ years of Rush, the band's history, picking the set list, his arthritis, performing with Andy Curran, and more!"

PLSN July 2015 Production Profile: "The Deconstruction of Rush"

The July 2015 issue of PLSN (Production, Lights and Staging News) magazine includes "The Deconstruction of Rush", a detailed feature article featuring Howard Underleider and the production of the R40 tour.  The story explains how:

Before every Rush tour, the artistic team, including creative director Dale Heslip, producer Allan Weinrib, lead singer/bassist Geddy Lee (Allan’s older brother) and Howard Ungerleider start by getting together for some new ideas.  Prior to their latest brainstorming session, Dale came up with an idea of going backwards in time. His idea was to stage a show that started where they left off in 2013, with the Clockwork Angels tour and all its high tech visuals, and take the audience back in time all the way to when Rush played their first gigs with a few PARs on sticks and a mirror ball.  Dale pitched the idea to Geddy, who immediately called a meeting to discuss the concept further. There, everyone looked to Howard to come up with ways to make the concept come to fruition.

The time periods represented in the show include:

•     Current Big Technology Era (2007-present)
•     Large Arena Looks (1990s-2000s)
•     Small Arena Looks (1980s)
•     Theater Looks (late 1970s)
•     Gymnasium Period (early 1970s)

For the complete article visit PLSN.com.

Rush auctioning signed drum, cymbal for cancer charity - ends July 28th

UPDATE: The auction is now available here and ends early next Tuesday morning the 28th.

TORONTO — Canadian rock band Rush is auctioning an autographed snare drum and cymbal to raise funds for cancer care and research.

The exact replica of Neil Peart’s #R40 drumset is a limited edition snare made of 1,500-year-old Romanian River Oak salvaged from the Olt River. It is inlaid with laser-cut exotic woods and complimented with gold-plated hardware.

Only 250 of the drums were ever produced.

Fans can also bid on a 17-inch Paragon crash symbol from Sabain autographed by Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.

All proceeds from the eBay.ca auction, which runs from July 18 to 27, will go to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

For more info visit GlobalNews.ca

Qello Concerts: R40 on the Road: Webisode 3 - Geddy's Basses #1

Qello Concerts Rush channel have added their next Webisode.  In #3, Geddy Lee gives us a tour of his basses.

PRS Guitars Alex Lifeson Interview Series

Yesterday PRS Guitars shared three video interviews with Alex Lifeson, including "History with PRS Guitars & the R40 Tour", where he talks not just about PRS, but also the R40 setlist and stage show. Also available is Alex Lifeson on his "Signature SE Acoustic Guitar", and "Alex Lifeson on his Private Stock Signature Model Acoustic". - Thanks to Rosmakloma for the headsup!

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Rush Fan Bets $2112 and Wins ‘Jeopardy!’

Tonight on Jeopardy! (July 16), Alex Trebek asked contestant Jennifer Morrow to share something about herself. She told of her love of Rush, and proceeded to pull out her good luck charm, a pair of Neil's drumsticks she was given at a recent R40 show:

 “I was always inspired by tales of knights in shining armor who would ride into battle with a token of favor from somebody they admired,” she said. “So I thought I would do that here. I’m a huge fan of the Canadian prog-rock trio Rush. And so I went to one of their concerts a while back and from the front row I held up a banner that said, ‘May be on Jeopardy! Request token of favor to carry in thy honor’  And well apparently Neil Peart, the greatest drummer in the world, is a fan of the greatest show in the world.”

Later, during the Daily Double, Morrow wagered $2112 and won!  She'll be back on tomorrow night! - Thanks to Richard Benak for the headsup!

Photo Gallery: Rush At The Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado, July 11, 2015

We were there as the R40 tour passed through Denver last Saturday night, and here are photos of the show from photographer John Vinson taken exclusively for Power Windows. John has been shooting Rush for over 30 years and was also a frequent contributor to the A Show of Fans and The Spirit of Rush fanzines!

Qello Concerts: R40 on the Road: Webisode 2 - Jonathan Dinklage

As mentioned back in June, the Qello Concerts Rush channel gives fans exclusive behind-the-scenes webisodes from the R40 tour. 

SPOILER: They have just posted a short video interview with violist Johnathon Dinklage filmed backstage at the Newark show last week. - Thanks to Ed Stenger for the headsup!

Kevin J. Anderson Rush night at Denver Hard Rock

Rush is playing the Pepsi Center in Denver this Saturday July 11th, and as a warm up, the Hard Rock Cafe Denver is hosting a Rush party TONIGHT, Thursday, July 9th at 7 PM.  In attendance will be Colorado's own Kevin J. Anderson, who will also talk about his works which include the all new novel Clockwork Lives, set for release September 15th.  There will also be lots of Rush music, prize giveaways, and Kevin will have the Clockwork Angels novel in all formats including the comics, plus sneak peek booklets of Clockwork Lives.  Oh, and did you know, Alex's Steampunk amp cabinets from the Time Machine Tour as well as one of his guitars are on display at the Hard Rock Denver?  Yeah, pretty awesome.

Rush Included in "Lust For Life"'s "50 Most Important Albums of All Time"

Rush is one of host of artists on the cover of the Dutch magazine Lust for Life issue #50, in a scene recreating The Beatles' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, for the feature story the 50 most important albums all time.  Coming in at #45 is Rush's 2112.  - Thanks Chris for the headsup!