Rush News from Power Windows...A Tribute To Rush

A Tribute To Rush

Rush News

Anthem: Rush in the 1970s (Rush Across the Decades) by Martin Popoff Now Available

Anthem: Rush in the 1970s (Rush Across the Decades), the first of a three part Rush biography collection by Martin Popoff, hits bookstores today from ECW Press.  Order the hardcover edition at Amazon.
"With extensive, first-hand reflections from Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, as well as from family, friends, and fellow musicians, Anthem: Rush in the ’70s is a detailed portrait of Canada’s greatest rock ambassadors. The first of three volumes, Anthem puts the band’s catalog, from their self-titled debut to 1978’s Hemispheres (the next volume resumes with the release of Permanent Waves) into both Canadian and general pop culture context, and presents the trio of quintessentially dependable, courteous Canucks as generators of incendiary, groundbreaking rock ’n’ roll." 
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Like Geezer Butler in Black Sabbath, to reiterate, Geddy indeed began on guitar. Alex, however, missed this part of Lee’s evolution.

“I didn’t know Ged when he played guitar. So the transition was already completed by the time we started jamming together and playing. Because that’s what we did after school. We’d plug into his amp and play. There was one guitar and one bass. So I’m not really sure about that transition. I’m sure he was interested in guitar like everybody was interested in guitar. But once we actually started playing and learning instruments, that was his chosen one. Just think John Rutsey in that early days―the drums became his thing but I don’t know if in his heart he wanted to be a drummer. I think he wanted to be a guitarist as well. But everybody had their job that they sort of gravitated to.”

Says Geddy, “I was nominated to be the bass player when the first band I was in, the bass player couldn’t be in our band. I think his parent’s prohibited him or something, and we had no bass player so they said, ‘You play bass’ and I said okay, and that was how simple it was. That happens to a lot of bass players. Everyone wants to be a guitar player, but I was happy to be bass player. Bass player is like being a major league catcher. It’s the quickest way to the majors. Nobody wants to be a bass player. It’s a great instrument, it really is, awesome way to spend your time. I had teachers you know; I’m just carrying on the tradition of Jack Bruce, Jack Cassidy, Chris Squire, a fine tradition of noisy bass players that refuse to stay in the background. So I feel that’s my sacred duty, to carry on what they started.”
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Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Appear in Gordon Lightfoot Documentary "If You Could Read My Mind"

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson appear in If You Could Read My Mind, a documentary on Gordon Lightfoot, streaming on-demand this summer.  Directed by Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni, the film chronicles present-day Lightfoot performing a show and signing autographs as he fondly looks back on his nearly six-decade career — from his coffeehouse performance days in Ontario, Canada, to his rise to international fame in the Seventies.  “He is one of the greatest examples of timeless singer-songwriter,” Lee says in the clip, sitting alongside his bandmate Alex Lifeson. - Rollingstone.com, May 5, 2020

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"Stronger Together" Benefit Airs Sunday, including Geddy Lee

UPDATE: "Stronger Together" special raises over $6 million for Food Banks Canada - Canadian Press, April 27, 2020

Geddy Lee is one of a slew of performers included in this Sunday's (April 26) Stronger Together benefit for COVID-19 relief airing on Canada's CBC as well as other platforms.  Broadcast in conjunction with Bell Media, Corus Entertainment and Rogers Sports & Media, the broadcast will be available world-wide to support front-line workers across Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.  For a complete list of performers click here.  For info on how to watch, click here.

Update: Geddy provided a 30 second isolation video titled "Remember how comforting music can be", which you can view below.  In addition, he took part in a group sing along of Bill Withers' classic "Lean On Me" along with the other Canadian Artists making up "ArtistsCAN".


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"Speakeasy: An intimate conversation with Geddy Lee of Rush" Now Online

"Speakeasy: An intimate conversation with Geddy Lee of Rush" is now available for viewing on Youtube.  As previously announced, this conversation was recorded back on November 7, 2014.  Tickets were sold for the event, and it was to aire on PBS in April 2015.  However, no actual broadcast was ever announced. - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

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"Working Man" performed by Esterly released on "Reset" EP

Last Friday the artist, producer and composer Esterly released his debut covers EP, Reset, which includes his cover of Rush's "Working Man".
 "Feeding the Chicago natives’ fascination with avant garde film scores, Esterly embarked on a pioneer project. Taking notes from visionary composers such as Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman, Esterly meticulously selected culturally influential classics to cover with cinematic flare recreating the very narrative each song represents through his sonic alchemy. 'This project is a challenge to myself to reimagine these songs in a cinematic viewpoint,' says Esterly. 'Within a three minute track, could I create the rise and fall of a cinematic arc inside a song people already know and love?'” - divinemagazine.biz
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Overtime Angels presents ‘A Night For Neil’ - The Neil Peart Memorial Celebration

Overtime Angels, Inc have announced "A Night For Neil", a night of internationally-known music all-stars paying tribute to the legendary drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart of Rush, debuts at the Meridian Centre on Saturday, May 16t.
 
N4NA is presale code for Overtime Angels Regualr Presale. This presale starts Wednesday, February 26th at 10am ET and ends Thursday, February 27th at 10pm. Public onsale Friday, February 27th at 10am.
 
 

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Primus' "A Tribute To Kings" tour, to include complete performance of "A Farewell to Kings" allbum

Today Live Nation announced that Primus will be embarking on their "A Tribute To Kings!" tour this summer, which will include a complete performance of Rush's entire album, A Farewell To Kings, in addition to their own music.  Presales start at 2/19 at 10am local. Get more info here.

Today RollingStone.com posted an interview with Primus' Les Claypool, where he explained that this tour has been in the works for some time, before the the passing of Neil Peart:
“We’re trying to be very sensitive about doing the tour and not having it be, ‘Hey, all about Neil,’ ” Claypool says. “It’s about admiration for these amazing musicians and friends.”

"I talked to Geddy about it, yeah. I texted with him — I keep in touch with Geddy — just to make sure we weren’t trodding on something weird. So I checked in with him to see what he thought of it, and he was excited about the notion.

"He just got excited; he thought it was a great idea. You know, we go way back with those guys, so I think it made him feel good that it was going to be us that was going to do this thing. But I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. I can’t put words in his mouth, but he seemed excited about it."
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Neil Peart dies of brain cancer

"Suddenly, you were gone
From all the lives you left your mark upon"
Never were those words more true than today, when we learned of the shocking passing of Neil Peart this past Tuesday, January 7th, after a three and a half year battle with brain cancer (Glioblastom).  Always fiercely private, he kept his illness a secret to all but a few.  In one of life's ultimate cruelties ("The Stars Look Down" indeed), Neil retired from drumming in 2015 only to be diagnosed with cancer a year later.  He leaves behind his wife Carrie and daughter Olivia.   Here's a collection of news items announcing his death and those that have come out to pay tribute to his loss.
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The Art of Rush Gallery is now open

Today RUSH announced that "The Art of Rush Gallery" is now open! Beautiful framed fine art prints featuring album art from the catalogue of Rush.  For more info visit https://artofrush.shop.musictoday.com/store
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Rush Wandering the Face of the Earth by authors Skip Daly and Eric Hansen - GuitarInternational.com

Skip Daly and myself were interviewed by http://guitarinternational.com about our new book, Wandering The Face of the Earth. Check it out here!

Order the book here.  
"Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart performed together for the first time to an audience of 11,000 people in 1974. Forty years later, their last tour sold over 442,000 tickets. This is the story of everything in between. This is the story of Rush."
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Alex Lifeson's 2019 A Brush Of Hope Painting "Minus 20" - sells for $13,250

Alex Lifeson has painted another original piece for A Brush of Hope - Celebrity Paintings for The Kidney Foundation of Canada to raise money for the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

This year's painting by Alex is "Minus 20", a 10"x14"x1.5" acrylic painting, which sold for $13,250.00 in the auction which ended Wednesday, October 30th at Noon.
“Winter is coming! Cold, dark and desolate , Minus 20 is a reflection on the current state of cold, dark and desolate fields everywhere”. – Alex Lifeson
- Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
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Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth: The Official Touring History

Click to Order
October 29, 2019, our book is now available, I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

It is with great pride and pleasure that I announce the fall release of Wandering the Face of the Earth: The Official Touring History of Rush by Insight Editions.  Co-written by myself and my friend Skip Daly, we first conceived it nine years ago, not long after the release of Beyond the Lighted Stage.  Covering the 40+ year touring history of our beloved band, it is a book that not only compiles the tour dates and set lists, but also tells the stories of what happened on tour.   We weren't alone in our quest though, and enlisted the help of many fellow fans (you know who you are) to help flesh out these stories.  With early approval from the folks at SRO, we were not only provided with their tour records, but they helped us connect with many crew members both past and present.  In addition, we had the pleasure to speak to past band members such as Mitch Bossi, Lindy Young and Gerry Fielding, as well as John Rutsey's brothers, Mike and Bill.  When it came to the cover, we pitched some ideas over the phone to Hugh Syme, and he came back to us with the amazing cover you see here.  And last but not least, Les Claypool and Stewart Copeland are writing the foreward and afterword, and we couldn't be more thrilled.  As you can see, I'm very excited about it, and Skip and I knew we weren't the only fans that would be interested in such a book - I'm sure you'll agree.
"Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart performed together for the first time to an audience of 11,000 people in 1974. Forty years later, their last tour sold over 442,000 tickets. This is the story of everything in between. This is the story of Rush.

"Fondly known as the Holy Triumvirate, Rush is one of the top bands to shine through rock-and-roll history. Wandering the Face of the Earth covers Rush’s storied touring career, from their humble beginnings as a Toronto-area bar band playing middle school gymnasiums to their rise as one of the world’s most sought-after live acts, selling out massive arenas around the globe. This book includes every setlist, every opening act, and every noteworthy moment meticulously researched and vetted by the band themselves. Along with spectacular, never-before-seen imagery, this is THE must-have tour compendium for Rush fans."
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Vinyl Edition of My Favorite Headache witih bonus tracks coming to Record Store Day 2019

Record Store Day 2019 is coming on Black Friday, November 29th, and included in this year's releases is a 2,500 copy limited edition pressing of Geddy Lee's My Favorite Headache. Making the vinyl pressing unique is the addition of two bonus tracks, instrumental versions of both the title track and Home on the Strange. For a list of participating stores visit https://recordstoreday.com. - Thanks to Chris Falskow for the headsup!
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Glen Peart Tells Farm Equipment About Son Neil, the Parts-Manager Turned Rock Star

Neil Peart's father, Glen Peart, has given a rare interview where he recalls his son’s days as parts manager in St. Catherines, Ontario, and when he took the chance with a group named Rush.  Check it out here at Farm-Equipment.com.
'The “White Corvette” visit to our farm equipment dealership has been documented several times. After lunch when the two men left, I could tell that Neil was really tormented. He was certainly not himself.  When we locked the door, he came and sat in my office and unloaded. The two visitors were the managers of Rush, a band from Toronto that were about to hit the big time. They had signed a contract and their first tour was arranged but their drummer had just dropped a bomb on all their plans — for health reasons, he had been told not to travel. The managers wanted Neil to audition ASAP and, if successful, to join the other two guys and start to practice — immediately!  Neil was consumed with guilt because we were just coming into our busy season and he felt he was letting me down. I finally said, “Neil, this could be the chance of your life. We have to talk this over your mother when we get home, but I feel you have to do this. It could be a dream come true and if it doesn't work out, there will still be a Parts Department that can use you!” Obviously, Mom agreed with my thoughts and the rest is history!”'
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"Clockwork Angels Tour" Vinyl Release Now Available

Rush's 2014 live album "Clockwork Angels Tour" is the latest live album set coming to vinyl for the first time. The 5 LP release hit stores October 11 (order now).
"This live 5LP set is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and includes an etching on the flipside.

The set comes packaged in a two-piece telescopic box with a full-color booklet, and a code to download a high-definition digital version of the album.

The band recorded concerts in 2012 in Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio for a live album, and this set includes all 31 tracks from those recordings. This vinyl set also features the bonus tracks from the original CD release, including a version of the classic “Limelight” that the band recorded during soundcheck." - Rush.com, August 19, 2019
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The Art of Hugh Syme Exhibit in Indianapolis at Renditions Fine Art

On November 1st and 2nd, Renditions Fine Art, Framing, & Photography in Indianapolis is hosting a sizable gallery showing of Hugh Syme's art. Come in on Friday, November 1st to meet Hugh.  The images should remain on display through January. All of the framed and signed pieces are for sale, as well.
"We are so excited to announce The Artwork of Hugh Syme coming to Renditions Fine Art, Framing, & Photography. Hugh was the art director for the Canadian rock band Rush from 1975—2018 and has done album covers for countless other bands and performers. Stop by from 6:00 to 10:00 on Friday, November 1st to meet Hugh, see some limited edition, signed album art and all the other work he's been doing! Framed, signed & numbered prints will be available for sale."
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/events/910282466019827/

- Thanks to Ron Wise for the headsup!
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Geddy Lee to auction six guitars from his private collection

Guitar.com is reporting that Geddy Lee has put up six guitars from his private collection – including a ’59 Burst – up for auction. 

The sale of the prog rockers’ axes is organised by Mecum Auctions, a vintage car and motorcycle auction company that will make its foray into guitars next month. Lee’s guitars will be auctioned alongside instruments previously owned by Carlos Santana and Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen.
Geddy Lee Rush 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard Sunburst auction
Image: Mecum Auctions

Leading the six instruments Lee has put up for sale is a special-edition 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard (seen above). The guitar is “in stunning original condition, save for a single refret”, Mecum’s website notes, and will come in its original case.

Four other Gibsons are also on the block: A 1960 ES-345 – with a current bid of $5,000 at press time – a 1960 ES-355, a 1965 ES-335 and a 1967 Flying V. A 1955 Fender Stratocaster wraps up Lee’s collection of axes going under the hammer.

For auction details visit Mecum.com's auction.
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The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History with forward by Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee has written the forward to a new book, The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History by Daniel Tate and Rob Bowman, set for release this Thursday by Dundurn publishing.  From the description:
Since 2015, live music fanatics in Toronto have been given a window into the city's rich history of concerts through the Flyer Vault, a popular Instagram account that shares posters, footage and ephemera of T.O. shows across all genres. Now, creator Daniel Tate is set give his project a physical form with a new book.

Tate will release The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History through Dundurn Press on October 26.

Authored alongside Grammy Award-winning musicologist Rob Bowman, the book features a foreword penned by Rush's Geddy Lee and promises to be "a visual tour-de-force" that "captures a mesmerizing history of Toronto concert and club life, ​running the gamut of genres from vaudeville to rock, jazz to hip-hop, blues to electronica, and punk to country."
Click here to order.
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Producer NICK RASKULINECZ On Working With RUSH: 'Sometimes I Still Can't Believe It Happened'

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for posting:
During a recent appearance on the "Tape Op Podcast", producer Nick Raskulinecz discussed his work on the final two RUSH albums, 2007's "Snakes & Arrows" and 2012's "Clockwork Angels".  "Sometimes I still can't believe it happened," Nick said. "We made two records together, and the first one was… it did great for them. I kind of feel they were looking for somebody to inject some energy back into them and what they were doing and tell them that it was okay to be themselves. I felt like they were looking for a direction at that point in their careers. I mean, they'd made so many records. And they had just gotten back together after Neil's [Peart, drums] hiatus and made a record [2002's 'Vapor Trails'] that was a little — it was too heavy and disjointed, and it didn't really sound like RUSH that much. And I liked it, but I didn't love it. And we got together, I was just kind of, like, 'No. More fills. And classic fills.' 'Cause as a lifelong RUSH fan, I knew what I wanted to hear. So I just kind of tried to guide them into what... I feel like the first record we made was their kind of mid-'80s, early-'90s... we kind of touched on that era of RUSH. And then the last record we made was total '70s, very early '80s-style RUSH. There's a song on there called 'Headlong Flight' that's almost nine minutes long; it has a drum solo in the middle."
For the full story including the audio interview click here.
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The Making of Farewell To Kings: The Graphic Novel from Fantoons Now Available

Fantoons' The Making of Farewell To Kings: The Graphic Novel is now available.  This 144pg official RUSH graphic novel chronicling the making of the band’s classic album, hits stores today, September 10th.  Order now.
“We worked incredibly hard to create a graphic novel that celebrates the music of RUSH, and the creation of the album of ‘A Farewell to Kings’ as a work of art” says Fantoons LA-based creative director, David Calcano. “We think this book will be something for comics and music fans alike to cherish.”
This epic, fully authorized graphic novel chronicles the birth of RUSH’s classic album A Farewell to Kings. Relive the production trials and triumphs alongside Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee & Neil Peart as they create the masterpiece of progressive rock that gave birth to such tracks as “Closer to the Heart,” and the majestic “Xanadu”. The book is co-written by Fantoons’ David Calcano and Lindsay Lee, and features artwork by Juan Riera and Ittai Manero. The story was written with input from RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson and album producer Terry Brown, who also penned the foreword.
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