Neil Peart's Legacy Honoured with "Spirit of Drumming" Scholarship

Join Modern Drummer magazine in celebrating the life and legacy of Neil Peart by inspiring an up and coming, young drummer with an incredible opportunity!  In memory of Neil, with the support of his family, Modern Drummer is proud to present an up-and-coming drummer with the annual “Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship”.

The scholarship, originally announced at the 2020 Modern Drummer Festival by Carrie Nuttall-Peart, provides the recipient with 52 weeks of free drum lessons from world-class drum instructor Dom Famularo, along with a 1 year subscription to Modern Drummer All Access, plus a selection of classic Rush album releases from Universal Music Enterprises.

Potential recipients of the scholarship must be qualified entrants to participate. A “qualified entrant” is defined as someone who is between the ages of 14 and 21, is not a professional musician, and is not a party to any sponsorship or entertainment contract that, in Modern Drummer’s judgment, conflicts with the spirit of the scholarship.

Potential recipients must submit up to a 2-minute video of their playing AND a short essay describing why this scholarship will be significant to both their life and their drumming. The impact on their drumming that has been inspired by Neil’s playing and legacy.

All submissions must be received prior to November 26, 2021.   Click here for more.

Ohio State Marching Band celebrates the music of Rush

Today the Ohio State Marching Band celebrated the music of Rush, and I may be prejudiced as a Rush fan, but it was incredible, and is a must see below!  I'm sure Neil would be proud!

To honor the early 2020 passing of one of the greatest drummers in history, Rush’s Neil Peart, the Ohio State Marching Band added a little more percussion to the mix for the halftime show Saturday.

Peart was a member of the progressive rock band for more than 40 years before he died from cancer. To help recreate Peart’s sonic impact, the percussion section was expanded by 20 toms and 20 extra cymbals mounted on four racks. They were at the front of the formation and played by the band’s five percussion alternates for this week.

The band blistered through some of Rush’s greatest hits, including “Red Barchetta,” “Fly by Night” and “Tom Sawyer.” Formations replicated Peart and Rush guitar player Alex Lifeson, and spelled out “2112” and “YYZ,” titles to Rush songs. - Ohio State News, Oct 9, 2021

Hugh Syme Talks "The Art of Rush: Serving A Life Sentence - Second Edition" And More

Originally published in 2015, The Art of Rush: Serving A Life Sentence, the newly expanded and updated coffee table book will be released next month by IDW Publishing on October 12th. Covering his complete 40 plus year tenure as Rush's art director, the book contains Syme's original illustrations, paintings, photography, and the incredible stories behind each album that he has designed with the band since 1975. The book's narration was written by music journalist Stephen Humphries and includes in-depth interviews with each Rush band member and the artist. The second edition is newly expanded and updated to include content released by the band since 2015.

Last week I spoke to Hugh about The Art of Rush: Serving A Life Sentence and more. During the time we had available, I asked Hugh questions about his Rush art that I had not seen asked before and that took us on a roundabout journey talking about his Life Sentence as the de facto art director for Rush, a title that he never assumed to be set in stone...

Check out my interview here.

RUSH, CONEY HATCH Legends Compose Music For "All Or Nothing Toronto Maple Leafs" Amazon Original

Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran, who has been working with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson in a project dubbed Envy Of None, has issued the following update: 'We’re excited to announce that we have composed new music for the upcoming Amazon Original, All Or Nothing Toronto Maple Leafs, available only on Prime Video October 1⁠.'   Click here for more.

Cinema Strangiato Video On Demand Release October 1 - 10

 Following a successful global cinema release, Trafalgar Releasing and Anthem Entertainment are proud to announce that starting on October 1 at 9 p.m. ET through Sunday, October 10 at 11:59 p.m. ET, RUSH fans worldwide can view Rush: Cinema Strangiato - Director's Cut at home, on demand.

Visit www.cinemastrangiato.com for more information and to purchase access for $15.  On Friday, October 1 at 9 p.m. ET, RUSHCON will host a live virtual “Interactive Watch Party” for fans to connect and discuss the film when it premieres online. Those who purchase a watch party ticket will maintain access to the content for the entire duration of the VOD window, but only those who log in during the live October 1 event will be able to participate in the chat.  Click here for more.

Geddy Lee To Be Honoured at Artists For Peace and Justice Fundraiser

Geddy Lee, who had been twice honoured for major humanitarian awards by the Canadian music industry alongside his bandmates, will accept a solo Lifetime Achievement Award this Saturday (Sept. 11) for his philanthropy at the Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) gala in Toronto.

Held annually during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) — this year outdoors at a private residence with safety protocols in place — the exclusive affair has raised more than $33 million to help provide access to education for the impoverished youth in Haiti, including the building of a free high school on a seven-acre campus in Port-au-Prince and a five-acre film and music tech training campus in Jacmel.

The award honours “[Lee’s] commitment to philanthropy,” the press release states, citing his support of Brain Cancer research, Toronto Food Bank, Alberta Floods, Doctors without Borders, Grapes for Humanity, United Way, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and Casey House.

 For more visit Samaritanmag.com (September8, 2021)

Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson has teamed up with Geddy Lee for a "super-secret" project

Geddy Lee has apparently teamed up with Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson for a "super-secret" project.  Speaking to Classic Rock magazine, Robertson discussed the bond he shares with Lee, before revealing that he's working with the Rush low-end master on something that he "can't talk about."  "Geddy is somewhere between my surrogate father and imaginary big brother," Robertson told Classic Rock. "I love him so much. I was in the studio with him yesterday for a super-secret project that I can’t talk about." - GuitarWorld.com, September 8, 2021

Rush Canadian Golden Ale by Henderson Brewing Co

Today Rush and Henderson Brewing Co has announced via Facebook that they are launching RUSH Golden Ale in Canada on August 30th, not available outside Canada.   Better people, better food, and better beer indeed!

 It started during the R40 tour when, after a gig, someone handed frontman Geddy Lee a bottle of Robinson’s “Iron Maiden -Trooper” beer.  Geddy took one look at it and jokingly asked where the Rush beer was.  That quip stayed in the mind of the band, and recognizing the growing craft beer movement, particularly in their hometown of Toronto, the band decided to look into it seriously.

Beer has always been an important part of the touring experience for the band.  That first after-show beer helping to draw a line between the focus of performing and the wind-down that follows.  After hundreds of shows in so many countries around the world, the band really began to see how different beer could be.

“When I get off stage, I really, really enjoy an ice-cold beer, it’s like a little reward,” commented Geddy Lee on a recent visit to Henderson Brewery.

The band chose Henderson as they are one of the fastest growing micro-breweries in Canada and have won many gold medals for their beer. As is true with all of Rush ethos, quality is key. It didn’t hurt that the hometown brewery also had a love for the band given Henderson had previously released a “Put Your Scarf On Geddy” limited edition Canadian Imperial Stout in 2016.

In the summer of 2020 Rush and Henderson began taste testing many prototype brews and early in 2021 the band and the brewery both felt they had come up with a brew they could stand behind.  Subtlety complex, refreshing and satisfying and uniquely Canadian, as the beer gets its taste from Canadian ingredients, including Rye.

“Rush Canadian Golden Ale is golden in colour with a dense ivory head. It has an earthy aroma with hints of orange-peel, pine and spicy rye. While the emphasis is on refreshment, there are elements of pine, rye spice and a citric hop flavour that add to the subtle complexity of the beer,” remarked Alex Lifeson, the band-proclaimed Beer Scientist.

Rush Canadian Golden Ale launches across Canada August 30th, with distribution primarily in Ontario to start.

 

Neil Peart's Classic Car Collection Auctioned

Gooding & Company is thrilled to announce its offering of the world-renowned rock drummer and lyricist Neil Peart’s collection of classic cars at its 17th annual Pebble Beach Auctions. The incredible opportunity to bid on these extraordinary classic cars, dubbed the “Silver Surfers” by the legendary musician, will take place at the company’s two-day sale on August 13 and 14.

-

• 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe

• 1964 Aston Martin DB5

• 1964 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Coupe

• 1964 Shelby Cobra 289

• 1965 Maserati Mistral Spider

• 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S

• 1973 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 SS

 

For more visit goodingco.com  

 

UPDATE: the auction took place last weekend, the results are as follows:

 

Lot 110: Corvette sold for $368,000
Lot 111: Maserati sold for $274,400
Lot 112: Shelby Cobra sold for $1,160,000
Lot 113: Aston Martin DB5 (did not meet reserve price and will sell later)
Lot 114: Jaguar e-type sold for $318,500
Lot 115: Lamborghini Miura sold for $1,325,000
Lot 116: Maserati Spider sold for $522,000
 

Lerxst Demo Archives @ AlexLifeson.com

Alex Lifeson has added three early demos recorded "over twenty years" ago to his website, calling them Lerxst Demo Archives.  Included are three tracks, "Kroove" (which you may recognize as "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" from the R30 live set), "Bango Bob" and "Serbs".

Cinema Strangiato "Director’s Cut" coming to theaters for one night only, September 9th

 "The Holy Trinity of Rock returns to the big screen on September 9, 2021, when Rush: Cinema Strangiato - Director's Cut brings Rush fans together in movie theatres once again worldwide – this time to celebrate 40 years of Moving Pictures. This global fan event takes an alternate “director’s cut” of 2019's feature, giving audiences a special look into R40 LIVE, with a revamped setlist including new additions of bonus tracks "One Little Victory" and “Red Barchetta” as well as "Cygnus X-1 / “The Story So Far” featuring Neil's final recorded drum solo masterpiece. Additional favorites include songs such as “Animate”, “Closer to the Heart", "Subdivisions", and “Tom Sawyer" along with backstage moments and candid footage left on the cutting room floor. The Director’s Cut also includes soundcheck performances of the fan-favorite "Jacob's Ladder", exclusive interviews with Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, Taylor Hawkins, producer Nick Raskulinecz, The Trailer Park Boys, violinist Jonathan Dinklage and more surprises." - CinemaStrangiato.com

Neil Peart's "Silver Surfers" Coffee Table Book

Rush.com has announced:

As you may have seen, Neil Peart’s meticulously curated car collection, dubbed the “Silver Surfers,” will be going up for auction next month at the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance.

Neil’s love of classic cars was a lifelong passion, and prior to his passing, he was extremely proud to have completed his final book titled, “Silver Surfers.” The following passage from his first coffee table book explains, in his own words, how the collection name came about:

“The title Silver Surfers for my collection of cars occurred to me while driving my DB5 up and down the Pacific Ocean. Because it felt right to me, I guess – the idea that I was just one of the wave riders….

In search of natural peace, I often drove out that way and up in to the Santa Monica Mountains. Out past Malibu to Ventura County, I’d weave along barren ridges of rock and vegetation, the ocean always on one big side. The waves were slow and gentle, or churned out a powerful, rolling rhythm…”

We are happy that his wish to see this book published will be fulfilled, with a release date to be announced. This will certainly be a loving homage to the man and one of his true passions.

R.I.P. Mary Weinrib, Mother of Rush's Geddy Lee and Holocaust Survivor

Our thoughts and prayers are with Geddy and his family. 

 Mary Weinrib — a Holocaust survivor and mother of Rush bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee — has died. Weinrib passed away last Friday (July 2), weeks shy of her 96th birthday. She was 95.

An obituary calls Weinrib's life "an inspiring story of perseverance, survival and triumph." She was born in 1925 in Warsaw, Poland, and grew up in Wierzbnik, a Jewish shtetl that was part of Starachowice, Poland, that was occupied by the Germans beginning in 1939.

Weinrib "endured the labour camp at the munitions factory in Starachowice and the concentration camps at Auschwitz, where she met and fell in love with her husband Morris Weinrib, and at Bergen-Belsen, where she was finally liberated in April 1945."

Mary and Morris would be reunited and married in 1946 and emigrated to Canada soon after. Following her husband's sudden death in 1965, Mary took over managing the family's variety store north of Toronto in Newmarket while raising three children.

The obituary adds that as "an early supporter and a fixture at Rush concerts," Mary plastered the windows of the store with Rush posters upon the release of the group's first album in 1974, and "gave albums away to any kids who wanted them but didn't have the money to buy them."

More recently, Mary Weinrib appeared in the 2010 band documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage and alongside her son Geddy in Dave Grohl's docu-series From Cradle to Stage, which explores the relationships of successful musicians and their mothers.

Of their conversation, Grohl said in the episode, "It was funny for me to sit with Geddy and his mom because... he changed my life. Rush really changed my life. I loved music. I loved singing in the car to AM radio. But I never listened to the drums until I heard Rush. As we were sitting with Geddy and his mom, I was thinking...if it weren't for her I might not be a drummer."- Exclaim.ca

Alex Lifeson Has Recorded 10 Songs for New ‘Envy of None’ Project

Alex Lifeson released his first new music in nearly a decade when he shared the instrumentals “Kabul Blues” and “Spyhouse” to coincide with the arrival of his new Epiphone guitar earlier this month. But fans won’t have to wait nearly that long for the next chapter, as Lifeson has completed 10 songs for an upcoming project with an aim to release them later this year.

“Alex and I are involved in a side project called Envy of None,” bassist Andy Curran tells UCR. “It’s like, if you can picture maybe Massive Attack with a little bit of some electronic stuff with Nine Inch Nails influences, with this beautiful, fragile, sweet voice and some very, very dark heavy sounds. That’s kind of what this project sounds like.”  For more visit ultimateclassicrock.com

More info was published in an interview with Sweet Water, as transcribed by GuitarWorld.com:

“Andy approached me about four years ago, shortly after the last Rush tour, about adding some guitar on some of the things he was doing,” Lifeson recalled when quizzed about the origins of the project. “I did that. A few months later, he sent another one, and did that. Then we started getting more serious, and then we found a great singer, Maiah Wynne. So we’ve basically done an album’s worth of material that we hope to release sometime soon. I’m really excited about that.”

On when fans can expect to hear the album in full, Lifeson added, “We’re just working on that part. All the music is recorded. We are mixing currently. We’re in a good place, but it is very challenging. The industry is so, so very different than it was certainly 10 years ago, never mind last year,” he added. “We’ll see. Hopefully late summer, early fall we might have something. But we are very, very excited about it. It’s pretty cool stuff, I think.” 

The Bubba Gump Drum Collection Available from Soul Drums

Soul Drums in Toronto is selling a selection of Neil Peart's used drums:

For twenty years Neil Peart and his drum technician, Lorne "Gump" Wheaton were at the pinnacle of presenting the very best in rock drumming performance.

Known affectionately as Neil "Bubba" Peart, by bandmates and the stage crew family, together, they became "Bubba Gump".

Through all the album concepts; the drumsets, the snare drums, and the cymbals became the reference for the best in drumming design, pure sonic power and incredible inspiration.

There are no comparisons!

Together, Soul Drums and "Bubba Gump" are offering the best known snares and drums from the Test for Echo era, Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows, Clockwork Angels and the R40 tours.

These incredible instruments represent the art, history and science of modern rock drumming and celebrate the legacy of a true master.

AlexLifeson.com launched!

Alex Lifeson has finally launched his official website, http://alexlifeson.com/. The site includes two new tracks, Kabul Blues and Spy House, which includes Andy Curran on bass and Alex on "everything else". The launch was timed to coincide with the announcement of the all new Epiphone Les Paul Standard Axcess.

Geddy and Alex present The Tragically Hip the 2021 Humanitarian Award at the JUNOs

At the 50th Annual JUNO Awards airing June 6, 2021, the Tragically Hip will receive the 2021 Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada, which will be presented to them by Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees and rock icons, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush. For more visit newswire.ca.

UPDATE: Watch as Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee present the humanitarian award to members of The Tragically Hip: Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Johnny Fay, Gord Sinclair and the late Gord Downie’s brother Patrick Downie.

 In addition, watch as Pegi Cecconi is awarded the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the 2021 Juno Opening Night Awards. This prestigious award ­named after Walt Grealis in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishments recognizes individuals who have contributed to the growth and development of the Canadian music industry.

Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant helped save Rush in their darkest hour, says Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee is interviewed in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine, as alluded to in this teaser story from Louder.com:

Following the death of drummer Neil Peart’s 19-year-old daughter Selena in a road accident in August 1997, Rush took an extended hiatus from the music business, with none of the trio - vocalist/bassist Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and Peart - sure whether they’d ever share a stage again.

But speaking in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine, Lee says that a phone call from one of the trio’s long-time heroes, former Led Zeppelin frontman Plant, helped drag the musicians out of the darkness.

“Page & Plant were touring [1998 album] Walking Into Clarksdale and they came to Toronto,” recalls Lee, referencing the Zeppelin duo’s July 4, 1998 appearance at the city’s Molson Amphitheatre. “Someone kept calling our office saying they were Robert Plant and they needed to speak to me. No one believed it, but turns out it was him.”

“We were on hiatus after Selena [Neil’s Peart’s daughter] had passed away and we were not in a good place. I called Robert back, and he wanted us to come to the show, and I was pretty down in the dumps at that point. And he said, ‘No, come to the show, we’ll talk.’ He understood what was going on with the band. I remember him saying: ‘You’ve got to re-join life, and sooner is better than later. So get your ass down here.’ So I called Alex up and said we’re going to see Page & Plant.”

"RUSH - A Visual Time Capsule: Moving Pictures-Permanent Waves-Hemispheres" now available

Photographer Bill O’Leary is back with his fourth photo book overall, RUSH - A Visual Time Capsule: Moving Pictures-Permanent Waves-Hemispheres. Featuring images – many previously unseen – of the trio in concert from what many consider their peak artistic period (1979-1981), the book perfectly captures the visual aspect of this era of Rush, in which they stormed the charts and headlined arenas throughout the world. The book also features a foreword by renowned rock journalist/author, Greg Prato.  Click here to order.

Geddy Lee Draws Attention To ‘The Marijuana Conspiracy’ Featuring His Daughter In The Cast

Geddy Lee celebrated the annual cannabis celebration, 420, by making a new announcement on his official Instagram account:

“I don’t usually post things about my kids on social media, but today I’m making an exception to shamelessly promote a film in which my daughter Kyla Young is a member of the ensemble cast.

It’s called The Marijuana Conspiracy and it comes out today, 4/20 a.k.a Marijuana Day, which is also my BFF Alex’s *favourite* day of the year because, well, he is the Pothead of the Universe and effin proud of it! So congrats to my lovely daughter Kyla Young , on her film debut! You go girl!”

- RockCelebrities.net.