Alex Lifeson's "Victor" Reissue coming August 9th

Alex Lifeson's 1996 solo project, Victor, will finally see its first vinyl release on August 9th. The reissue will be available on both double vinyl and CD, and from the release notes, "The reissue features the original album, completely remixed by Alex personally, offering significantly enhanced audio quality specially prepared for this release. Additionally, the album's fourth side features four instrumental tracks." Click here to order

Of the bonus tracks, "Kroove", "Banjo Bob" and "Serbs" were previously released on Alex's website on August 2, 2021 as "The Lerxst Demo Archives Pt. 1", while "Cherry Lopez Lullaby" was added Oct 29, 2021.  Here's what he had to say about them at that time:

"'Kroove' was written and recorded @1996 late one night in my home studio. It started with the main guitar pattern then I added the drum loop, keys and bass. The geetar pickin’ section was especially fun to record. I’ve always liked that late night feel of this one." [webmaster note: you may recognize "Kroove" as a longer version of "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" from the R30 live video].

"'Banjo Bob' was a fun session I did mid 1999. Originally recorded to a drum loop, I asked my good friend and Black Sheep drummer, Jim MacLellan, to have a go. He basically played to the finished track after I’d recorded all the elements. I love the false setup of the banjo and all the ugly undertones in the middle section.  It was recorded at Lerxst Sound-Richmond Hill as there is a strict no banjo in the house policy dictated by Charlene."

"'Serbs' is another track Jim played on sometime in early 1999. It actually started with the accordion section and then built in reverse. I tried to create a soft pulse character for the guitar verse then an overcompressed drum moment before the Serbs marched in. My parents wanted me to play the accordion like a nice Serbian boy from suburban Willowdale should but the guitar was calling me. I’ll never know if I made the right decision..."

"'Cherry Lopez Lullaby' was written during the mix session of Clockwork Angels while in LA for months starting early 2012.  I did an interview with High Times and the interviewer brought along a friend, an esteemed grower who provided a sample of his creation named Cherry Lopez.  Because I was on an EST body clock, I was up most mornings @ 5:00 AM.  I'd order coffee, sit on my hotel room balcony, read the paper and wake and bake then dive into making some fun sounds while the city was waking up.  I had some borrowed acoustic and electric guitars for the duration, thankfully, as sitting around waiting to go to the studio was tedious and certainly, a bowl of Cherry kept my appetite healthy."

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Make Surprise Performance at Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Concert in Toronto

Rush singer/bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson made a surprise appearance Thursday night at “Celebrating Gordon Lightfoot,” the star-studded tribute concert to the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter lineup at the Carnegie Hall of the country’s music world, Toronto’s Massey Hall. Lightfoot, who wrote such classics as “If You Could Read My Mind” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” died last May at the age of 84 — he had played the historic venue 170 times.

Lee and Lifeson, billed on the private performer rundown and setlist only as “L+L,” were backed by Canadian Music Hall of Famers (and the evening’s house band) Blue Rodeo on Lightfoot’s song “The Way I Feel,” complete with an acoustic guitar solo from Lifeson.

"Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee Are Playing Rush Songs Again — For Their Ears Only" - Rollingstone.com

In a new interview with Rollingstone.com, Alex Lifeson catches us up on his busy post-Rush life, Envy of None 2, and explains in detail why he really, really doesn't want to tour again.

"Rush: The Comic Book" by Tidal Wave publications

Hitting stores today is "Rush: The Comic Book" by Tidal Wave publications: https://amzn.to/3Ucepvm

"Rush, the Canadian band, takes center stage in a captivating comic book biography. With record-breaking sales, chart-topping hits, and an enduring influence on musicians worldwide, Rush's extraordinary journey unfolds within these pages, showcasing the remarkable tale of a band that shaped generations."

Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Lerxst Announces The Snow Dog – Limited Edition Octave Fuzz Pedal

BURGAW, NC, April 3, 2024 – Just a few months after the successful launch of the By-Tor overdrive/boost pedal, Alex Lifeson and Lerxst have announced their next pedal collaboration - The Snow Dog. The Snow Dog is an octave fuzz that utilizes the Lerxst two-in-one pedal format to provide a versatile array of modern and vintage fuzz sounds with a footswitchable upper octave effect. The Snow Dog is available now for $295 as a limited-run of 500 pedals available exclusively through the LERXST Reverb Store and also includes a tour pass signed by Alex. For more information and to purchase, please click here.

Alex Lifeson appears on "Today Was Yesterday"

Alex Lifeson features on 6 tracks on the new album Today Was Yesterday, released back on November 24th.  Buy now.

"Today Was Yesterday is the fresh and exciting new project of Angelo Barbera and Ty Dennis, two friends and veterans of the Los Angeles music industry. Their self-titled debut album showcases their talent and passion for creating timeless songs that blend catchy melodies, meaningful lyrics, and superb musicianship that is inspired by the bands that have left a lasting mark on music history. The album features guitar legends Alex Lifeson (Rush), and Robby Krieger (The Doors), who add their signature sound that helps make this release an instant classic. Today Was Yesterday is more than just a band name, it's a statement of timeless music that transcends genres and generations."

Alex Lifeson appears on Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes present: 'Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)'

Alex Lifeson is one of 60 superstar musicians performing on the remake of Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes present 'Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)', produced in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. Out March 15th. Preorder here

Lerxst Launches Limelight – The Alex Lifeson Limited Edition Signature Guitar

Alex Lifeson and Lerxst announce the launch of Limelight, a new signature guitar created in partnership with Canadian manufacturers Godin Guitars. Inspired by Lifeson’s iconic Hentor Sportscaster guitars from the mid-80s, Limelight thoroughly reimagines Lifeson’s original concept with modern part selection and craftsmanship to create a high-quality, forward-thinking instrument designed for today’s players. Limelight is available now for MAP $3,999. For more information please click here.

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too? - Now Streaming

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too? is now streaming on Paramount+.  All episodes are currently available to stream for subscribers, with the first episode provided for free.

"So this happened…. Out of the solitude of a pandemic lockdown came some ideas.. one of them was this… communing with my fellow Bass Folk to learn a little bit about where and how they live the moment they walk off the stage… Edifying, enlightening and an effin’ blast.. check it out and decide for yourself if Bass Players are Human… too!" - Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee's "The Lost Demos" Single

Geddy Lee's "The Lost Demos" Single is now available on all streaming services, as well as mp3 download.   The two demos were recorded during the sessions for Lee’s first and only solo album to date, 2000’s My Favourite Headache, but didn’t make the final tracklist. They were recently mixed and mastered by producer David Bottrill (Tool, Peter Gabriel).

“I’m excited to see these 2 ‘lost demos’ released,” said Lee in a press release. “I loved the songs when they were written and in some ways they feel as fresh and perhaps more relevant all these years later.”

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.

Geddy Lee hosts new four-part series, "Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too?" coming to Paramount+ December 5th

Geddy Lee will be premiering his brand new Paramount+ series Are Bass Players Humans Too? on December 5.  Featuring Geddy speaking candidly with fellow legendary bassists like Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies’ Rob Trujillo, Primus’ Les Claypool, and Melissa Auf der Maur, formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins and Hole.

“I’m trying to show the world that a bass player can do many things,” Lee is says in the trailer. “Join me as I travel to the homes of four bass legends and dive deep into their lives, and their inspirations, plus some fun making music … as I try to answer one really important question: Are bass players human, too?”

Neil Peart's sister recalls how family members broke the news of the late Rush drummer's death

Nancy Peart Burkholder, one of Rush drummer Neil Peart's two sisters, has shared her memories of her brother's passing. Peart died on January 7, 2020, following a three and a half year battle with brain cancer (Glioblastoma), and his death was announced three days later, on January 10,m 2020.

In conversation with podcaster Kelly Barrett, Burkholder recalls how family members had to keep the news of her brother's death a secret for those three days, until the official announcement was made via Rush's website and social media channels.

“We had three and a half years to prepare, so we knew it was coming,” she says. “And then once it happened, we had that week of radio silence where we couldn’t tell anybody. And then we got - I think we had 10 minutes’ notice before it was going live to the world. So we had 10 minutes to tell everyone that we hadn’t told in three and a half years that, ‘Sorry, we lied. Everything’s not okay.’ So, yeah, it was a really hard - that week was the hardest week that we went through because we knew and couldn’t share it.”

Alex Lifeson on Shred With Shifty

Alex Lifeson breaks down the haunting, legendary solo on Rush’s “Limelight” on the first episode of the new podcast from Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett, Shred With Shifty. Watch: 

Introducing the new Epiphone Alex Lifeson "Ruby" Les Paul Custom Axcess

Epiphone and Alex Lifeson have announced the release of the all new Epiphone Alex Lifeson "Ruby"
Les Paul Custom Axcess.

Created through extensive work with Alex Lifeson and Gibson, Epiphone's Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess similarly redefines the boundaries of the classic Les Paul in an accessible, versatile package.

This guitar carries all of the traditional tones that have made the Les Paul legendary, along with unprecedented levels of sonic and performance agility. The Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess Standard carries powerful Epiphone Ceramic Pro neck and ProBucker 3 bridge pickups with push/pull coil splitting on the volume controls, along with a Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo—the world's most efficient vibrato.   Click here to learn more.

RUSH 716 Master Class & Tribute Concert @ The Cave in Buffalo, NY, August 3rd

The RUSH 716 Master Class & Tribute Concert is coming August 3rd to The Cave in Buffalo New York.  The event will feature a master class with music journalist/musician/Rush maniac Jeff Miers and Rush historian, archivist and author Ray Wawrzyniak, in a discussion of the pivotal period in Rush history represented by the albums Permanent Waves(1980), Moving Pictures (1981), and Signals (1982). Following the master class, Rush tribute band Bravado (Jeff Miers, Ryan Nogle, Lucy Bell, Erin Ward, Nate Kalnitz, Mark Marinaccio) will perform a set composed of songs from Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures and Signals.

Attendees will have the opportunity to register to win a variety of Rush merch (including deluxe box sets), enjoy Rush Golden Ale, view a Rush slideshow, and participate in a Rush trivia contest. A portion of the proceeds of each ticket sold will be donated to Grapes for Humanity, a Canadian, non-profit organization that supports various humanitarian projects around the world.  For more info and to buy tickets visit thecavebuffalo.com.

Signals Atmos Listening Experience - enter for a chance to attend

Anthem Records will be hosting an "invite only" Dolby Atmos listening experience on May 31st in Toronto for the Signals 40th Anniversary boxed set release.  Power Windows has some passes to give away for the event, and the only proviso is that travel expenses are not covered, so you'll have to be finding your way to Toronto to participate.  I have the privilege of choosing the winners, and to be considered, send an email to pwrwindows@yahoo.com with the subject line "Signals Atmos Listening Experience", and provide the following details: 

• First & Last name
• Email Address
• Number of tickets desired:
• Tell me when/where you first heard Signals, and/or what the Signals album means to you as a Rush fan.  Can be brief, i.e. 1-2 paragraphs.
  

These tickets are free, hold no cash value and cannot be transferred to others.   All entries must be submitted by Thursday 5/25 at 10 am MST.

Signals 40th Anniversary Release Now Available

UMe/Mercury have released the Signals 40th Anniversary edition, hitting stores April 28th.  Signals-40th Anniversary will be available to fans in three distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) one-LP Picture Disc Edition, and (3) Dolby Atmos Digital Edition. There will also be a limited edition Super Deluxe box featuring eight lithographs of Neil Peart’s original hand-drawn lyrics for each song on Signals only available through the official Rush online store. All configurations are available here.  

 Unlike the previous Rush 40th anniversary releases, Signals-40th Anniversary does not contain any live content.

The Super Deluxe Edition includes one CD, one Blu-ray Audio, one high-quality 180-gram black–vinyl LP with new artwork from original album designer Hugh Syme in a premium tip-on jacket, and four 7-inch singles (“Subdivisions,” “Countdown,” “New World Man,” and “The Weapon (Single Edit”), all of them with new artwork from Syme. The set encompasses the Abbey Road Mastering Studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD. The Blu-ray Audio disc contains the core album newly mixed from the original multi-tracks in 48kHz 24-bit Dolby Atmos (the second Rush album to appear in Atmos, following Moving Pictures) and 96kHz 24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 as done by esteemed producer/engineer Richard Chycki, alongside the previously available 48kHz 24-bit PCM Stereo mix. Also included on the Blu-ray are new animated visualizers for all eight songs, as well as two bonus remastered vintage promo videos: the high-school halls narrative of “Subdivisions” and “Countdown,” the latter of which features authorized Space Shuttle Columbia launch footage. Additionally, the LP in the Super Deluxe Edition has been cut via half-speed Direct Metal Mastering (the second Rush album to have been done as such, again following Moving Pictures) on a 180-gram audiophile black-vinyl LP, and it has been pressed at GZ Media in the Czech Republic.

The Super Deluxe Edition of Signals-40th Anniversary also includes several exclusive items, including a 40-page hardcover book with new song illustrations and new artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme and unreleased photos from the Signals Tour, along with three lenticular lithographs that transition from the original black-and-white band headshots into the original album’s “Digital Man” color headshots; four SignalsTour band lithographs; Syme’s original album cover sketch lithograph; and a double-sided 24x24-inch poster featuring Syme’s new Signals artwork on one side, and an outtake photo from the original album cover shoot on the other side. All contents are housed in a premium lift-top box, which features significantly reimagined cover artwork by Hugh Syme.

The second configuration is a one-LP Picture Disc Edition. The picture disc is housed in a transparent plastic sleeve, and it showcases new Hugh Syme artwork on both album sides.

Finally, the third configuration, the Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent of Richard Chycki’s expert Atmos mix of all eight tracks from the original album.

Geddy Lee's "My Effin' Life" coming in November

As he alluded to back in September, Geddy Lee spent time during the pandemic to write his autobiography.  Today his book "My Effin' Life" was announced for a November 14th publication date.   Click here to preorder: https://amzn.to/43iYOgb

Back in September, Geddy posted on Instagram:

So, how did I kill time during the pandemic? Little did I know that as of March 2020 I'd be locked down for over a year and a half—the longest time I'd spent in Toronto since I was nineteen and hit the Northern Ontario bar circuit with Rush.

Although Nancy and I had to cancel a bunch of adventures we'd been planning, there were some shiny silver linings to be found at home: teaching my grandson the finer points of baseball and birdwatching, tending to my pups (one of whom was quite ill) and spending the evenings with my lovely better half, glass of Armagnac in hand, as we watched every European mystery show ever produced. Oh, and another thing: I began to write. Words, that is.

My friend and collaborator on the Big Beautiful Book of Bass, Daniel Richler, saw how I was struggling in the aftermath of Neil's passing, and tried coaxing me out of my blues with some funny tales from his youth, daring me to share my own in return. So I did—reluctantly at first, but then remembering, oh yeah, I like wrestling with words. It's a less physical version of arguing with musical notes, without a Ricky doubleneck breaking my back! And soon my baby-step stories were becoming grownup chapters. Being the nuclear obsessive that I am, I'd write and re-write them, reassessing perspectives in the narrative not just by scouring my memory banks but my diaries and piles of photo albums too. I was piecing together a mystery of a different kind.

I'd then send these improved and even illustrated stories to Daniel, who'd clean up some of the grammar and remove a lot of the swearing (I love to fucking swear), and presto! In a voice that sounded, well, just like me, a presentable, epic-length account of my life on and off the stage was taking shape: my childhood, my family, the story of my parents' survival, my travels and all sorts of nonsense I've spent too much time obsessing over. And Daniel said, "I think you're writing a book. An actual memoir, in fact." To which I replied, “Hmm… I guess I am.”

I'm rounding third on this as-of-yet untitled memoir, which will be published by HarperCollins, edited by Noah Eaker, and is scheduled for release in Fall 2022.