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Alex Lifeson on Primus' "Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People"
Sorrow Rather Than Celebration
Alex Lifeson's 50th birthday (born August 27, 1953) was the sorrowful occasion of the passing of his father, Nenad Zivojinovich. The obituary reads "donations to the Kidney Foundation would be appreciated by the family". Fans wishing to express condolences to Alex are asked to send them via email to info@rush.com, where they will be forwarded to Alex.
Rush In September 2003 "GQ" Magazine
Rush is included in a humorous listing in the September 2003 issue of GQ magazine: page 140 includes "10 Songs Not To Make Love To":
1. "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Taco; 2. "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" by Iron Maiden; 3. "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss") by Cher; 4. ""#!*@ You Tonight" by Notorious B.I.G. featuring R. Kelly; 5. "Rockit" by Herbie Hancock; 6. "Downtown" by Petula Clark; 7. "YYZ" by Rush; 8. "Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ" by Steve Reich; 9. "Centerfield" by John Fogerty; 10. "In the Gloaming" (Traditional)
Toronto SARS Benefit Concert
Rush performed for approximately 450,000 people in Toronto's Downsview Park as part of the "Molson Canadian Rocks For Toronto" concert on July 30th to benefit Toronto's SARS-depressed economy. The list of performers for the nine hour concert included The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Guess Who, Justin Timberlake, Sam Roberts, The Flaming Lips, Kathleen Edwards, The Isley Brothers, Sass Jordan, La Chincane, and Dan Aykroyd with Jim Belushi and the "have love will travel revue". Rush's 35 minute set of mostly hits included an instrumental cover of the Stones' "Paint It, Black" (setlist: Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Dreamline, YYZ, Freewill, Closer To The Heart (no jam), Paint It Black, The Spirit Of Radio).
In typical fashion, Rush received little media recognition for their performance, which preceded both AC/DC (55 min. set) and The Stones (70 min set), and were not even mentioned in CNN's online review of the show. Additional news coverage can be found at CBC News and Billboard.com.
"When we were first asked to play Molson Canadian Rocks For Toronto, it seemed impossible to say yes. We had been off the road for 8 months, our gear was in the warehouse, most of our crew was out on other tours, and even we were all over the place - Geddy with his family in France, Alex working in the studio mixing our Rio de Janeiro show, and me on my motorcycle in the California mountains. However, when we thought about everything Toronto meant to our lives, to our work and play, our homes and families and friends, it seemed impossible to say no!" Neil Peart, Rush.com Newsletter, July 3, 2003
In typical fashion, Rush received little media recognition for their performance, which preceded both AC/DC (55 min. set) and The Stones (70 min set), and were not even mentioned in CNN's online review of the show. Additional news coverage can be found at CBC News and Billboard.com.
Neil's Red Tama Kit Sells On Ebay
In 1986, Neil Peart replaced his red Tama drumkit which had been used since the Moving Pictures tour. At that time, he wrote:"Early in 1986, I started to think that it was time for a new drumkit. My red Tamas had been through four or five serious tours, and had been used in the recording of Signals, Grace Under Pressure, and Power Windows. They still sounded and looked great, but were getting a little tired, and besides, every four or five years I just like a change - perhaps a different sound and look." - Neil Peart, Modern Drummer, May 1987The drums were soon awarded in a Modern Drummer contest to Jack Hess, who sold them twelve years later on ebay for $26,100. In the last two years, the drums have appeared on ebay more than once, and May 2nd, 2003, they were sold again on ebay for $14,621.12. Today I received an email from the buyer who wrote:
Alex Lifeson "Famous Plates"
Alex Lifeson participated in the "Famous Plates" charity event at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto on May 14th. The event featured "gourmet delights, inspired by famous entertainers and prepared by top Canadian chefs", where the chef created a 'Signature Celebrity Dish' unique to that celebrity which was served to the patrons. It is rumored that Lifeson also performed live but no confirmation has been found. For additional information visit FamousPlates.com.
Rush #21 of Rock's Richest 50
The April 3rd issue of Rolling Stone contains the story "Rock's 50 Richest". The tallies are based on the year 2002, and Rush came in at #21, with touring net at $13.4 million. However, revenue from recording is listed as $0; shouldn't this total reflect sales of Vapor Trails?
"Rush released their first new album in six years, Vapor Trails, and followed it up with a tour that brought the Canadian power trio an $18 million guarantee. The band's devoted following helped the outing gross $27 million in sixty-two cities. But that's a lot of moving around - compare it to Billy Joel and Elton John's tour, which grossed $65 million for thirty-four shows in fourteen cities - so a good chunk of that got eaten up on the road." - RollingStone.com, Apr. 3, 2003 issue
Canadian Museum of Civilization to Honor Rush
"...the museum has received a major gift of rock memorabilia from the Toronto-based arena-rock giants to be displayed in the permanent exhibition of popular culture...guitars, drum kits and a samples of their gold and platinum records. 'It's an honour for us to be included in the national collection,' said Lifeson. 'To know that the spirit of our contribution to Canadian music will live on for years, and that it will be shared by so many, makes us very proud.'" - Jam!Showbiz, April 2, 2003
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