Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush are ready to step back into the limelight for the first time since the death of drummer Neil Peart.
The Canadian rock band announced its first tour in more than a decade Monday.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ Fifty Something Tour will celebrate Rush’s “music, legacy and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart,” co-founders Lee and Lifeson said in a statement.
“It’s been over 10 years since Alex and I have performed the music of Rush alongside our fallen bandmate and friend Neil,” Lee said.
“A lifetime’s worth of songs that we had put our cumulative hearts and souls into writing, recording and playing together onstage. And so, after all that has gone down since that last show, Alex and I have done some serious soul searching and come to the decision that we f—–g miss it, and that it’s time for a celebration of 50-something years of Rush music.”
Peart died in 2020 at the age of 67 after a yearslong battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. Rush had not gone on the road since 2015 when their R40 Tour ended.
The statement also included the news that the band had hired German drummer Anika Nilles for the tour.
“We could not be more excited to introduce her to our loyal and dedicated Rush fan base, whom, we know, will give her every chance to live up to that near impossible role [of replacing Peart],”Lee said.
The tour will start June 7 at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, the site of the band’s last show with Peart on the R40 tour.
Lee said the band has already started preparing.
“[Lifeson], Anika and myself, along with many of our longstanding crew members, have been hard at work rehearsing and designing the kind of Rush show you’ve grown accustomed to expect from us,” he said. “We dearly hope you will come along and help us celebrate our history together.”
The tour starts with two nights in Los Angeles, followed by stops in Mexico City; Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago; two nights at Madison Square Garden; Toronto, and Cleveland.
Fans can sign up for the tickets presale, which starts on Oct. 13 here. General sales start Oct. 17.
Originally Published:
