Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson Announce New Tour as 'Rush'
Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson Announce New Tour as ‘Rush’
After last performing in 2015 as Rush, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announced Sunday that the Canadian progressive rock will be returning to the stage for a 50th anniversary tour set for summer 2026. Rush disbanded after the drummer Neil Peart, who died in 2020, announced his retirement in 2015 following the R40 Tour.
The tour, “Fifty Something,” will celebrate Rush’s legacy, music and the life of Neil Peart. Fittingly, the seven-city tour will kick off where R40 ended; at Kia Forum in Los Angeles, on June 7 and 9.
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Rush will then head south from there to Mexico City, before landing in Fort Worth, Texas. After the Lone Star State, the tour will hit Chicago, New York and Toronto. The tour concludes in Cleveland on Sept. 17.
Lee and Lifeson shared the news with select media and fans at a private event on Sunday in Cleveland. The duo was there in promotion of Rush’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which reportedly included a viewing of their induction speeches, a performance and an interview. The interview portion of the night reportedly was rather casual, before the news of a new tour was dropped on the crowd.
A question was reportedly asked by a supposed “fan” of the band, asking whether the pair would ever tour again. Lee and Lifeson reportedly bantered back and forth, before the former said “I kind of think that we should tour next year.” The crowd initially thought the comment was a joke, until it was made clear Lee was not joking.
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Lee noted that deciding to tour again was a “difficult decision” for a few reason, highlighted by the loss of Peart five years earlier.
“It was a very sad time, and it took time for us to even contemplate,” Lee said in regard to going on as a band without Peart. “And how do you replace someone who is irreplaceable?”
Lee and Lifeson had apparently been casually playing Rush songs together in private sessions, which made the idea of returning to the stage as Rush so appealing:
“We were laughing so hard, and we were enjoying it so much, and it was almost like playing those songs dispelled the dark clouds,” Lee said.
Who is Replacing Neil Peart?
Rush, which exclusively performed as a three-piece band with Lee, Lifeson and Peart from 1974 to 2015, announced who will be replacing the late drummer after making the “difficult decision.” Anika Nilles, an award-winning German composer and producer, has been tapped to play behind the kit. Nilles toured with Jeff Beck in the past, and has released four solo albums since her YouTube debut in 2012.
Peart’s widow, Carrie Nuttall-Peart, and daughter Olivia reportedly gave their blessing to Lee and Lifeson in support of the Fifty Something tour:
“We are thrilled to support the Fifty Something tour, celebrating a band whose music has resonated and inspired fans for generations, and to honor Neil’s extraordinary legacy as both a drummer and lyricist,” Peart’s family said in a statement. “… “As the band enters this new chapter, it promises to be truly unforgettable. We are excited to see how their new vision unfolds, and to hear this legendary music played live once again.”
Rush will head to Fort Worth for two nights on June 24 and 28 at Dickies Arena.
