Rush’s highly anticipated Fifty Something tour finally kicks off Sunday in Los Angeles, something fans of the Canadian rockers have been waiting for for more than a decade.
The tour will be Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson’s first outing since wrapping the R40 tour in 2015. It will also be their first tour since the 2020 death of their drummer and friend Neil Peart.
Playing drums on the tour will be Anika Nilles, who previously worked with the late Jeff Beck. Of course, filling Peart’s shoes won’t be easy.
The Police drummer Stewart Copeland, who was a friend of Peart’s, tells ABC Audio Nilles’ biggest challenge will likely be “Rush fans who have memorized every detail of Dr. Peart’s performance.” Still, he believes “she has the chops” to succeed.
“I think she’s gonna do fine,” he says. “I think, you know, the sense that I get is that everyone is very curious. Nobody resents her.”
As for Rush’s return to the road, Copeland notes, “Rush waited a very respectable amount of time. There’s no doubt that it’s all in honor of Neil.”
If you were wondering, Peart will be honored throughout the tour. The band plans to play two sets each night, with a different set list at every show, along with a tribute to their late bandmate. In an April interview with Brazilian TV show Fantástico, Lee said they’ll dedicate two songs per night to Peart, with each performance featuring a visual tribute.
Lifeson described the tribute as “a celebration of who he was as a person and a drummer, not so sad anymore.”
Rush’s Fifty Something tour begins with four nights at the KIA Forum in Los Angeles. The North American run continues through Dec. 17. A complete list of dates can be found at Rush.com.
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