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Showing posts from September, 2011

Rush Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland - Theaters and Showtimes Now Online

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With the theatrical release of Rush's Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland less than a month away (October 26th to be exact), theater locations and showtimes have begun to get posted at the D&E Entertainment website (see: www.rushtimemachinepremiere.com . According to that site, many locations will air the concert on October 26th or 27th with numerous venues also hosting an encore screening in early November. Pre-ordering of tickets is also available at many locations. For complete details, and continuing updates, please check out the main D&E Entertainment site HERE . And don't forget to pre-order your copy via the links below: And to pre-order Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland , use one of the links below. Rush Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland DVD - $18.99 Rush Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland Blu-Ray - $22.49 Thanks to GeddyWannaBe and Ed from RushIsABand for the news. Related News Stories [ Here We Go Again - Blu-Ray Version of Time

Closer to the Heart Included in Guitar World's Top 30 12-String Guitar Songs of All Time

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Guitar World Magazine has put together a list of the Top 30 12-String Guitar Songs of All Time; an interesting if not challenging list to compile: When considering the choices for this list, we realized it wasn't as easy a task as we first thought. What makes for a great 12-string guitar song as opposed to a great song that just happens to have a 12-string somewhere on it? Let's face it, if "Stairway to Heaven" had a ukulele on it, it would immediately be in the running for Greatest Ukulele Song of All Time. Coming in at the #10 spot is Rush's own Closer to the Heart from their 1977 masterpiece A Farewell to Kings . Here's what they had to say about this classic song: Taken from Rush's 1977 album A Farewell to Kings, "Closer to the Heart" begins with a majestic-sounding arpeggio picking pattern played by guitarist Alex Lifeson on a 12-string guitar. This song was also Rush's first hit in the U.K. and has been a staple of their li

A Rush of Light: Four Decades in the Making

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The Summer 2011 edition of the industry magazine Professional Lighting and Production includes a 4-page cover story on Rush and their Time Machine Tour. The article discusses the intricacies of Rush's stage show with the band's Production Designer Howard Ungerleider. Taking in a performance by an artist at the top of the industry while at the pinnacle of their career is to witness the long and meandering paths of experience, talent, knowledge, and hard work meet and perfectly intertwine at a single point. It's an awe-inspiring, yet rare occurrence that forces the audience to reconsider everything they thought they knew about artistic and creative inception, design, implementation, and performance. It's something Canadian iconoclasts Rush know much about. The entire issue is available online at this LINK . The Rush feature appears on pages 18-21. Thanks to reader RushFanForever for passing along the link.

Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland Premieres Tonight on VH-1 Classic

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The long-awaited Rush concert film Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland will make its world premiere tonight on VH-1 Classic at 8:00pm EST. In addition to the airing of the concert film, VH-1 Classic will be airing 24 hours of Rush content as part of their RUSH Hashanah Celebration . According to the VH-1 Classic's schedule, the concert film will run for 2 hours and 30 minutes, followed by the critically acclaimed documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage . For those of you who prefer to wait and see the film on the big screen, you'll be able to do so on October 26th. Click HERE for more information on the theatrical release. And to pre-order Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland , use one of the links below. Rush Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland DVD - $18.99 Rush Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland Blu-Ray - $22.49 Enjoy the concert, everyone! Related News Stories [ VH1 Classic "RUSH Hashanah" Details Revealed - Time Machine Premiere Confirm

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominations Are In - Without Rush Once Again

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has just announced the list of nominees for the 2012 induction class and, once again as has been the case for the past thirteen years, Rush has not made the grade. A total of 15 nominees were listed. They are: · Beastie Boys · The Cure · Donovan · Eric B. & Rakim · Guns 'N Roses · Heart · Joan Jett and The Blackhearts · Freddie King · Laura Nyro · Red Hot Chili Peppers · Rufus with Chaka Khan · The Small Faces/The Faces · The Spinners · Donna Summer · War Wow. It's not just the lack of respect for Rush, but the selection of others before Rush that has infuriated fans all these years. We'll leave it at that. The official press release can be read HERE . For a great retrospective look at the history of Rush and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, check our this page from Power Windows . Thanks to reader Brett Hale for passing along the news.

One Louder Magazine Interviews Rush/Anthem's A&R Man Andy Curran

One Louder Magazine has just posted an interview with Andy Curran; Anthem/SRO's A&R (Artists and Repertoire) man. In the interview, Andy discusses his long history with Rush, his daily A&R duties at Anthem/SRO, the Time Machine Tour and more. OLM: How did you get involved with RUSH? Were you a fan of the band before coming on board? AC: I’ve been friends with Geddy for years. We played tennis together which led to meeting guitarist Alex Lifeson. Eventually my solo band opened for RUSH on the Roll the Bones Tour. It was a very easy transition with them as we were friends first. However, I do pinch myself all the time when I’m with the guys, as I was a really big fan of the band growing up; I even bought a Rickenbacker bass because of Geddy!!! However, with RUSH I don’t really think the true definition of A&R exists with them. They know what they want. I offer suggestions, but those guys are in cruise control and know exactly what they want. I try to administer t

Here We Go Again - Blu-Ray Version of Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland Delayed

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According to Amazon.Com , the release date for the Blu-Ray version of Rush: Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland has been pushed back to December 20th. The DVD Version of the concert film is still scheduled to be released on November 8th however. While no reason has been given for the additional six-week delay, Ed from RushIsABand speculates that one possible reason could be due to an exclusive Blu-Ray release arrangement with a different vendor, similar to how Best Buy had an exclusive one-month deal for the release of the Blu-Ray version of Moving Pictures 5.1 I agree with Ed that this may be a likely scenario and hopefully an official announcement will come out of the Rush camp shortly. In the mean time, you can still place your pre-order at Amazon via the links below. Rush Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland DVD - $18.99 Rush Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland Blu-Ray - $22.49 Thanks again to Ed from RIAB for the news. Related News Stories [ Rush Unveils Time

Alex Lifeson's Live Rig Photo Gallery

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During the Time Machine Tour , Total Guitar caught up with Alex Lifeson to check out his entire live setup and the steampunk theme Rush employed for their stage set-up: “I’m not sure which of us came up with the idea for the steampunk theme,” says guitarist Alex Lifeson, “but on this tour we really wanted to approach the whole setup with a unified stage presence of the whole idea. We had these cabinet [cases] made by a company in Toronto - they do sets for movies, too - and round the back there’s a fitting for the CO2 that creates the steam effect and a flat screen monitor for the video displays. “There is a space for the actual speaker cabs, too,” Alex continues, “but we’re not running them right now. On the first half of the tour we did, but then we tried running straight out of the Palmers [speaker simulators] and it’s cleared up the stage sound remarkably. It’s a lot quieter onstage; it’s a lot easier to put everything through the PA and it makes for a much cleaner and articu

VH1 Classic "RUSH Hashanah" Details Revealed - Time Machine Premiere Confirmed

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VH-1 Classics has released the official press release behind their 24-hours of Rush "RUSH Hashanah" special. As we reported last week, the special was also slated to premiere the Time Machine: Live in Cleveland concert movie. The press release now confirms this: VH1 Classic Celebrates 24-hours of "RUSH Hashanah" Wednesday, September 28 at 7PM ET/PT World Premiere of "Rush: Time Machine" Wednesday, September 28 at 8 PM ET/PT NEW YORK, NY - September 22, 2011 - VH1 Classic is once again ringing in the Jewish New Year with a 24-hour marathon of Canada's greatest music export, Rush. "Rush Hashanah" begins Wednesday, September 28 at 7PM EST and features the world premiere of "Rush: Time Machine." Live from Cleveland, "Rush: Time Machine" delivers the first live performance of the entire "Moving Pictures" album and other fan favorites from their many celebrated albums. The Rush extravaganza will include un

Clockwork Angels Update from Rush Producer Nick Raskulinecz

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Nick Raskulinecz, Rush's producer behind their 2007 Snakes & Arrows n album as well as their upcoming Clockwork Angels album was recently interviewed by UltimateGuitar.Com where he provide a modest update on the progress of Rush's latest album: You’re working on Rush’s upcoming new studio album, Clockwork Angels. How is it coming along? It is coming along fantastic, we have recorded two songs already and we released them last year and then the band went on tour. But we are currently in preproduction right now so that we can finish the rest of the record which we will start recording again in mid October. So it does appear that Rush remains on schedule to complete the album some time this year with the likelihood of a 2012 Spring release with a supporting tour to follow. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for passing along the news.

Rush Unveils Time Machine 2011 Live Releases

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New details surrounding the upcoming release of the Rush: Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland offers have just been released in a news story appearing in the Huffington Post . As expected, in addition to the release of the concert on both DVD and Blu-Ray , the concert will also be offered up as a 2-CD set (not yet available for pre-order). Equally exciting is the special release of Moving Pictures: Live 2011 which will be available on vinyl and in digital formats. More from the press release: Legendary rock band Rush has announced details for various releases from their wildly successful Time Machine Tour. On November 8, Rush will simultaneously release TIME MACHINE 2011: LIVE IN CLEVELAND's full concert on Blu-Ray/DVD complete with bonus material. The audio companion is on a 2-CD set, and MOVING PICTURES: LIVE 2011 will be on vinyl and in digital formats. Captured in April at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena during the renowned trio's extensive Time Machine World

Rush: Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland to Premiere on VH-1 Classic

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According to television listings from both DirectTV as well as TV Guide , music cable station VH-1 Classic will once again be air their Rush Hashanah special featuring 24 hours of Rush programming in celebration of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah. What's more surprising to learn is that VH-1 will take the opportunity of the Rush Hashanah special to premiere the Rush: Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland concert movie! This comes as somewhat of a surprise given that the DVD will not be formally released until November 8th. In addition to the Time Machine Concert movie, the Rush Hashanah special will also air the Rush Classic Albums special featuring 2112 and Moving Pictures, the award-winning documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage as well as two other Rush concert movies; R30 and Rush in Rio . Music Videos and other Rush content is likely to air as well. The Rush Hashanah special will being 7PM on September 28th. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for passing along

Geddy Lee Options Dave Bidini's Baseballissimo - Update

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Back in June of last year, we first reported that Geddy Lee had purchased the film rights to Dave Bidini's Baseballissimo ; a look at the game of baseball as it's played in Italy's farm leagues. It's now being reported that the writing team of Jay Baruchel and Jesse Chabot will be working on the screen adaptation of Bidini's book: Jay Baruchel found success with his first venture into screenwriting, the hockey comedy Goon. The movie premiered Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is expected to come out of the fest with a distribution deal. The actor/writer is not one to rest on his laurels, and is already setting up his next project—another sports comedy—with writing partner Jesse Chabot. Variety reports Baruchel and Chabot will adapt the 2005 non-fiction book Baseballissimo by Dave Bidini. The book “charts the author’s family adventures in Nettuno, the baseball capital of Italy, where American G.I.s introduced the game in 1944.” Rush

Happy Birthday Neil Peart

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Today marks the 59th birthday of Rush Drummer and Lyricist Extraordinaire Neil Peart. Neil (born Neil Ellwood Peart) came into the world on September 12th in 1952 Hamilton, Ontario. He grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Canada (now part of St. Catharines) working the occasional odd job including the role of a Parts Manager for his father Tractor Supply company. His true ambition, however, was to become a professional musician. During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band and dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England to concentrate on his music, Peart returned home, where he joined local Toronto band Rush in the summer of 1974. And the rest, as they say, is history. Join me in wishing Neil a very Happy Birthday - and many happy returns.

Grapes of Humanity Auction Underway - Numerous Rush Items Up For Bid

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Update: A few more items are now available and the band announced via their official Facebook Page that more items would be listed tonight, including "... one of a kind, rare items!..." As we reported last week, Rush has donated several personal items to the Grapes of Humanity Charity Auction . The auction, which currently features eight items from the band, is now underway. To access the Ebay auction, click HERE . Currently up for grabs is a Geddy Lee signed Fender Jazz Bass, an Alex Lifeson signed Les Paul Axxess, a Neil Peart signed Sabian 20" crash cymbal and more. The auction is set to end within the next eight days. We'll let you know if/when more items are added to the charity auction. Good luck to all those bidding for these great items! Related News Stories [ Rush to Donate Personal Items to Grapes For Humanity Charity - September 7th, 2011]

Tom Cochrane Releasing New EP featuring Alex Lifeson

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According to a posting at Rock Star Weekly , Canada's Music, Movie & Fashion Information source, Tom Cochrane (of Lunatic Fringe Red Rider , Life is a Highway fame) will be releasing an EP later this year which will feature Alex Lifeson. "Tom Cochrane will return with his first new release since 2006. The ‘Life is a Highway’ singer is planning a limited edition four song EP, originally scheduled for a September 2011 release. The EP, will contain three new un-released tracks and a new single and title track ‘Voices At 4 AM’, featuring Andrew Cole, Alex Lifeson (Rush) , Lyle Molzen (Jann Arden, Michael Buble), Kenny Greer (Red Rider), Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Elton) and Carl Jennings. Though the story indicates that the EP will be released this month (September), Cochrane's statement in the news story suggests a December release: 'The last Leg of a musical Journey set for a 1212 Release!' It's unknown if "the last leg" ref

Mobile Production Monthly Magazine Features Rush and their Road Crew

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The July 2011 online issue of Mobile Production Monthly Magazine features an in-depth article on the Rush Time Machine tour titled Welcome to the High Tech World of SteamPunk . Since the very beginning of their existence, Rush have been known for their precise and complicated compositions. Prior to seeing the band live it was impossible to understand how they could pull that sound off live with the same energy and accuracy as the recordings. After seeing their show one comes away marveling at the amount of sound that flies off the stage from just three players. The article includes a nice backstage look of the Time Machine stage show, focuses on Rush's road crew and also includes a feature on Howard Ungerlieder, the band's lighting designer and director. You can see the entire article via this LINK . Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for passing along the article.

Rush to Donate Personal Items to Grapes For Humanity Charity

As has been the case for the past several years, the members of Rush will soon be donating some personal items to the Grapes For Humanity charity. From Rush.Com: Once again, Geddy, Alex and Neil are mining their personal stash to select some very special items to put up on the Rush Ebay auction with proceeds going to the Grapes For Humanity charity. We just wanted to give you a heads up so you can be ready to break open the piggy bank and bid on some personal Rush rarities. Stay tuned to rush.com for your once in a lifetime chance to own a piece of Rush history! In the meantime, read up on Grapes For Humanity here http://grapesforhumanity.com/ Looks for the items to appear on Ebay via this LINK . Thanks to RushFanForver for passing along the news.

Neil Peart Taking Center Stage: Lifetime of Live Performances Website Update

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Update: 09.12.2011 - A video trailer of Taking Center Stage is now available on the main TCS website as well as on YouTube . As we reported in early August, Neil Peart is set to release a new instructional drumming video on October 14th that features his performances during the 2010-11 Time Machine Tour. The DVD, which is titled Taking Center Stage: A Lifetime of Live Performance , also has a promotional website behind it which has recently been updated. The website, located at www.takingcenterstage.net includes an extensive photo gallery and promises other new features in the near future. About the instructional video: Filmed in various locations over the course of a year, Neil Peart takes you on a behind-the-scenes look at Rush's 2010-11 Time Machine tour. This includes rare and exclusive footage of Neil's personal pre-tour rehearsals and backstage events at a Rush concert (including a visit to the soundcheck, and an unprecedented backstage interview as Neil warms

Neil Peart: Then and Now

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Throughout Neil Peart's career as the drummer (and lyricist) for Rush, he has been on a pursuit of excellence with her percussion skills. "It's been my life's tangent" Neil has stated. Looking back at his career, Neil's evolution as a musician - and person - is dramatic and encouraging; heart-warming and inspirational. Few musicians put so much effort into refining their skills. Even fewer reinvent themselves after decades of growth; always eager to learn and grow. Perhaps that, beyond his playing abilities, is why Neil Peart is so revered among fans and fellow musicians alike. A great way to get a sense of Neil's growth through the decades is now available in two extensive online articles recently posted in the Biographies and Articles section of the site. The first, coming from the February 1994 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine , discusses Neil's "...Search of The Right Feel..." through his world travels. Neil's l

Alex Lifeson Included in Guitar Player Magazine's 50 Rhythm Guitar Gods

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The cover story of the October 2011 issue of Guitar Player Magazine is titled 50 Rhythm Guitar Gods . Among the highlighted 50 guitarists is our own Alex Lifeson: "I've tried to develop a style that combines broad arpeggios and suspended chords," explained Lifeson. "They've been my two main target areas. Suspensions have been my trick for many years to make a trio sound big." Not very often are you treated to a body of rhythm work like Lifeson's, from classic riff rock ("Working Man") through heavy prog ("Xanadu") onto the textural '80s and '90s, deftly riding the heavier sonic zeitgeist all the way to 2011. Along the way, Lifeson has also incorporated more feels into his vernacular as well, including reggae (Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures) and funk (Roll the Bones). Lifeson has done it all, and never at the expense of his own personal voice." The issue is on sale now. Click Guitar Player Magazine HERE

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