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Showing posts from 2015

Gibson Custom Introduces Limited Edition Alex Lifeson Double Neck Guitar

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Gibson Custom has announced the release of the Alex Lifeson Double Neck guitar, a hand-crafted replica of the iconic guitarist’s 70’s Gibson Double Neck that can be heard on Rush tracks including “Xanadu” and “Vapor Trails.” Created in close collaboration with Lifeson, the limited run of 100 EDS-1275s includes 25 that are personally signed by the iconic axeman. After Lifeson acquired the Seventies Gibson Double Neck in 1976, it became a regular fixture on the road with him for Rush’s A Farewell to Kings tour from 1977 to 1983. The guitar has been with him ever since, making multiple appearances both on stage and in the studio. The new Gibson Custom model meticulously replicates the original, created with an in-depth digital analysis of the original neck profile and a hands on study of the guitar’s tone and wear. The Gibson Custom Alex Lifeson Double Neck features a hand-sprayed nitrocellulose finish in Arctic White that is gently aged to mirror the original. 12-string or 6-string

Geddy Lee to Appear on UK's My Planet Rock Tonight

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Geddy Lee is scheduled to be the featured guest on My Planet Rocks , the weekly show that airs on the UK's digital digital radio station Planet Rock . My Planet Rocks has previously seen some of the world's greatest rock stars take to the airwaves. Since the series first began, the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, Lemmy from Motorhead, The Who's Pete Townshend, Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, blues legend Gary Moore and the late, great Ronnie James Dio have all taken control of the radio station for an hour and given the world a glimpse into their lives. For more information on the show and how to listen in, please click HERE . Thanks to everyone who alerted me to this event.

Geddy Lee talks R40 Live and Future Prospects: "Our touring life might be over"

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An new interview with Geddy Lee that was recently posted at UK's MusicRadar continues the conversation about the possible end of Rush's touring career. The interview actually covers a number of topics including the release of R40 Live , many of Geddy's inspirations, and the filming/recording of the live release in Toronto: “It felt like there was a great sense of pride in the house. The first night there were a couple of technical things bugging us and it took us a while to get a groove on, but then on the second we went out all guns blazing and it was one of the best shows of the tour. “We were happy to have nailed it while the cameras were rolling – you don’t always get that when making a DVD. Best-laid plans and all… With regards to Rush's touring future, Geddy had this to say: “I really don’t know at this point,” admits Lee. “We’re not sure how many tours, if any, are left in us. Our touring life might be over; it just depends on being able to get a consensus t

Alex Lifeson 2015 "A Brush of Hope" Limited Edition Print Now Available

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As most fans know, Alex Lifeson has been a regular contributor to the Kidney Foundation of Canada's annual "A Brush of Hope" charity project. His painting from the 2014 event, titled L'ami Geddy a L'ami Louis , is now available as a limited-edition print -- and it's autographed by not only Alex, but Geddy Lee as well. From the announcement: The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Atlantic Branch and Canadian great Alex Lifeson have teamed up to produce another round of exclusive limited edition prints. Only 325 prints have been made of L'ami Geddy a L'ami Louis. Each print is numbered and Alex Lifeson has personally signed each individual print. That's right, each print has Alex Lifeson's ORIGINAL signature on it. As a bonus, due to the prints' unique nature, Geddy Lee's original autograph will also be found on the print. The print is on high quality, heavy stock, acid free paper. In addition, each print comes with a certificate of authe

MusicExpress Reports Rush "Committed to at Least One More Studio Project"

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As many publications have been doing over the past few days, MusicExpress has also commented on the news/rumor regarding Neil Peart's retirement and the possible 'end' of Rush. Refuting the news entirely and citing a comment made by Andy Curran, the general manager of Ole, the U.S based company which had just purchased the band’s Anthem/SRO Entertainment operation earlier this year, it now appears that Rush is expected to produce at least one more studio album. From the article : Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have been quick to downplay published rumours that long-time drummer and the band’s chief lyricist, Neil Peart had announced his retirement from the group. Ole general manager, Andy Curran, speaking for the U.S based company which had just purchased the band’s Anthem/SRO Entertainment operation, offered a curt “It’s just a rumour as far as I know” in response to coverage from The Toronto Star and other news media. Curran confirmed that Rush has a live r

Q&A with Rush "Starman" and Graphic Artist Hugh Syme

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During the first decade of Rush's career, the band's long-time producer, Terry Brown, was often considered the 'fourth' member of Rush. If that's true, then graphic artist Hugh Syme, who has been responsible for virtually all of Rush's album artwork since 1975's Caress of Steel must certainly be considered Rush's fifth member. Several months back, Syme released his incredible coffee table book The Art of Rush where he explained the creative process behind each of Rush's album covers and the artwork within. Now, UDiscoverMusic.com has posted an in-depth interview with Syme where the discussion centers around the artist's favorite album artwork, the challenges he's had in interpreting Rush's lyrical message, his artistic inspirations, and more. From the interview: What’s the history behind the “Starman” emblem? What made you come up with it? The evolution of the star and man was Neil’s and mine’s first true collaboration. He simp

Geddy Lee Clarifies Neil Peart Retirement Rumours

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Well it certainly has been an interesting 24 hour period in the world of Rush. First, as we reported yesterday, Neil Peart apparently confirmed that he was retiring, based on an article that appeared in the December 2015 issue of Drumhead magazine. Once that news broke, so did the Rush internet as multiple new sources began proclaiming that Rush is no more, Neil Peart is done, and the music world, as we know it, is over. Ahem. Today, Geddy Lee was quoted in an new article from TeamRock that Neil was "merely confirming his position on touring." From the article: Lee tells Prog: “There’s really nothing to say. I think Neil is just explaining his reasons for not wanting to tour, with the toll that it’s taking on his body. That’s all I would care to comment on it. "We’ll get together eventually and chat about things. But in my view, there is certainly nothing surprising in what he said. Neil just feels that he has to explain with all the thousands of people ask

Neil Peart Talks Retirement in a new Drumhead Magazine Interview

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Update (12/08/2015): Donna Halper has just commented on the rumor of Neil Peart's retirement: "I love a good rumor as much as anyone, but here's what I know regarding Neil and his retirement. He does not want to tour any more, for a number of reasons (health, wanting to be with his family). So yes, in that sense, he has retired. But he is open to getting together with Alex & Geddy at some future point to create some new music. Nothing has been decided about where or when. That's the only news I can share at this point in time. If I have more, I'll be happy to let everyone know." Thank you, Donna :-) Update (12/07/2015): The complete article is now online and can be read at this LINK . The December 2015 issue of Drumhead Magazine includes an interview with Neil Peart where the Rush drummer "reflects on 50 years of hitting things with sticks." In a couple of passages, Peart also touches upon the fact that he now considers himself retired: "

Geddy Lee on 40 years of Rush - A.V. Club

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The A.V. Club , an entertainment website published by The Onion, has just posted a new interview with Geddy Lee. Titled Geddy Lee on 40 years of Rush , the interview has Geddy looking back across Rush's vast catalog of music where selects some of his favorites. From the interview: AVC: What’s it like with a shorter instrumental? For example, “Malignant Narcissism” sticks out as one of Rush’s shortest songs. How or when did you know it was finished? GL: We were doing that in at Allaire Studios in upstate New York near Woodstock. It was another one of those residential studios. It was a beautiful old house that had been converted into a fantastic recording studio. We had a lot of stuff done for the album and we kept talking about what’s missing, is there something we need? And our producer was pushing us to do something live off the floor in the studio, something really spontaneous, and I had just taken delivery of this Jaco Pastorius tribute bass, where Fender had made an exa

Rush's R40 Live Enters the Billboard 200 Charts at the #24 Spot

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Billboard has just released their latest charting information for the week and Rush's live offering, R40 Live has entered the Top 200 charts at the #24 spot. That's the best initial charting for a live Rush album since the 2008 release of Snakes & Arrows Live . The last two live albums, Clockwork Angels Tour and Time Machine: 2011 Live in Cleveland entered the Billboard 200 at positions 33 and 54 respectively. R40 Live also entered the Billboard Music Video charts in the #3 spot. Additional charting for R40 Live includes: Billboard Canadian Albums: #30 Hard Rock Albums: #1 Top Rock Albums: #1 Tastemakers: #2 Top Album Sales: #14 Internet Albums: #4 Top Current Albums: #12 Click HERE for all the charting information. For more information on the R40 release, please use any of the links below: R40 Live Album - Info Page R40 Live Album - Artwork R40 Live Concert Film - Info Page R40 Live Concert Film - Artwork To order your copy of R40 Live , use any of

Neil Peart News, Weather, and Sports Update - November 2015 - BubbaGram™#3

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Neil Peart has just posted a new update to the "News, Weather, and Sports" section of his website, his third such update in as many months. Once again, Peart continues on a theme he started back in September as this edition, titled BubbaGram™#3 , is the third entry since the end of Rush's R40 tour. In this entry, Neil discuss a ride between two dates that took place in mid-July, about two weeks before the end of the R40 tour. From the entry: It was mid-July 2015, a day off between shows in Salt Lake City and Calgary on the third and final leg of the R40 tour. The setting is the Bannock Pass, an unpaved route between Idaho and Montana. The wide, well-graded gravel curved upward through a treeless expanse of sagebrush and grasses rising to 7,684 feet. A closer look at the photo shows two tiny motorcyclists, Chris and Michael, riding across the lower middle. It was indeed a big country. Just to the north, the Lemhi Pass had been the route of the Lewis and Clark expedi

Rush's Power Windows 30th Anniversary Special on "In the Studio with Redbeard" Airing December 14th

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In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Rush's eleventh studio album, Power Windows , which was released on October 29th back in 1985, both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will appear on In the Studio with Redbeard , the syndicated weekly rock star interview North American radio show. The initial broadcast of the Power Windows 30th Anniversary special will occur on December 14th. From the announcement: Rush is marking the 30th anniversary of 1985’s Power Windows with “The Big Money”,”Manhattan Project”,”Marathon”, “Mystic Rhythms”; and we will add 1993’s terrific hard-rocking Counterparts sporting “Animate”,”Stick It Out”, and the emotionally powerful “Nobody’s Hero“. Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson host this thoughtful conversation In the Studio the week of December 14. -Redbeard For a list of North American radio stations that will be airing the special, please click HERE . For additional information, and eventual links to the interview, click HERE . Thanks to Eric from

JACO: The Film Featuring an Interview with Geddy Lee is Now Available

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There are few musicians who fundamentally change their instrument, and even fewer still who transcend their instrument altogether. Jaco Pastorius did both. In 1976, Jaco’s melodic “singing” bass style redefined the role of the bass in modern music. Almost overnight, critics hailed Jaco Pastorius as “the future of modern music,” alongside popular visionaries like David Bowie, Tom Waits, Patti Smith, Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed, and Herbie Hancock. Produced by the Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, and directed by Paul Marchand and Stephen Kijak, this blistering biopic contains incredible unseen footage and photography from the Pastorius family archive, and takes viewers into the heart and soul of this hugely influential cross-genre artist. Featuring interviews with an array of artists (Flea, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Geddy Lee) and friends, 'JACO' unveils the story of his music, his life, his demise, and ultimately the fragility of great artistic genius.

Adam Sandler's “Chanukah Song Part 4” Includes Shout-Out to Geddy Lee

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In 1994, Sandler gifted the chosen people with their most iconic holiday jingle ever, “The Chanukah Song”. He’s since followed up the original with two renditions, “Part II” in 1999 and “Part III” in 2002. Now, 13 years on from the last update to the song, Sandler has released “The Chanukah Song Part IV” — and it’s glorious. The song was debuted at a gig in San Diego last week, and now video of Sandler’s latest rundown of high-profile Hebrews has come online. Jesus and Punky Brewster get mentions within the first ten seconds, and it only takes off from there. After name dropping Drake and the guys who founded Google, Sandler sings, “We got Scarlett Johansson/ Talk about a kosher crush/ And if you need a higher voice to turn you on/ How about Geddy Lee from Rush! ” You can watch Sandler perform the song via the embedded view below or directly at this LINK . The shout-out to Geddy Lee occurs at about the 1:40 mark. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Rush's R40 Live - Album Liner Notes, Tracking Listing, Artwork, and More

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With the release of Rush's R40 Live Album and Concert Film, I have created new pages on the main site that include all of the liner notes, tracking listing, article links, artwork, photographs, and more. As most fans know, at least those who have purchased one of the incarnations of R40 Live , the liner notes include a brief essay by long-time Rush scribe Philip Wilding. His most recent article on Rush, titled Exit Stage Left?: Inside Rush's Farewell Show appeared in the October 2015 issue of Classic Rock magazine. Below is a brief passage from the R40 Liner Notes essay: The two hometown shows at Toronto's Air Canada Centre this summer were always going to have an added poignancy given the giant question mark over the band's future - Neil's resistance to play live, Alex's physical travails - plus, this was the town where Rush rehearsed in their rooms and garages, were the scourge of high school dances, brought the bar scene thrumming into bluesy life, it

Rush's R40 Live Album and Concert Film Released Today

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At long last, Rush's latest live album and concert film offering, R40 Live , is now available. Produced in several formats and packages, R40 Live is the band's eleventh official live album, when you include the limited release of Grace Under Pressure Live: Tour 1984 : All roads have led to this. Forty-one years in the making, the R40 Live tour took a very real journey back through time. Beginning with the grand design: a state-of-the-art stage set that pivots, rolls and dives, and brings Clockwork Angels in to bombastic, colorful life before marching stridently back in time (through theatre stages, a panoply of band and fan shots, the accrued memories of a life spent playing live) to a mocked-up school gym and the band playing there; a solitary bass amp set on the chair behind Geddy Lee, a mirror ball spiraling crazily above, casting thin rods of light like a light rain across the crowd, 'Working Man' coming to a shuddering halt as the band s beginning becomes their

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Hit the Interview Trail Ahead of the Release of R40 Live

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With the pending release of Rush's latest live offering, R40 Live , both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have been busy providing interviews and making appearances ahead of the November 20th release. Below is a breakdown of all the recent events: 10 Things We Learned From Rush's Michael Moore Interview As we reported earlier, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were at the New York City headquarters of Sirius XM on Friday, November 13th for an intimate 'Town Hall' meeting with moderator Michael Moore. Excerpts from that interview are available in the Rolling Stone article including this response: 6. Rush's view of today's music biz is pretty grim. Both Lee and Lifeson painted a rosy picture of the music industry that they came up in, an environment in which band and label worked together as a team, and artists had the time and space to develop their sound and find their audience. ("What was great about our era," said Lee, "was there was patience on the

Sirius XM's Town Hall Meeting with Rush - A Look Back

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Update: (11/26/2015): Video clips from the interview are now available on YouTube: Geddy Lee on being the a Child of a Holocaust Survivor // SiriusXM Dave Grohl & Geddy Lee's Rock Star Moms // SiriusXM The Future of Rush after R40 // SiriusXM Update (11/25/2015): The first broadcast of the Town Hall Meeting occurs tonight at 6pm EST on Sirius XM's Classic Rewind station. Additional airings of the Town Hall meeting will occur through 12/1. Click HERE for more information and details on all of the airings. Update (11/18/2015): Rolling Stone Magazine has just posted an article about the Sirius XM event with some audio outtakes. Click HERE to read the article. Earlier this month we reported that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson would be stopping by the New York City corporate headquarters of Sirius XM radio for an intimate 'Town Hall' meeting with award-winning film maker and Rush fan Michael Moore. Ahead of the meeting, Sirius XM held a contest for their subscrib

Rush Featured on the Cover of Canadian Musician Magazine's November/December 2015 Issue

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Rush have appeared on the cover of Canadian Musician Magazine over a dozen times in the past, with the last such honor coming back in 2007 (See: In the Studio with Rush ). That eight-year drought has ended as the band will grace the cover of the magazine's November/December 2015 issue. The accompanying article, titled Travelling Back In Time With Rush has Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson reflecting on the "...concept, design, and music of R40..." From the article: I'm very proud of the way it sounds and looks," Lifeson says of the band's 11th live package. "All in all. it's a very satisfying way to cap [R40]. It's not like we're leaving anything unturned." Lee takes over: "This whole tour was really driven by the fans," he says, reflecting on R40. "The design of the show, the song list, and a lot of the [video] content on the rear screen was all us saying thank you to our fans, because that's really the nature of an

Neil Peart Featured in the January 2016 Issue of Modern Drummer Magazine

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No other drummer has adorned the cover of Modern Drummer magazine more than Neil Peart. The January 2016 issue will mark the 9th time the Rush drummer has appeared front-and-center on the magazine (the first time was back in April of 1980 . The accompanying article/interview, titled simply Neil Peart , discusses "...soloing and set lists, the very real differences between his drumming past and present, and the much-speculated topic of his band’s future..." Here's an excerpt from the article: MD: In your last MD interview , in 2011, you said that studies with Gruber and Erskine helped you retain accuracy but feel good inside. Has anything changed? Is that even better now? Neil: I’m still evolving in the ways that they have guided me. Sometimes I’ll do an interview with non-musicians and they’ll ask why I practice so much and take lessons. Well, I have the privilege of being a professional musician. It’s my responsibility to devote myself to being all that I can be

Rush R40 Live to Premiere on Sirius XM / Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson in Sirium XM Studios for a Town Hall Event

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Rush's R40 Live album and concert film, which will be released on November 20th, will be premiered tonight, November 9th, on Sirius XM's Classic Rewind channel. The premiere will take place at 6pm EST on Pat St. John's show. In addition to the world premiere, both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will be in the Sirius XM studios on Friday, November 13th for a Town Hall event. More from the announcement: SiriusXM wants to give you and a guest the chance to attend SiriusXM’s Town Hall with Rush. This exclusive event will take place on Friday, November 13 at SiriusXM’s NYC studios and will feature original members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson answering questions from an intimate studio audience about their legendary 40-year career, to celebrate the release of the RUSH R40 LIVE DVD+3CD set (out November 20). To qualify, we're asking SiriusXM subscribers to submit their most creative and insightful questions about Rush for a chance to ask the question to Geddy Lee and Alex

December Issue of Drum! Magazine Includes a New Article by Neil Peart

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The December 2015 issue of Drum! Magazine includes a new article that was penned by Neil Peart. Titled Magnetic Memories: Four Decades in the Studio with Rush , the article focuses on Neil's memories of recording with Rush over the decades. Additionally, he looks further back to his days with J.R. Flood: J.R. Flood was a serious band, my first "full-time pro" outfit, with Paul Dickinson on guitar, Wally Tomczuk on bass, Bob Morrison on Hammond, and Gary Luciani singing. They were a good bunch of guys, disciplined and dedicated - and funny. (I've been lucky that way.) We practiced hard every weekday in the Dickinson family basement. (Paul's mother has surely been sainted.) Weekends we played at high schools and small halls around Southern Ontario. What had been called "dances" in the early '60s were firmly "concerts" by 1970, when pretty well everyone in the audience sat down on the gym floor or stood around the walls to listen and watc

Alex Lifeson Participates in the 2015 Kidney Foundation's "A Brush of Hope" Charity Auction

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As he has done numerous times in the past, Alex Lifeson has once again created a painting which will be auctioned off for this year's A Brush of Hope charity auction, an event sponsored by The Kidney Foundation of Canada . Alex's submission from last year, which featured an image of him and Geddy enjoying a glass of wine, fetched an impressive $10,100 at auction. This year's entry, titled "Blind Date Picnic", is, well, interesting the say the least. From the announcement: Here it is! "Blind Date Picnic" created by Alex Lifeson of Rush! Last year, Alex's painting "L'ami Getty a L'ami Louis" went for over $10,000.00!! Alex has been A Brush of Hope's feature artist since 2006. His paintings and limited edition prints (available at www.kidney.ca/atlantic/alexlifeson ) have brought in over $200,000. Don't miss your chance to own an Alex Lifeson original! Login to ebay.ca from October 31st to November 9th to place your bid

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to Appear in an Episode of Chicago Fire

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According to a tweet by Michael Brandt, the co-creator behind NBC's hit drama Chicago Fire , both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, who recently visited the set of the show, will appear in an upcoming episode of the drama. Airing on November 17th, according to this tweet , Geddy and Alex will appear on an episode aptly titled 2112 . Given the nature of the drama, which follows the lives of firefighters and paramedics working at the Chicago Fire Department, the 2112 reference is likely linked to the NFPA 2112 : FLASH FIRE PROTECTION STANDARDS : The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) strives to reduce worldwide burden of fire hazards by educating people on fire prevention and providing standards for personal flash fire protection. One such safety code is the "NFPA 2112: Standard on Flame Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire." For more information on the show, click HERE . Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for the news.

Neil Peart News, Weather, and Sports Update - October 2015 - BubbaGram™#2

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Neil Peart has just posted a new update to the "News, Weather, and Sports" section of his website. Continuing on a theme he started last month, this edition, titled BubbaGram™#2 , is the second entry since the end of Rush's R40 tour. The brief entry, one of Neil's shortest, touches upon his thoughts - largely bittersweet - about traveling through certain locations during the tour for the last time: A feeling had been growing in me during these rides—a kind of “valedictory” sense of saying farewell. I didn’t imagine that my future life would allow that “the most excellent thing I can do today” would be plotting a leisurely route from Sandusky, Ohio, to Bloomington, Indiana. That constant revelation was a little bittersweet—but mostly sweet. I had made journeys like this many, many times before, and if this was to be the last time, I would appreciate it all the more. (Tidy little verse of poetry there—or a valedictory song.) You can read the entire entry via this LINK

Rush's R40 Live to be Screened in London

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Though UK fans did not have the opportunity to see Rush perform live in their native land during the R40 tour, they will be treated to an exclusive advanced screening of R40 Live on the big screen. From the annoucement from Rush.Com: UK Fans, There will be an exclusive, one-off advanced screening of R40 Live – hosted by Team Rock’s Jerry Ewing, 17th November @ Gibson Showrooms, London, UK. To attend, simply pre-order R40 Live from this store link and you’ll be entered into a draw to win tickets. Click HERE for more information from Rush.Com. At this point, there is no information regarding the availability of tickets through other sources. Further, no word yet on a possible North American screening of R40 Live. Rush has been teasing the upcoming release of R40 Live with video releases of Closer to the Heart , Roll The Bones , and Jacob's Ladder . Amazon.com has pre-order links now available for multiple versions of R40 Live: Blu-Ray / 3 CD Deluxe Version DVD / 3 C

2113: Stories Inspired by the Music of Rush Now Available for Pre-Order

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Back in August of 2014 , author Kevin J. Anderson first announced the upcoming release of 2113 - a collection of short stories inspired by the lyrics and music of Rush. The book is now available for pre-order from Amazon . From the release notes: The music of Rush, one of the most successful bands in music history, is filled with fantastic stories, evocative images, thought-provoking futures and pasts. In this anthology, notable, bestselling, and award-winning writers each chose a Rush song as the spark for a new story, drawing inspiration from the visionary trio Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart. From stark dystopian struggles to uplifting triumphs of the human spirit, the characters populating 2113 find strength while searching for hope in a world that is repressive, dangerous, or just debilitatingly bland. Most of these tales are science fiction, but some are fantasies, thrillers, even edgy mainstream. Many of Rush’s big hits are represented, as well as deeper cuts . .

Rush's R40 Live Album Artwork, Tracking Listing, And More Revealed

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Update: The official trailer for R40 Live is now online . Last month we reported that Rush's upcoming live album and video, titled R40 Live , would be available on November 20th. Over the past couple of days, new information and pre-order links have been revealed. The Rush Backstage Club has revealed the "artwork" and track-listing of both the CD and DVD/BD version of the live offering. From the listing: All roads have led to this. Forty-one years in the making, the R40 Live tour took a very real journey back through time. Beginning with the grand design: a state-of-the-art stage set that pivots, rolls and dives, and brings Clockwork Angels in to bombastic, colorful life before marching stridently back in time (through theatre stages, a panoply of band and fan shots, the accrued memories of a life spent playing live) to a mocked-up school gym and the band playing there; a solitary bass amp set on the chair behind Geddy Lee, a mirror ball spiraling crazily above, c

Geddy Lee Talks Rush and Baseball (Mostly Baseball) on MLB Central

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It's October and Geddy Lee's favorite team, the Toronto Blue Jays, have clinched the American League East Championship for the first time in 22 years. Known for his love of baseball, Geddy Lee had the opportunity to call into MLB Network's "MLB Central" talk show to chat about the Jays, and Rush as well. The 10-minute interview, which can be viewed below or directly at this LINK , largely focuses on the Jay's recent success, but on the topic of Rush, Geddy confirms that there are no current plans for the band to return to the road any time soon. Additionally, when asked what his favorite Rush albums are, Geddy indicates that Moving Pictures, 2112, Power Windows, and Clockwork Angels are among his favorites and that he's "very proud" of the later. Your browser does not support iframes. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for the news.

Neil Peart News, Weather, and Sports Update - September 2015 - BubbaGram™#1

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Neil Peart has just posted a new update to the "News, Weather, and Sports" section of his website. This edition, titled BubbaGram™#1 , is the first such entry since the end of Rush's R40 tour and though it's quite a bit shorter than his usual entries, Neil explains why right out of the gate: In recent months it became apparent that my experiences on the R40 tour in 2015 were much too vast and deep to fit into a couple of website stories. Plus I had far too many scenic and narrative photographs to fit in my usual format here. It would have to be a book. Yet I did not want to neglect this forum and its audience—just “go dark” on everybody for the year or so it might take to put together a book. A fun solution to that conundrum might be . . . this! During the tour I had been sending occasional images of the day’s travels to my circle of friends under the BubbaGram™ title, so I will continue that theme here. At semi-regular intervals I will post a photograph or two and

Rush's R40 Live Album and Concert Film Coming November 20th. First Single Released Next Week

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Update: You can now pre-order R40 Live (Yes, that's the name) from Amazon via this LINK . Ever since the end of the band's R40 tour in early August, fans have been anxious to learn more about the impending release of the live album and concert DVD. The band filmed and recorded both the June 17th and 19th shows at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto during the tour and while there hasn't been any official word from the band as yet, there is news that the R40 Live CD/DVD (as yet unnamed) will be released on November 20th of this year. The news comes from an e-mail message that was sent out to various music industry professionals earlier today. Coming from Zoe/Rounder Records/Concord Music Group, the e-mail indicated that the live CD/DVD would be released on November 20th. From the e-mail: CD/DVD RELEASE DATE NOVEMBER 20, 2015 Unlike other concert DVD's where the looks is the same throughout, this show has an extremely extensive setup that changes multiple times throu

The Rush Chronology by Patrick Lemieux Now Available

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A new book on the recording history of Rush has just been released. Written by Patrick Lemieux, the 270-page paperback is now available exclusively at Lulu.Com . From the website: The Rush Chronology is a comprehensive look at the recording and release history of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart and John Rutsey, the past and present members of the Canadian rock band whose uncompromising career has spanned more than 40 years. This Chronology covers every aspect of the band members’ recording careers. It looks at the band’s singles, studio and live albums, rarities and collections. Pre-release live versions and works-in-progress, remixes and edits, side projects, solo albums and their many guest appearances on other artists’ works are all explored. The information is presented date by date in chronological order, accompanied by detailed descriptions of each song version, guest appearance, the edits, remixes and works in progress. The book covers as well Rush’s tours and live

NP63: Neil Peart Turns 63 Today

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Today marks the 63rd 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.

New Rush Feature in Classic Rock Magazine: Exit Stage Left? Inside Rush's 'Farewell' Show

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The October 2015 issue of Classic Rock Magazine , which has just hit the newsstands in the United Kingdom, includes a feature article on Rush titled Exit Stage Left? Inside Rush's 'Farewell' Show . As the title suggests, the article, which was penned by Philip Wilding, focuses on Rush's final performances from their R40 tour; most notably their July 30th show in Irvine, California and their final show in Los Angeles on August 1st. Ray Danniels, Rush's long-time manager, was asked about the potential end of the band: "I don't think they should end," he says, sipping white wine at the pool's edge, when the inevitable question of whether this is the end of the road for Rush is broached. "They are playing as well as they ever have. Shorter tours, longer breaks, more days between shows, shorter sets, opening acts or just one last hurrah would be my vote. A lot of people wanted to see them that didn't get a chance to. That said, I know you

Alex Lifeson To Host New Guitar Show on TableRock

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Alex Lifeson: The Guitarist Alex Lifeson: The Painter Alex Lifeson: The Pilot and now Alex Lifeson: The Television Host? According to an article posted by TBI Vision , a new guitar show featuring Alex will be coming to TableRock Media , a new direct-to-consumer video company from Canada. From the article: Out of Canada, TableRock was created by former GlassBox TV founders Jeffrey Elliot and Joseph Arcuri, the latter of whom is also a former president of AOL Canada. Former Discovery Channel Canada president and HDTV founder Ken Murphy heads the new company's board, and with the team in place TableRock is now planning super-niche OTT channels. "We saw that there is an opportunity in delivering niche content over OTT," Elliot says. "At the start of pay TV people said it was absurd to have a one-genre channel, but they worked, and in 2015 people are willing to pay for well-produced, curated, niche content delivered on-demand." TableRock's first offer

Alex Lifeson Celebrates His 62nd Birthday!

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Alex Lifeson, one of the founding members of Rush and the band's seminal guitarist, is celebrating his 62nd birthday today. It was on this date back in 1953 that Rush Guitarist Alex Lifeson (born Aleksandar Zivojinovich) came into the world in Fernie, British Columbia. As Rush fans know, Lifeson co-founded the band in the summer of 1968 along with John Rutsey, the band's original drummer. Alex was also responsible for bringing front-man Geddy Lee into the mix. While Alex is obviously best known for being the guitarist for Rush, he's also the part owner of the Toronto restaurant The Orbit Room, is a licensed aircraft pilot, motorcycle rider, a gourmet cook, an artist and has also dabbled with a little acting now and again. Happy Birthday, Alex and many happy returns!

Rush Toons Books by Fantoons Now Available

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After their successful Kickstarter campaign that was launched earlier this year, Fantoons has now begun shipping their 170-page 'Rush Toons' book. From their Etsy Store : A 170-page fantoons book packed with RUSH comic strips, parodies, art and illustrations about the mother of ALL power trios. Created by David Calcano and launched in 2012, FANTOONS is an on-going comic strip that brings you comedy and art based on the greatest rock bands on the planet. We’ve released two books so far, and for this book, we’re exclusively going to cover the mighty RUSH! We’ve created comics, art, and parodies with their rich history, covers, and of course ourselves…the obsessive fans. You know… the guys that crashed their site when the R40 tour was announced; if you clicked & refreshed the page more than 4 times you are one of us. The book, which costs $40.00USD, can be ordered via this LINK . Many thanks to creator David Calcano for bringing this book to light and for keeping us in

Rush to Reissue Atlantic-Era Albums on Vinyl

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Last December, we first reported that Rush were preparing to reissue all of Rush's Mercury-era albums on Vinyl. Today, news from the band's official merchandise store, the Rush Backstage Club , has announced the release of the Atlantic era albums on vinyl as well. Beginning in September, Presto, Roll the Bones, Counterparts, Test for Echo, Feedback, and Snakes & Arrows will all receive the vinyl treatment. Each can be pre-ordered via the Backstage Club through the links below: Presto - available September 11th Roll The Bones - available September 11th Counterparts - available October 10th Test for Echo - available October 10th Feedback - available November 13th Snakes & Arrows - available November 13th Thanks to William Winsborough for the news.

Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson Receives a Replica Neil Peart R30 Drum Kit at Jersey Retirement Ceremony

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Randy Johnson, aka "The Big Unit", the former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played from 1988 to 2009 for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, had his Arizona jersey number, 51, retired in a ceremony yesterday. During the ceremony, Johnson received a very special gift - a replica Neil Peart R30 Drum Kit. Johnson, who is a drummer himself, is friends with the band, particularly Geddy Lee, and was seen in numerous venues throughout the R40 tour as the unofficial band photographer. A video of the entire jersey retirement ceremony is available via the embedded viewer below, or directly at this LINK . Johnson receives the drum kit at the 5-minute mark and his expression as it is revealed to him is, in a word, priceless. Your browser does not support iframes. Thanks to Denis Naranjo and  Joe Pesch for the news.

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