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Neil Peart to be immortalized at Lakeside Park with Bronze Statues

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Neil Peart will soon be immortalized at Lakeside Park in St. Catharines with a two bronze statues that will be erected. After a long deliberation, the City of St. Catharines’ Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force has selected artist Morgan MacDonald of The Newfoundland Bronze Foundry (Morgan Sculpture Inc.) to create the memorial in Peart’s honour alongside the Neil Peart Pavilion in Lakeside Park. The two larger-than-life-sized bronze sculptures of Peart will be connected by a pathway offering experiential and interpretive features providing insight into Peart’s personal and professional legacies, including his time with the band. “I am looking forward to the day we can come together to celebrate the installation,” said St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik. “Port Dalhousie is a place where Neil spent the formative years in his life, even working at Lakeside Park’s former midway. He learned to play music here, launching his career as a writer and musician who is recognized as

Rush Reference on the Latest American Dad Episode

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Over the years there have been plenty of Rush sightings on Seth MacFarlane hit animated series Family Guy . There have also been a couple Rush references on his other animated show American Dad , including one where Steve and Snot are playing air-guitar to 2112 . This week's latest episode, titled I Heard You Wanna Buy Some Speakers (S19:E16), features another lengthy Rush reference. In the episode, Barry blows out his dad's speakers and seeks the help from Snot in order to replace them. Enter Roger, in one of his many personas, where he demonstrates the power of his speakers by playing Working Man from Rush's debut album. He starts by playing the song on vinyl (although the needle-drop location is questionable), switches to casette, moves on to a CD, and even inserts an 8-track tape in the lengthy clip. You can view the clip below and find out more about the episode at the TBS website . Click to View Comments

Rush Branded Beer Now Available in the US

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It was last August when we first reported that the Toronto-based microbrewery Henderson Brewing Company worked with Geddy and Alex on developing their own unique Canadian Golden Ale. Since then, thanks to the incredible success of the beer, Henderson has released other variations of Rush branded beer. Unfortunately the beer was only available in Canada -- until now. Rush have just announced through their newsletter that their Golden Ale would now be available in the United States through HalfTimeBeverage.com . Pre-orders are currently being accepted with an expected shipping date expected in December. The beer will be available in 4-pack ($21.99), 12-pack ($59.99), and 24-pack/case ($99.99) quantites and, due to shipping concerns, there is a two 4-pack minimum. Every purchase of a 12-pack comes with a limited-edition, numbered poster, while case orders also include a Rush bottle opener. Although you can't purchase other variations of their Rush-branded beer in the US

Watch Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson perform at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in Los Angeles

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The second and final Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert took place in Los Angeles last night at the Kia Forum and, once again, both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson took the stage to perform three Rush classics. They were introduced by Jack Black, who recalled how Hawkins was in attendance at Rush's final show at The Forum back in 2015: "He wasn't blowing minds," says Black. "He was in the audience, just like you. And he was watching one of the best fucking shows of all time. You know what I'm talking about? They're about to come out right now. It is my honour to introduce one of Taylor's favourite bands, of all time. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up... for Rush!" Geddy and Alex were joined by Dave Grohl on drums as they performed 2112: Overture , just as they did in earlier this month at the Wembley Stadium in London, England. Next, they performed a rendition of Working Man where they were accompanied by Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) o

Remembering Neil Peart on his 70th Birthday

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Today we celebrate the 70th birthday of Neil Ellwood Peart, the extraordinary drummer and lyricist of Rush who tragically succumbed to brain cancer back in January of 2020. Peart was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up in Port Dalhousie (now part of St. Catharines). During adolescence, he floated between regional bands in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England where he attempted to concentrate on his music, Neil returned home where he joined Rush, a Toronto-based band, in mid-1974; six years after its formation. Early in his career, Neil's performance style was deeply rooted in hard rock. He drew most of his inspiration from drummers such as Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and John Bonham, players who were at the forefront of the British hard rock scene. As time passed, he began to emulate jazz and big band musicians Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. In 1994, he became a friend and pupil of jazz instructor Freddie Gruber. It was during this time t

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson perform three Rush classics at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert

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In a fairly bittersweet moment earlier this evening, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson took the stage once again at the Wembley Stadium in London, England to participate in the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert. When we first reported Geddy and Alex's participation in this event back in June, it wasn't clear if they would be performing or not. However after last month's surprise performance during the South Park Anniversary Concert at Red Rocks in Denver, Colorado, it became clear that the two surviving members of Rush would, in fact, perform. And perform they did! Geddy and Alex were joined by Foos Fighter frontman David Grohl on drums as they performed the Overture to 2112 as well as a spirited albeit somewhat truncated version of Working Man . Finally, Omar Hakim took over the drums during the performance of YYZ . It's also been confirmed that Geddy and Alex will be performing later this month in Los Angeles when the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert takes the

Alex Lifeson Celebrates his 69th Birthday Today!

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Alex Lifeson, one of the founding members of Rush and the band's seminal guitarist, is celebrating his 69th 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 a licensed aircraft pilot, motorcycle rider, a gourmet cook, avid golfer, and an artist. Alex has also been known to dabble with a little acting now and again. Back in 2018, he appeared a couple of times on the CBC comedy-drama Crawford , which premiered on the CBC in Canada during the summer of 2019. In more recent news, Alex recently released a new musical project under the name Envy of None , which was released back in April. He a

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson perform at the South Park Anniversary Concert Event

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For the first time in just over seven years, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson took to the stage once again to performed an extended rendition of their classic song Closer to the Heart . The surprise performance took place during the South Park 25 Anniversary Concert at the Red Rocks amphitheater in Colorado. More about the concert event: The two-night event on Aug. 9-10 at the historical outdoor Colorado amphitheater — featuring show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with performances from Primus and Ween — will be taped and aired on Comedy Central and Paramount+. The concert, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the cartoon sitcom, will feature performances of classic songs from the show, including the theme song by Primus, premieres Aug. 13 on Comedy Central and will be available to stream the following day on Paramount+. It is unclear if the concert will have any surprise guests drop by, but as South Park fans know with Parker and Stone, always expect the unexpecte

Geddy Lee Celebrates His 69th Birthday Today!

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Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib) is celebrating his 69th birthday today! Happy Birthday, Geddy -- and many happy returns! "Gary" was born in the small Toronto village of Willowdale. As many fans know, his given first name "Gary" transformed into "Geddy" during his high school days thanks to his mother's heavily-accented pronunciation of his name. In addition to his musical aspirations, some of Geddy's other interests include collecting fine wines and, of course, baseball. His wine collection is rumored to include some 5,000 bottles and his love of baseball is well documented. In fact back in 2013, Geddy threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the home opener for the Toronto Blue Jays - something he admittedly dreamed of doing for years. Following the success of his book, Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass , which was released in 2019, Geddy announced last September that he's currently working on his memoir which, at t

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to participate in the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London

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After the incredibly untimely passing of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in March of this year, his family and his band have recently announced a series of tribute concerts. The first concert will take place at the Wembley Stadium in London, England on September 3rd. Multiple news sources are reporting that both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will participate in the event. However, it's not clear if they will actually perform during the concert. If they did, it would mark the first time the two performed together since the passing of Neil Peart in January of 2020. Other guests on the London bill so far include Chris Chaney, Stewart Copeland, Liam Gallagher, Omar Hakim, Josh Homme, Chrissie Hynde, Brian May, Mark Ronson, Supergrass, Roger Taylor, Rufus Taylor, Wolfgang Van Halen and Chevy Metal, as well as a special appearance from comedian Dave Chappelle. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will benefit charities in both the UK and the US chosen by the Hawkins family. Benef

Clockwork Destiny Novel by Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart Now Available

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The long awaited third and final novel from the Clockwork Angels trilogy is now available. As with the previous two novels, Clockwork Destiny was written by Kevin J. Anderson and the late Neil Peart: In Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, readers met the optimistic young hero Owen Hardy, as well as the more reluctant adventurer Marinda Peake, in an amazing world of airships and alchemy, fantastic carnivals and lost cities. Now Owen Hardy, retired and content in his quiet, perfect life with the beautiful Francesca, is pulled into one last adventure with his eager grandson Alain. This final mission for the Watchmaker will take them up to the frozen lands of Ultima Thule and the ends of the Earth. Marinda Peake must undertake a mission of her own, not only to compile the true life story of the mysterious Watchmaker, but also to stop a deadly new group of anarchists. The Clockwork trilogy is based on the story and lyrics from the last album of musical titans Rush, with Anderson

April Album Releases - Rush's Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Edition and Alex Lifeson's Envy of None Project

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The long-awaited album release for Alex Lifeson's Envy of None project finally dropped earlier this month. The eleven-track album (sixteen if you purchase the deluxe edition ) features: ALF ANNIBALINI Guitar, Keyboards, Programming ANDY CURRAN Bass Guitar, Synthesized Bass, Programming, Guitar, Background Vocals, Stylophone MAIAH WYNNE Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Keyboards and of course ALEX LIFESON Guitar, Mandola, Banjo, Programming The album has been receiving quite a bit of praise and was on target to land in the Top 40 Album list due to strong, early sales. Visit the album page at the main site for liner notes, lyrics, credits, song comments, articles, artwork and more. And finally, at long last and after numerous delays, the release of Rush's 40th Anniversary Edition of their best-selling album Moving Pictures is here! MP40 is available in several different formats, including: 3-CD Edition 5-disc Vinyl Edition Massive 9-disc D

Geddy Lee flexes his acting chops on CBC's Murdoch Mysteries

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According to this Tweet , Geddy Lee is scheduled to make an appearance on the long-running CBC mystery drama Murdoch Mysteries . Geddy will appear on Episode 21 of Season 15 which is titled Devil Music . His character's name? Sawyer...Thomas Sawyer. From the tweet: THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Next week's episode is going to have you RUSHING to your screen, so make sure to clear your schedule. 😏 With big things happening and a familiar face, you don't want to miss this one! A short video segment featuring Geddy is available via the aforementioned Tweet, or via the embedded video player below. The episode will premiere this coming Monday, March 21st. Those in Canada can watch the show on CBC or stream it on CBC Gem . It also appears to be available on Acorn TV . 🚨THIS IS NOT A DRILL🚨 Next week's episode is going to have you RUSHING to your screen, so make sure to clear your schedule. 😏 With big things happening and a familiar face, you don't want to miss this

Alex Lifeson will auction of parts of his Guitar Collection and other items this May

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Alex Lifeson will give fans with deep pockets a chance to own part of his legendary guitar collection with a new event from Julien's Auctions . Their auction dubbed Property From the Archives of Alex Lifeson will be the centerpiece of their Music Icons event, taking place Sunday, May 22nd, live from New York City's Hard Rock Cafe and online at JuliensAuctions.com . Property From the Archives of Alex Lifeson will include more than 100 lots featuring signature guitars owned and played by Lifeson, along with instruments, wardrobe, gear and memorabilia owned and used by Lifeson, which will be available to the public for the first time. Highlights of the auction include: Highlights from the collection include… A 1976 custom-built Gibson ES-355TD , aka “Whitey, played by Lifeson throughout most of his career with Rush. “Whitey” is featured on all albums from “A Farewell to Kings” to “Test for Echo,” and can be seen played by Lifeson on stage during all Rush tours from 1977 to

Rush Announce their Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Box Set and Collection is Coming April 15th

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At long last, Rush have finally officially announced the release of their long-awaited 40th Anniversary Box set for the seminal 1981 album Moving Pictures . It appears the long wait will certainly be worth it as this box set will be offered in numerous different configurations. From the announcement: Celebrating 40 years of Moving Pictures with a Super Deluxe boxset fully loaded for fans! The 2015 album remaster is on CD 1 for the first time. CDs 2 & 3 feature the complete, unreleased Toronto concert from March 25, 1981. All vinyl has been cut half-speed Direct-To-Metal Mastering for the first time ever on five 180-gram audiophile LPs. Blu-ray Audio disc presents the first-ever Dolby Atmos & new 5.1 surround album mix including the brand-new video for “YYZ” + 3 music videos for “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” & “Vital Signs.” Hugh Syme brilliantly created brand new, stunning 40th anniversary artwork with new illustrations for each song, all showcased in the 44-page

Alex Lifeson's Envy of None Project Releases First Single "Liar"

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The first single from Alex Lifeson's band/project Envy of None has just been released. Titled Liar , the single is available to stream at the band's official website or from the YouTube viewer below. In addition to Alex Lifeson, Envy of None consists of Andy Curran, guitarist Alfio Annibalini and vocalist Maiah Wynne. Though Liar is the first official single released, last summer Alex Lifeson also shared two other songs on his website - Kabul Blues and Spy House , which are available online at this location . According to Lifeson, the project recorded a total of ten songs and are still preparing for a release of all the tracks in the near future. Complete details, newsletter registration, and more available at envyofnone.com . You can also follow them on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . Pre-Order the entire album, which will be released on April 8th, HERE . Comments

Neil Peart: The Man Behind the Kit -- Remembering Rush's Drummer on the Anniversary of his Death

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Neil Peart reminded us that we are "Only immortal for a limited time" when he penned the lyrics to Dreamline , the opening track from Rush's 1991 studio album Roll the Bones . Today, as we remember Neil on the second anniversary of his passing, we look back and revel at just how much life and energy the Rush drummer put into his period of immortality on this Earth. During his lifetime, Neil was heralded for numerous accomplishments, from his lyrical mastery of Rush's catalog of music, to his chronicling of his time on the road and beyond through the books he authored. However, it was what he achieved behind the drum kit that will forever cement Mr. Peart as one of the finest musicians of all time. Neil wasn’t simply a powerhouse percussionist who pounded away at the drums to establish a beat to Rush’s music. Neil was an artist in the purest sense; one who savored every note he created and ensured that each note served a purpose, even if it might get buried with

Rush-Themed Pinball Machines Coming from Stern Pinball

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Stern Pinball recently announced that they would be producing and releasing several versions of Rush-themed pinball machines some time in 2022. Today they released an extended trailer that highlights the machines. From the announcement: Over 40 million records sold. More than 40 years of unparalleled creativity. Countless sold-out tours. An impassioned global fan base. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Inductions into the Canadian and U.S. Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. Officers of the Order of Canada. Countless other awards and recognitions. That’s all very nice. For the three band members, however, it was never about the accolades. It was always about their music, their friendships, their band, their fans, and now: PINBALL!!! Stern Pinball, Inc. proudly announces a new line of pinball machines celebrating the iconic Canadian progressive rock band, Rush. Rush pinball machines are available in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition (LE) models.

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