I've been seeing a lot of differing opinions on this new tour, some that are at one extreme or the other extreme, and some simply just feeling conflicted. I feel like expressing my thoughts on it all, in full detail.
I have no desire to convince anyone or expect anyone to feel a certain way, my only hope is maybe it helps people feel a little peace about it all if they're conflicted by some aspect of it.
If you don't want to read all of this, I assure you it's not negative. It's simply a story of my own reflections on the matter.
I've seen the vast majority of people react with immediate pure joy with no second thought, though a fair number of people were absolutely devastated and even furious. I have to admit that my initial reaction upon learning the news was very subdued, confusion and not sure what to think. It was as real of a shock as getting hit in the head with a baseball bat. I've also seen a few people in a similar position to my own, just feeling conflicted without any extremes. It took me about 48 hours to fully process all the thoughts going on in my head and all the factors at play.
It would seem the only real controversy is the guys going back out as "Rush" without Neil. I understand why some people feel upset about that. I don't think anyone would have had a single issue if Geddy and Alex wanted to play together live again, in fact I think many of us expected it to happen at some point. Especially after the three 2022 appearances at tribute events. The difference now is the guys are the complete focus of the shows, not a short guest appearance, and clear-as-day playing as "Rush". Since 2015, and especially after Neil died in 2020, Geddy and Alex have made it clear "there's no replacing anyone in this band", "there can be no Rush without one of these three guys", they "don't want to be a Rush tribute band", etc. They'd even made it clear that Rush was a closed chapter in their lives and wouldn't happen again. Though here we are, starting this next chapter. Like it or not, the guys have chose to play again as "Rush". Choosing not to acknowledge it or try to find reason to demean the legitimacy of it, none of that changes the fact that "Rush" with Geddy and Alex are once again an active performing entity. This is how they're writing their own band's history. Does this mean they've sacrificed some sort of integrity, have done some sort of betrayal, or tarnished their legacy?
Rush without Neil on drums at this point in their history is clearly never going to be the same Rush. This particular topic can go all sorts of ways...
One one hand, it has been stated that a new drummer was acceptable in 1974 when John was let go from the band, because the band was very young, not a large legacy of music under their belt yet, and overall not yet well established outside of Ontario. The 40 years that followed with Neil Peart were the core of what made Rush what they are today - something irreplaceable. On the other hand, while it's often not something people talk about, Rush was a performing entity for almost 6 years with John Rutsey. It's easy to discount some of that and say "well they were just high schoolers in a cover band", which was true for a couple years. Everything starts somewhere, but it doesn't change the fact that by the last couple of years with John in the band that they were already becoming a tight machine and well established in the Toronto music scene. This whole era of "pre history" is often not kept acknowledged by a lot of fans sadly, some often even discount the first album as "not true Rush". It's another example of people trying to demean the legitimacy of what they don't care about. Whether you acknowledge it or not, Rush with John Rutsey had a rich history, an established following, and were very much the legitimate "Rush". Rush would not have been the same without those early years under their belt. If you go around enough and find out what the earliest fans were like, you'll find that there are even people who stopped liking Rush when Neil came along, because it wasn't quite the same with what they had been used to. It's a matter of individual perspective.
In our present case, we aren't getting a new drummer this time to help the band continue to grow or further their career to make a living. They aren't out to create new Rush music. As far as we know at least, but I think Geddy and Alex would surely feel wrong creating a new album as "Rush". That's a whole different topic I won't get into, but I'm sure you can imagine the implications of that. What we are getting, and as the statements from Geddy and Alex further enforce, is a tour to pay tribute to the music of Rush. Not only that, but also specified that it will focus heavily on paying tribute to Neil Peart. At the end of the day they are still 2/3 core Rush... not Steve Howe's 1/5 core Yes, which continues to make new music and heavily tour, but again that's a whole different topic.
Yes, it's a legacy tour. This is for anyone who really wanted to see Geddy and Alex play classic Rush music together once again, and also for those who never got to see them live. Did it need to happen? No, they had every right to retirement as long as that is what they wanted. Personally, I had easily found peace and moved on when the guys said Rush would never be a thing again. When Neil died, I had no desire for "Rush" to reform anyway, I only figured we may see a different Ged+Al project down the line. Would this new tour have happened if it weren't for the internet still incessantly crying out for years for a Rush reunion? I think this played a fair role. Whether or not though, Geddy and Alex have made it very clear that they miss playing Rush music together, they wouldn't have gone back on tour otherwise, so that is what they are doing.
So why use the name "Rush"? Well they are still 2/3 core of Rush playing Rush music, focusing on paying tribute to the music of Rush as well as Neil, and I suppose it was also the easiest thing to do business-wise versus trying to get themselves out under a different pseudonym for the sake of a Rush legacy tour. Whether they should have used another name or not can continue to be up for debate, because clearly it's the biggest issue people are having. I won't try to say the name should have been one way or another, this is just my analysis of why they are playing as "Rush". The highly conflicting feelings I initially had about this had faded after about 48 hours had past and I had time to contemplate everything. I don't think it's ever going to not feel a bit weird having "Rush" touring again without Neil behind the kit, but at this point I'm about 97% okay with it. I understand the purposes and reasonings behind it all, and I am happy for Geddy, Alex, Anika, and the fanbase. It's all fine.
I have zero doubt that all the same emotions and thoughts fans are feeling were all also felt by Geddy and Alex when considering the idea of touring again. There is no way they are insensitive to it, and they've shown many times over the years that the loss of Neil hit closer to them than even the fans. You can see it in their eyes and hear it in their voice. The persistent onslaught of "RIP Neil" online over the years no way can compare to what those two felt, it doesn't matter how big of a fan you are. They were closer to him than anyone. I am sure the topic came up between the guys about using another name. In the end they were able to find some peace in the fact that it would be okay to go out as "Rush", otherwise I highly highly doubt they would have done so. It probably took them a lot of time to think really hard about the name aspect, well before they decided they were definitely going to do the tour. Rush fans only just got hit with it out of the blue, and I think with time even those who are really upset may get more comfortable with it. Ged and Al were also given the blessings of Neil’s widow and daughter. At the end of the day, just with things in life in general, I often consider the phrase "life is short", and I think Geddy and Alex have as well when it came to these decisions - Do what makes yourself and others happy, don't get too hung up on perceived problems to where it negatively inhibits doing something bigger.
Anika Nilles seems to be a great pick. I spent a good bit of time watching her videos. I support her fully. I'm glad Geddy and Alex didn't pick one of the well known names from other well known bands, many of which would've mostly just wanted to be in it for "cool points". Besides, those drummers all have their own distinctive style and sound, I highly respect that Ged and Al picked someone who they feel is the best fit to play Rush music and do Neil's parts justice, as they explained themselves. Most importantly, someone who has no ego and who isn't going to upset the balance of the band - something that was integral to Rush's longevity and ability to perform like an oiled machine. People who claim they'd rather Portnoy, etc are totally missing these points. Some people are also arguing whether she's an "official member" or only a "touring member". To me it seems so trivial, it really doesn't make a difference. Technical terminology. She's playing drums with the guys, period.
Planning to add an individual keyboard player was also a smart move, it adds another layer to show that they aren't simply trying to recreate the same trio Rush that existed for 40 years with Neil. It's making it clearer that it's a new chapter of the band, one not to undermine or tarnish the past. I also don't think this will last that long. We may get more dates, yes. I think some people are also scared of them endlessly touring forever like Kiss, Steve Howe's Yes, etc, being another band that becomes an empty shell of their former selves. I truly believe Geddy and Alex still wouldn't allow Rush to devolve into that, and their efforts to find the right musicians shows that they are still very aware of this. I am not worried. They still have gas in the tank and want to do it while they physically can.
I believe that's all I have to say on the subject. The initial uneasiness I had was first calmed by hearing from, and then further reading, all what Geddy and Alex were saying. Some of which matched the conclusions I had already been coming to, along with all the other things I've mentioned above.
Lastly, will I go see them? I do understand that they don't want to travel around much anymore at this age, only hitting the biggest population centers, but I sure wish they'd add a few more cities to better disperse the shows to make it easier for fans to realistically travel to by road. It seems a lot of people feel that way too. That's my only serious complaint. Not sure why cities like either Atlanta or Charlotte, or either Vancouver or Seattle weren't considered. That being said, yes I plan on hopefully hitting one of the Fort Worth shows. Why not? It may be the last time. I have no doubt it will be enjoyable. I may even record!
www.rush.com
(edit: it's already here! dust off your DAT recorders!)
