Late last year Geddy Lee auctioned off some of his extensive baseball memorabilia collection, and the auction's accompanying catalog mentioned a book titled 72 Stories from the Collection of Geddy Lee that was gifted to the winning bidders:
Some of the items offered for sale in this auction are among Geddy's favorites. A number of those are contained and described in the beautifully photographed limited edition book, 72 Stories from the Collection of Geddy Lee. Bidders who purchase those items will receive a copy of the book, signed by Geddy. ...
Geddy addressed the book in an interview with the Illinois Entertainer in the lead-up to the auction last year (thanks Jay R):
... It's a collection of stories from some of my favorite items in my collection. Maybe I'll release it on opening day next year, I don't know. I'm going to include a copy of the book to the winning bidders of those particular items in my sale that are also featured in this book. I'll give them a signed copy. [The book] came together in a relatively painless way. I wrote it with my co-writer, Daniel Richler. Richard Sibbald, who shot the Big Beautiful Book of Bass, took the photographs. They're absolutely stunning. ... So, there is a book, and I'm really pleased with it. I'm trying to get it printed now, in time for the auction. It's called 72 Stories from the Collection of Geddy Lee....
The existence of the book led many fans to wonder whether it would ever be available to the general public, and earlier this week they got their answer. Although there's been no official announcement as of yet, there is now both an Amazon listing and a listing at the Harper Collins website for the book, albeit with limited information. As of now, it looks like the book will be available in hardcover and for Kindle via Harper Collins, with a currently slated release date of May 13, 2025. More information as we learn it.
Two years ago on the 3rd anniversary of Neil Peart's passing, Rush tribute band YYNOT held a charity concert dubbed Bubba Bash in celebration of The Professor at the Keswick Theatre outside Philly (Glenside, PA). The event was a huge success so they brought it back the following year, and will be bringing it back this year as well. Bubba Bash 2025 will take place on Saturday, January 4th, with tickets on sale now. The show will be hosted by Cathy Rankin, and feature YYNOT along with special guests Frank Bello (Anthrax), Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Overkill, etc.), Jon Dinklage (Clockwork Angels string ensemble), Joe Bergamini (drum instructor, author, etc.), John Wesley (Porcupine Tree), Seven Antonopoulos (Opiate for the Masses), Randy Jackson (Zebra) and more! All proceeds from the show will go to benefit Cedars Sinai Hospital, and you can send along your donation here. YYNOT has made a name for itself in recent years for being one of the premier Rush tribute bands, as well as a great prog-rock band in their own right with 3 albums of original material under their belt. Like previous year's events, it will also be professionally filmed with Executive Producers Michael Mosbach and Tim Starace. You can check out some of videos from last year's event on YYNOT's YouTube channel here. On a related note, host Cathy Rankin will be releasing her debut single Now You've Gone this coming week on October 29th. The emotional track features David Ellefson (formerly of Megadeth) and Ken Mary (formerly of Alice Cooper), and is a tribute to legendary drummer Neil Peart, and her nephew, Christian. You can learn more about the track and pre-order it at this location.
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of both the release of Rush's first album and the addition of Neil Peart (aka the "new guy") to the band. Rush is celebrating with a new line of R50 merch now available at the Rush Backstage Club. There's still no word on whether the band will be releasing any kind of 50th anniversary box set in recognition of the milestone, although there have been rumors to that effect. More information on that as we learn it. You can check out the full line of R50 merch here.
The folks at Henderson Brewing have announced that Big Al's Birdie Brew - first released this past June - is back in stock and available for purchase. From BraveWords:
This summer, we released Big Al's Birdie Brew to rave reviews from Rush fans and Henderson beer lovers alike. It was so well-loved, we could barely keep our fridge stocked! So we're pleased to let you know that a fresh batch of Birdie Brew has been canned and is ready for shipment, home delivery, or pick-up in our Sterling Road Bottle Shop today! Grab your Birdie Brew while supplies last!"
On the latest episode of Rush Roundtable (#248) on the Rushfans YouTube channel, the panel discuss Rush's 2004 covers EP Feedback - which released 20 years ago this past June:
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!!
