UPDATE - 11/6@5:09PM: One thing in particular that Anika said in her USA Today interview that I mentioned below was regarding another Rush song that she has learned that she would like the band to play live:

... One Rush song she's learned that she would love to play live? "Kid Gloves" from 1984's "Grace Under Pressure" album. "I told Geddy, if I can ever have a wish list song, can we do that one? And he was like, 'Oh, that's interesting,'" Nilles says. "I play it a little bit in the dressing room just for fun. I love the grooves, the buildup and everything. I love the harmonies and the vibe." ...

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The long rumored Rush Sphere residency is rumor no more! Yesterday Rush announced a five date residency at the Las Vegas Sphere in late May, with VIP and travel packages on sale starting TODAY at 10AM PST (1PM EST), and general on-sale to the public on November 13th. There will also be an artist pre-sale starting next Wednesday, November 11th. All the details on the various ticket options and how they can be accessed can be found at rush.com/sphere. Rush's Elevate From The Norm live residency at Sphere Las Vegas will run for 5 dates on May 21, 23, 26, 28 & 30 in 2027, although it's highly likely that they will add more dates in the coming days/weeks. From the announcement:

... Geddy Lee shares about the residency: "When I first heard of Sphere, I thought to myself, 'wow, what a shame that RUSH is no longer touring, because this venue sounds tailor made for the kind of visual attitude with which we have always designed our shows.' Normally we spend months designing the visual effects for our shows and this scenario seemed like the cherry on top of the ice cream for our design team. But life is nothing if not surprising and now, here we are, living and touring in the present tense and we are able to make that particular dream come true. We are presently working hard to expand our touring concepts and concoct some new madness to suit this incredible venue and musically perform the kind of show we've been doing in some of our "one off" cities. Meaning playing all of 2112 and all of Moving Pictures along with an array of other songs. We are so effin' excited to make use of this incredible opportunity to please our fans both visually and viscerally- from wherever they might fly in from. Gonna be so much fun!!"

RUSH Backstage and RUSH Newsletter subscribers will receive an exclusive two-hour window to purchase VIP and Travel packages beginning Friday, November 6 at 10 AM PT. The Artist Presale for concert tickets begins Wednesday, November 11 at 10 AM PT. Fans who register through Seated will receive a unique presale code granting them early access to tickets.

For the first time, Superfan is bringing its signature VIP and Travel experiences to Fontainebleau Las Vegas for RUSH's 2027 Residency at Sphere, creating an exciting new destination for fans to come together and celebrate the band. As the official VIP & Travel partner, Superfan will offer curated experiences extending beyond the concert, including exclusive fan activations, transportation, and a dedicated RUSH merchandise pop-up shop at Fontainebleau.

Fans can choose from three VIP packages featuring premium concert seating and exclusive perks, with select packages offering the opportunity to meet Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, collectible band-signed merchandise, access to the Xanadu VIP Lounge, and dedicated merchandise pickup. The official RUSH pop-up shop at Fontainebleau will feature a curated collection celebrating the band's legendary career and Sphere debut.

Travel packages will also be available for each show of the residency. These packages make it easy for fans traveling to Las Vegas by bundling lodging at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas with concert tickets, VIP experiences, exclusive merchandise, shuttle transportation and more. All details and official links are at rush.com/sphere....

As far as Rush's current Fifty Something tour goes, the band played the first of a pair of shows at Miami's Hard Rock Live yesterday evening, kicking off the second half of the band's extensive tour that started back in June. They'll be at it once again tomorrow night before heading across the Sunshine state to Tampa's Benchmark International Arena for another pair of shows on Monday and Wednesday of next week. After that there will be just A DOZEN shows left on the North American tour; 8 in the US and 4 to close things out in Canada.

Rush touring drummer Anika Nilles along with ProMark and EVANS unveiled a new Anika Nilles Signature collection earlier this week, which includes her signature ProMark sticks and EVANS Black Chrome drumheads, all bearing a custom graphic designed by Anika herself. From the announcement:

... ProMark is proud to unveil Anika's Limited Edition tour stick. This version features the same stick profile, unique taper and tip as her original signature model, but increased to a 0.580" (5AB) diameter for more power (up from 0.540"). These sticks also feature custom printed graphics, designed by Anika herself. ⁠
⁠
EVANS releases Limited Edition Black Chrome tom batter heads, also featuring Anika's custom graphics. Offered as a 2-pack with 12" and 16" inch heads, each with a unique design, these are identical to what Anika is currently using on tour. Graphics are printed on the bottom ply so the artwork is protected, and they retain that full, punchy Black Chrome tone.⁠ ...

Anika introduced the collection in an Instagram post, saying the following:

Drumheads are like a canvas to me. I love drawing and doodling on them, so I thought it would be nice to have something familiar for me on my tour kit. For the sticks, I really love how they turned out. They have my same signature stick profile, but with a thicker diameter to add energy and bring the power the band needs.

The collection is available to purchase at daddario.com. On a related note, Anika is also the subject of a cover feature in the latest issue of French drumming magazine Batterie (thanks Rinus), and she was featured in this USA Today article. Here's Anika's thoughts on Rush's upcoming Sphere residency:

... Nilles is especially excited to play the vaunted venue partially because she's only been to Las Vegas once for a short visit and also because she's seen video and heard about both the challenges and creative opportunities attached to the Sphere. "Everything is new for me there," she says of returning to Las Vegas. "I saw video of No Doubt and Metallica and U2 and that was great." When asked if she'll have any input into the creation of a show that will undoubtedly, as Lee said in the release announcing the shows, "concoct some new madness to suit this incredible venue," Nilles gives a knowing look. "I think Geddy is for sure involved. He's involved in everything that's happening and is aligning everything with Alex. He's really, like, the brain." ...

Consequence of Sound celebrated Bass week last week by counting down The 100 Best Bassists of All Time, which included Rush's Geddy Lee at #6:

Geddy Lee has proven to be a fantastic bassist, but so much more. Playing bass, keyboards, bass pedals, even guitar on his double-neck, all while fronting RUSH as the vocalist. He writes and even tells the stories of the prolific professor Neil Peart's mind-blowing lyrical theater, all while shredding through otherwise very heady prog-rock songs, often in 5/4 and 7/4 odd time signatures. It's like doing math while in literary class, yet enjoying every moment of it! If there is a PhD in rock bass, it belongs to Geddy Lee. - David Ellefson (Dieth, Kings of Trash)

Geddy has an iconic tone that's both dirty and clean. He created memorable basslines with unconventional harmonic movement, and reinvented himself through stylistic changes over the years. - Steve Blanco (Imperial Triumphant)

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!!