As was expected, this past Monday Rush announced that they would be extending their upcoming Fifty Something tour into South America, the UK and Europe in 2027, hitting 24 shows in 13 countries. Since then, they've added a second show in Manchester on March 14th and another in Glasgow on March 10th (just announced this morning), bringing the total up to 26 shows for the 2027 tour, on top of the 58 North American dates later this year. Tickets for all 26 shows went on sale to the general public earlier this morning, with ticket links available via Rush.com. Here's the full list of 2027 tour dates:

RUSH 2027 Fifty Something Tour Dates:

15 Jan - Buenos Aires, AR - Movistar Arena
22 Jan - Curitiba, BR - Arena da Baixada
24 Jan - São Paulo, BR - Allianz Parque
30 Jan - Rio de Janeiro, BR - Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos (Engenhão)
01 Feb - Belo Horizonte, BR - Estádio Mineirão
04 Feb - Brasília, BR - Arena BRB Mané Garrincha
19 Feb - Paris, FR - La Défense Arena
21 Feb - Berlin, DE - Uber Arena
23 Feb - Amsterdam, NL - Ziggo Dome
25 Feb - Munich, DE - Olympiahalle
28 Feb - Cologne, DE - LANXESS Arena
02 Mar - Hamburg, DE - Barclays Arena
04 Mar - Stuttgart, DE - Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
08 Mar - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
10 Mar - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
12 Mar - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
14 Mar - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
16 Mar - London, UK - O2 Arena
18 Mar - London, UK - O2 Arena
27 Mar - Kraków, PL - TAURON Arena Kraków
30 Mar - Milan, IT - Unipol Dome
01 Apr - Basel, CH - St. Jakobshalle
04 Apr - Copenhagen, DK - Royal Arena
06 Apr - Oslo, NO - Unity Arena
08 Apr - Stockholm, SE - Avicii Arena
10 Apr - Helsinki, FI - Veikkaus Arena

The announcement was accompanied by this hilarious, 2-minute video of Geddy, Alex and new touring drummer Anika Nilles, along with a number of new interviews, including the first with Anika where she discusses her new gig:

... "I was surprised, of course. There's no drummer in the world who thinks he or she could ever become the drummer for Rush, and when you get a call from one of the Rush band members, your world is turned upside down." ... "Of course I knew Neil as a drummer, especially because of the song Tom Sawyer, which is a real classic in the drumming world. But I'll be honest, I never really listened to Rush's music. I grew up with rock music and progressive symphonic music, but I hadn't really delved into Rush's repertoire. When I was asked, I first focused on the songs they wanted to try. Then I dove into their catalog, but right now it's all about the set lists for the concerts we're going to do." ...

Geddy and Alex also sat down with the UK's Planet Rock and Absolute Radio for a pair of interviews to discuss the tour, and what they might have in store for the fans. Rehearsals are going well, and they plan to include around 40 songs in the setlist, which they will be changing up on a 5-show rotation with about 40% of the set being different from night-to-night, with the whole show being around 2-2.5 hours. They did not reveal any specific songs from the planned setlist, although they did jokingly say that they'll be playing Tom Sawyer. They also introduced their new touring keyboard player as Loren Gold, best known as the keyboardist and vocalist in both The Who and Chicago. While Ged will still be playing the keys on a few of the Rush standards, like Tom Sawyer, Subdivisions, etc., Gold will be handling most of the duties, freeing up Ged/Al to show off their dance moves. After the announcement, Gold posted this message to Instagram:

"Well, the secret's out. Truly honored (and slightly buzzing) to be part of the Rush family," Gold wrote in the caption. "Thank you, Geddy and Alex, for bringing me into the fold (I promise to behave... mostly). It's gonna be one hell of a year! Now, back to work before I get into trouble."

Geddy Lee was interviewed for MusicRadar.com in a pair of articles posted over the past week. In the main interview he talks about how the band's decision to tour came about. In a secondary article from the same interview they discuss how they came to choose Anika to be their touring drummer, and the challenges of filling Neil Peart's shoes:

... "We loved the fact she was not part of the scene of people that we knew," says Lee. "She was an outsider, so to speak, and I thought that was very healthy for Alex and I - and also healthy for our fans, that they wouldn't be making comparisons with every other band they knew."

"I mean, it's a terrible position to put someone in. They would always be compared to the man," says Lee.

The three convened over a Zoom call, a quick interview to see where everyone's head was at. "She was great," says Lee. They duly invited her to Canada to see how it would work playing the material. They would spend five days in the spring making some noise together in a rehearsal space.

"She was up for it. She was really up for it. And that's what we did! It took a few days to get used to it," says Lee. "She was jet-lagged. We had assembled a kit for her there. She just showed up with her drumsticks in hand, and we had at it, and by the fifth day we were convinced she could handle it." ...

Alex Lifeson reiterated Geddy's assessment in a rare update to his website at AlexLifeson.com shortly following the announcement:

... Ged's tech, Skully, had recently returned from Jeff Becks final tour after the shocking death of Jeff. He suggested to Geddy that if we ever considered a drummer for any project, Anika Nilles would be an excellent choice. She'd played several tours with Jeff, had her own band and quite a devoted following. We reached out to her and invited her to spend five days with us to see if we could gel. Despite being a bit nervous and jet lagged, she was great but after four days, we weren't sure. Technically, she had no problem but it was Neil's feel that wasn't quite understood. We talked at length about it and she began to understand and on the fifth day, she nailed it. She is an amazing drummer and a lovely person. We still have a ton of work ahead of us but it's shaping up nicely and our personal connection is strengthening. And she loves to laugh. ...

Alex also describes how he and Geddy came to the decision to tour; it all started with the 2022 Taylor Hawkins tribute show in London:

... So many great artists and bands and not a single ego to be found. Dave Grohl was a master at connecting everyone together and keeping spirits united. Dave's energy was truly awesome to behold. I don't think he had slept for a month but I never saw him weary until the final night in London when we all repaired to the hotel bar. He still managed to salute the sunrise. I love that guy. Just after the show ended, we were hanging out in the schmooze zone outside the dressing room having a few drinks. Josh Homme was there, Dave, Geddy and me. After a bit, Paul McCartney came by and joined our boisterous gang. Sir Paul was such a delightful surprise. Absolutely no pretense or ego; immediately blending in as one of the guys. He'd watched our set and gave a lovely complement. He knew of Rush but didn't know the material or much about us. He asked Geddy if we were currently on tour and Ged said no and explained that Neil had recently passed and that I really wasn't up for touring. He said, "Oh no, you must get back on the road! Look at me, I'm 80 and still going. You know, it's what Ringo always says: this is who we are." Well, I'm not about to argue with a Beatle! I, of course, made a few silly comments and was elated to have made said Beatle laugh but it was a poignant moment for me and I started thinking that just maybe touring could become a thing again. ...

Alex also opens up about his health issues and how that played a part in he and Ged's decision:

... My digestive system has always been quite sensitive and a second surgery a couple of years ago left me nauseous for a year, so being at my wit's end, I checked into a clinic in Austria that specializes in these issues and spent two weeks there last January. Shortly before that, Ged and I decided to get together and do some casual jamming. We just played, with no intentions. For fun, we played a few Rush songs and really enjoyed it despite being a bit rusty. When I say a bit rusty ... I still wasn't ready for any commitment - my health was the major issue but after returning from the clinic, I was reborn. VivaMayr changed my life. After two weeks, I learned how to truly take care of myself and felt re-energized. It was then that I allowed myself to seriously consider touring. ...

As far as new music or additional shows go, Geddy told Prog magazine the following in an article posted yesterday in the wake of the additional Manchester show being announced:

... They won't reveal whether there are plans for more shows beyond the UK and European dates. "We're going to see how all this goes," is all that Lee will say about it. And the likelihood of brand new Rush music? "Well, we're jamming, so it's possible," says the bassist. "But let's see if we can still stand each other after a year of this."

And last but not least, the UK's Guardian posted a feature on the Rush reunion in today's edition, focusing on the intense friendship between Geddy and Alex and their love for the late Neil Peart (thanks Duncan):

... When they talk about Peart, it's not through misty eyes. At times Lee, especially, refers to him in the present tense ("How Neil plays ..."). But the loss is profound. "I just miss him," Lee says. "I don't know if there's one thing I miss about him."

"His laugh," Lifeson says.

"When he says, 'Oh, come on!' and calls your bluff," Lee says. "He was a mentor to me in many ways. He was a very stimulating person to be around." Then he giggles and looks at Lifeson. "And I love the way Neil used to punch him so hard in the shoulder. Or he'd just look at me and say: 'Hit him!'" ...

Rush's Alex Lifeson will once again have a chance to test his acting chops next month when Season 3 of the Canadian comedy series The Trades premieres on Crave. The series comes from the same producers as The Trailer Park Boys and follows pipefitter Todd Stool (played by Robb Wells of The Trailer Park Boys) as he navigates his blue-collar life at a refinery with a little help from his family and friends. The network announced earlier today that the first 2 episodes of Season 3 will drop next month on March 20th, and also revealed a few of the season's special guest stars, one of whom is Rush's Alex Lifeson. From the press release:

... Created by Ryan J. Lindsay, THE TRADES blends workplace satire with sharp character-driven comedy while celebrating the camaraderie, and absurdity of life on the tools. In Season 3, the stakes at Imperial Valley refinery are heightened as power shifts, and loyalties are tested, and management proves messier than the job site. The new season finds Todd "Goldenarm" Stool newly promoted to General Foreman, walking the fine line between friend and boss, after successfully unionizing Conch Industries. Meanwhile, his sister Audrey (Anastasia Phillips, MOONSHINE), is secretly dating Todd's best friend Backwoods (Dan Petronijevic, LETTERKENNY), a relationship everyone knows about, except Todd. Site manager Chelsea (Jennifer Spence, YOU ME HER), struggles with the return of (Jennifer Irwin, SUPERSTORE), whose "nepo babysitting" and unhinged policies once again shake up Imperial Valley refinery life. Additional returning cast includes Raoul Bhaneja, Jesse Camacho, Brandon Oakes, Jason Daley, Susan Kent, Patrick McKenna, Aaron Poole, Tara Spencer-Nairn and Dave Lawrence. Notable guest appearances this season include Canadian rock legend Alex Lifeson as Fernie, bartender at The Leaky Pipe; comedy icon Mary Walsh as Chelsea's neighbour Gladys; and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE alum Jon Lovitz who appears as Cam, Homer's addiction sponsor. ...

Lifeson is no stranger to acting, having had guest appearances in a number of TV shows and movies over the last several years, including a regular stint on the Canadian comedy Crawford. The Trades will premiere the first 2 episodes on Crave March 20th, with subsequent episodes airing every Friday.

This year's RUSHfest Scotland will take place the weekend of May 15-17 at Drygate Brewery and the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. Envy of None's Maiah Wynne will be the featured guest along with author Kevin J. Anderson, and tickets for the event are available to purchase here. They are also running a fundraiser raffle for the Funding Neuro cancer charity, where the winner receives two great tickets to Rush's tour kickoff in Los Angeles on June 7th. You can make a donation for your chance to win at justgiving.com.

Rush fan Mike Z recently acquired an old rough cut demo tape of Rush's Presto that had been discovered amongst the belongings of a former Alex Lifeson guitar tech who passed away (likely Jimmy Johnson). The old TDK cassette tape was labeled RUSH Rough mixes, and included the Le Studio logo and address/phone. With the help of fellow Rush fan Danny de Hoyos, the pair digitized the cassette and made it available on YouTube:

With the Winter Olympics back in the spotlight, Eric at the Power Windows site posted a rare Alex Lifeson collaboration from the archives that was recorded in support of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary for the tribute album Dream On The Horizon: A Tribute To The Olympic Spirit. From Power Windows:

Since the Winter Olympics are back in the spotlight, I wanted to share something truly special-and quite rare-from the archives.

I originally posted this on my Freedom of Music website about 25 years ago. However, since SRO/Anthem asked me to take that site down shortly after, there is a good chance you haven't heard this.

In 1987, Alex Lifeson teamed up with Triumph's Rik Emmett, jazz legend Ed Bickert, and classical guitarist Liona Boyd. Calling themselves the Canadian Guitar Summit, they recorded "Beyond Borders" for a flexi-disc included in the July issue of Guitar Player magazine. While that specific recording is relatively easy to find online, what I have for you today is much more elusive.

The following year, Alex reunited with Rik and Liona to record "Hands of Man" for the tribute album Dream On The Horizon: A Tribute To The Olympic Spirit, released in support of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

The album contains a version with vocals by Joel Wade, and an instrumental version featuring just the three guitarists. The instrumental version is the one I've uploaded here. Though "Hands of Man" was briefly available as a 7" single, it has largely faded into obscurity. The track was written by Boyd, who later gave a "special thanks to Alex Lifeson" in the liner notes of her album Dancing On the Edge.

That's all for this week. Good luck to everyone purchasing tickets, and have a great weekend everybody!