Earlier this year, Alex Lifeson partnered up with Canadian guitar manufacturer Godin Guitars to create a new signature guitar called the LERXST Limelight, inspired by Lifeson's iconic Hentor Sportscaster guitars from the mid-80s. As part of the release, American Music Supply did a 40-minute sit down interview with Alex at the Godin factory where he demonstrates the guitar and talks about how it came about (watch on YouTube). Earlier this week they released some more footage from Alex's visit, where Alex sits down with Godin's Daniel Fiocco to talk all about how they designed and brought the Lerxst Limelight guitars to life (thanks RushFanForever). You can get all the details and learn how to obtain one of these guitars at LerxstAmps.com.

The late Neil Peart grew up in the St. Catharines, Ontario community of Port Dalhousie, the lakefront home of Lakeside Park which inspired the lyrics to the 1975 Rush song of the same name. Back in 2020 the St. Catharines City Council, with the full support of the community, voted to name the newly rebuilt pavilion at Lakeside Park the Neil Peart Pavilion at Lakeside Park in honor of the hometown icon who passed away over 4 years ago in January of 2020. The Council also established the Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force, with the objective to commission a public work of art commemorating Peart's life and legacy. Back in January of 2021 the Task Force officially began welcoming artists to submit requests for pre-qualification via the city's website, and revealed the finalists in September of 2021 along with the launch of a fundraising campaign for the Memorial. In November of 2022 the Task Force finally revealed that the artist who will have the honor of creating the memorial is Morgan MacDonald of The Newfoundland Bronze Foundry. The installation itself will depict two bronze statues of Peart - one as a young artist and the other in his later years. A pathway will connect the two statues with interpretive panels about Peart's personal and professional legacy. A video depicting what the Neil Peart memorial will look like in Lakeside Park can be seen on YouTube. The project and its timelines are contingent on the Task Force raising the $1 million required for completion, and an official fundraising campaign kicked off yesterday on Neil Peart's 72nd birthday:

... [Task Force member] DeRocco said the fundraising campaign was designed to include sponsorship levels that would be accessible to most Rush fans, adding they "can actually buy a piece of real estate on this and be part of it forever." On panels that will be part of the art installation, fans can incorporate messages or images for certain contributions. "For a price of a pair of concert tickets, you can be part of this forever," DeRocco said. But any contribution is needed and welcomed, he said. In a news release, Mayor Mat Siscoe applauded the plan.

"Neil Peart's impact on music is immeasurable, but it's his connection to St. Catharines that makes this memorial so meaningful. We are honoured to celebrate his legacy right here in the city he called home during his formative years," he said. "This project will not only pay tribute to one of the greatest drummers of all time, but will also bring people from around the world to Lakeside Park to experience the place that inspired so much of his work."

The memorial, noted DeRocco, isn't supported by local tax dollars. Considering the number of Rush fans all over the world, DeRocco is confident the task force will be able to raise the full $1 million.

"We do hope the fans support this project. There's a million fans on rush.com, and if they all gave a dollar, we'd be done tomorrow," he said. DeRocco said the task force could also look for corporate sponsorships to help cover the cost, but it would prefer to avoid doing so. He said the band was not a fan of corporate involvement, especially in their music. "If you've ever enjoyed a song, if you've ever related to 'Subdivision' or 'I Think I'm Going Bald,' or any of them, just make a contribution." ...

You can get all the info on the different sponsorship levels, and make a donation of any size online at stcatharines.ca/neilpeart.

A new book from author Daniel Bukszpan celebrating Rush's 50 year career will be released next month. Rush at 50 comes in at 192 pages and is slated for release on October 8th. The book examines the history of Rush through the lens of 50 milestone events and an illustrated gatefold timeline. From the product description:

... This richly illustrated and entertainingly written book from Rush expert and music journalist Dan Bukszpan pays tribute to the trio on the 50th anniversary of their debut album by curating and examining 50 of the most significant milestones in their career.

Bukszpan covers everything down through the decades:
* The band's formation by bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson in suburban Toronto and their early gigs and tours opening for the likes of Kiss
* Their breakthrough in the United States thanks to a Cleveland DJ
* The role of co-founding drummer John Rutsey
* Rush's early Led Zeppelin-influenced efforts and their breakthrough, 2112
* The band's ever-evolving musical style through the 1970s and 1980s
* The controversial influence of novelist Ayn Rand on Neil Peart's lyrics
* Geddy Lee's instantly recognizable vocal style
* Recording sessions with various producers in Wales, Quebec, and elsewhere

In examining 50 touchstones, Buszpan presents a unique look at Rush's career arc from Toronto bar band to international mega-platinum stadium fillers. Every page is illustrated with stunning concert and candid offstage photography, including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, ticket stubs, and more. ...

The book is currently available for pre-order via Amazon at this location. Author Dan Bukszpan was a guest on a recent episode of the Mix Tapes podcast to talk about the book, and you can listen to the episode below or wherever you get your podcasts:

Independent Danish book publisher Bjooks has released a new, Kickstarter-funded book titled The Minimoog Book, which includes a foreword penned by Rush's Geddy Lee. The book officially released today and can be ordered at this location, with more details available on the Kickstarter page.

Long & McQuade founder Jack Long passed away last week at the age of 95 (thanks RushFanForever). Long founded the iconic Canadian music store at 100 Carlton St. in Toronto back in 1956 and it now includes more than 90 locations in all 10 provinces. The store is well-known to Rush fans as the place where the band bought their equipment prior to heading out on the road with their new drummer - one Neil Peart - back in 1974. RIP.

Geddy Lee donated a beautiful, hand-painted Signature Fender Jazz Bass guitar along with a Meet & Greet to a recent Toronto Blue Jays Charity auction, which ended up selling for $21,400! You can check out the guitar on the auction website here (thanks RushFanForever).

On the latest episode of Rush Roundtable (#244) on the Rushfans YouTube channel, the panel attempts to come up with some new Rush trilogies by combining different Rush tracks:

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