UPDATE - 4/27@2:35PM: Neil Peart has posted an update to his website where he discusses the sketched out songs mentioned here.
moab over at Counterparts recently had a lifelong dream come true; he met his hero Alex Lifeson at the Orbit Room in Toronto! He recounted the entire experience over at Counterparts complete with photos and a short video! Here are some excerpts from his post including some very cool news regarding the new album.
... A few guys walked into the bar and none of them were Alex. "Where the hell is he?" I thought. At that moment I turned my head and there he was with a big smile on his face and his hand extended to shake my hand. ... I stood up shook his hand and leaned over to him and said "Thanks for inspiring me to pick up the guitar 24 years ago." He smiled and told us to sit down and that he would be back later. ... All of a sudden he shows back up and pulls up a chair right next to Rae and right across from me. Holy Shit! What do I say? I only had one line prepared. ... I just pray that it's not too much to drive him away. The band is playing so loud I anxiously wait for a song to end so I can ask him how the new album is going. Finally I get my chance. He seems to light up and tells me how well the writing is going and says they have 6 songs done and a few more sketched out. Oh my God!! I now have exclusive information on how the new album is going. This is huge news! ... Alex ended up sitting with us for 30 unforgettable minutes. He bought us drinks and chatted with us like we were old friends. Rae asked him if he was going to play with the band and Alex replied "I have to ask the band first." ... What a bonus! First I get to meet him, now I am going to see him play 10 feet away from me in a bar the size of a large living room. ... Little by little he started to play a few more licks with the band. ... We managed to snap some pictures and even take some video of him playing. ... So we walked to the back of the bar and before we even got back to his table he saw us coming and got up and hugged both of us. I said "Thanks for making my dream come true" and he smiled and seemed very flattered. Rae thanked him for taking the time to talk to us. He asked if I wanted him to sign the card I was holding. I said yes. He wrote "To John, Great meeting you…All the best... .Alex Lifeson." ... Alex absolutely exceeded all expectations of what I thought he would be like in person. He was down to earth, warm, genuine, and caring. Although I’m sure he wouldn’t say we were his friends, he sure made us feel like we were for one special night. And that's good enough for me.
What an awesome story. You can view the short clip of Alex playing with the band here. So the boys have 6 songs completed and a few more sketched out! That is friggin' great news!! At that rate, they may very well have the album by summer ... which means a tour in the fall. :) We'll see.
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