Rush Touring: What Lies Ahead for the Celebrated Group?
Among the most important rock groups ever to perform on stage is Rush. Renowned for great musicianship and sophisticated, innovative ideas, Canadian musicians Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart started the band in 1968. Rush's career consists of 19 studio and 8 live albums in addition to several singles like the well-known "Tom Sawyer," "The Spirit of Radio," and "Closer to the Heart." During their live shows in the 1970s and 1980s, this vibrant and creative group had great appeal.
But in 2015 Rush started what would subsequently be known as the "R40" 40th anniversary tour. The musicians that comprised Rush believed it was time to calm down and release themselves from the obligations of the traveling performance over more than forty years. As part of their R40 tour, Rush's final one included 34 North American cities, designed to mark their goodbye to the touring scene. August 1, 2015, was the final R40 tour performance at the Forum in Inglewood, United States. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson embraced the crowd as the curtain closed, and overall it seemed as if Rush had just concluded their last tour.
Not surprisingly, this situation left many die-hard Rush fans wondering if the band would ever get back together for further concert appearances or more tours. Rush looked to have retired from demanding travel more than five years ago. Even in many interviews, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson said that the R40 tour was "most likely" the last one Rush would take. Regarding the band's capacity for live performance, they have not gone to the degree of referring to the "never" term.
Is there therefore any chance for Rush to once again tour the stage with their remarkable live performance? Is there a chance for a future tour or should supporters accept that the group's traveling days might be permanently ending? Here is a summary of present situation: The following summarizes the present situation:
Why Rush Likely Won’t Tour Again
There are several compelling reasons why Rush is unlikely to ever embark on a full-fledged concert tour again: There are several compelling reasons why Rush is unlikely to ever embark on a full-fledged concert tour again:
- Challenges faced by Geddy Lee: As much as he has transitioned to the high-pitched singing style that is synonymous with Rush, singing has become a challenge for Geddy Lee due to his advancement in age. He has not hidden the fact that it puts increased pressure on his vocal box. Traveling through demanding rehearsal and performing schedules may just be impossible at this stage in Geddy’s career as a singer.
- Rush’s lead guitarist, Alex Lifeson, was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in his hands and wrists, as he mentioned in an interview in 2018. This makes playing guitar painful and difficult for a long time, especially when attempting to fulfill the requirements of Rush’s music while performing live.
- The retirement and death of Neil Peart: he announced his retirement from music and touring at the end of the R40 live tour. Unfortunately, Peart died from brain cancer at the age of 67 in 2020. Of course, no full reunion of Rush is possible without Neil Peart as a drummer and there is no need to start pretending otherwise.
- No new music—Rush has not released a new album since Clockwork Angels in 2012. As a result, the band has no motivation to perform big tours when there is no new material to back it up. For what it is worth, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush seem to be more than willing to join a band and play shows, although they are not willing to commit to full tours at this stage of their careers.
And with all these factors taken into account, it seems quite impossible to imagine Rush going on another large-scale tour or a series of concerts ever again. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson also seem to accept the fact that Rush might well have bid the touring circuit adieu for good. Audiences expecting a glorious comeback would be likely to be disappointed.
Why Hope Remains For Special Rush Performances
It may be unrealistic to hope for another full-scale Rush tour but there is still some small chance that the band may be able to reunite for some special shows from time to time. However, Lee and Lifeson have mentioned that they are not ruling out the possibility of coming together for occasional shows in the future if the situation allows for it.
Sure, it's a long shot. However, the recent sporadic reunion shows of legendary rock bands like The Eagles and Led Zeppelin have illustrated how passion and filthy lucre can triumph over odds and lure retired rock musicians back into the performing arena. Here are a couple scenarios that could potentially prompt additional Rush performances down the road: Here are a couple scenarios that could potentially prompt additional Rush performances down the road:
- Geddy & Alex at Charity/Benefit Concerts One cannot rule out the possibility that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson would like to get back to the band Rush and perform some of the songs at a charity or benefit concert. Their current side projects suggest that both musicians still occasionally like to perform live. If this was a small gig that was not part of a massive tour, it made sense to manage health issues, and despite the absence of Peart, it would be reasonable to do so for a night.
- Rush Tribute Shows with Special Guest Drummers In the same vein, Lee and Lifeson might want to pay homage to Peart’s legacy one day by organizing a series of tribute concerts where they invite guest drummers to perform Neil’s parts. Some of the musicians who would probably seize the opportunity with a gleam in their eyes are Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins, the drummers of Foo Fighters, and Danny Carey, the drummer of Tool. These fantasy-fulfilling concerts would allow Geddy and Alex to work through the Rush catalog appropriately with drummers, even if they don’t have Neil Peart to back them up.
Of course, both these scenarios remain rather distant from becoming reality. They show, however, that there are still ways Rush could play again, at least once in a while, without necessarily changing back into a permanent live band. As history has always shown in musical series, bands have managed to perform a reunion again and again, at extremely high odds, whenever the feeling of nostalgia and the allure of money entice them.
The Bottom Line: The No More Rush Touring Checklist
In conclusion, as much as it pains a die-hard Rush fan to admit it, everything truly indicates that Rush no longer tours. The kinds of hurdles described earlier are just too daunting at this stage in history for Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart to get back together for full-scale concert tours. It is therefore safe for fans not to look forward to seeing Rush tour as they used to as a full-time band again unless there is a shocking revelation made in the future.
But the chances are very low that Geddy and Alex would come together to perform on stage again, unless for a few special performances on a limited number of occasions or a one-time-only tribute concert. Thus, although it is reasonable to entirely cross one’s fingers for an opportunity to see a high-profile Rush tour in the future, listeners can still harbor some hope that the band will reunite occasionally in the future for occasional shows’ sake. Beyond that, though, the Rush touring machine has likely run its course after an impressive 40 years. In the future, fans will only be able to watch more reruns of the Rush concerts and not look forward to new ones being produced. However, what a magnificent legacy of the live shows they recorded and preserved!
