Your Survival Guy and Son saw Rush in concert last night at TD Garden. It’s hard to believe I’m writing that, but it’s true. The Fifty Something Tour made me realize they’ve been doing this for most of my life, and my son and I have been hitting imaginary high cymbals to “Tom Sawyer” for much of ours together. Sometimes songs become part of your life.
When Rush founders, bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson, explained why they were heading out on tour, they said they still loved playing the songs they created with the late drummer Neil Peart. They also found the perfect partner in drummer Anika Nilles, who could help bring that music back to audiences.
What they made clear is that there is no replacing Peart. As Lee said last night, Peart’s lyrics and philosophies were ahead of their time, and Peart is as much a part of the songs as Lee and Lifeson themselves. That will always be true.
Nilles isn’t replacing Peart. What she’s doing is allowing Lee and Lifeson to continue doing what they clearly love and do so well. It’s not often that you form a band with your best friend as a kid and get to keep playing together into your seventies.
What Lee and Lifeson understand is that Rush is a band. It needs Nilles. And with the help of keyboardist Loren Gold, the sound they created last night was incredible. The first set was one great song after another, and I found myself wondering how they could possibly open the second set after reading what they had played at earlier stops on the tour.
Well, how about performing every song from Moving Pictures? Done.
Opening with “Tom Sawyer,” there was no sitting down. It was a treat to once again see them doing what they love, all these years later. Thank you, Rush. What a night.
Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.
