Rush made a triumphant return to the stage on Sunday night in Los Angeles, kicking off their Fifty Something tour. This marks the band’s first tour since August 2015 and the first for Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson since the passing of drummer Neil Peart in 2020. Anika Nilles stepped in to play drums for the tour.
The concert began with “Xanadu,” a track from their 1977 album, A Farewell To Kings, making it the first time the song opened a show. The performance was split into two sets, featuring classic hits like “Limelight,” “Subdivisions,” “Freewill,” and “The Spirit of the Radio.” They also played three songs from the 1976 album 2112: “Overture,” “The Temples of Sphynx,” and “Grand Finale,” which kicked off the second set.
The band took a moment to honor Neil Peart during the show. They shared a video montage of him discussing his love for drumming and dedicated the song “Bravado” from 1991’s Roll The Bones to him. Another tribute came before “Time Stand Still” from 1987’s Hold Your Fire, featuring special guest Aimee Mann, who performed her part live with the band for the first time.
“We’re here for so many reasons,” Lee said during the concert. “We’re here to celebrate over 50 years of music that [Lifeson], myself, and the great Neil Peart made together. We’re here to pay tribute to Neil.” Rush will return to the Forum in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
