The new Rush is back on stage ahead of their hotly anticipated reunion tour, playing one of their first singles at the 2026 Juno Awards.
The band, which currently sees guitarist Alex Lifeson and bassist Geddy Lee joined by former Jeff Beck singer Anika Nilles and former Who keyboardist Loren Gold, marked their first appearance since their last show with drummer Neil Peart in 2015.
Lifeson and Lee have been linked since the show, which ended the R40’s tour at the Kia Show in LA. They performed classics by Rush and Dave Grohl at the Taylor Hawkins shows in 2022 and made a surprise appearance at the Gordon Lightfoot tribute show two years later.
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But this is the first time the Canadian couple have reunited as Rush-proper; something many thought would be impossible after Peart’s death in 2020.
The prog rock legends sent the TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, into a frenzy as they rolled back the years, performing “Finding My Way” at the Juno Awards. The Canadian Showcase has been kind to the team throughout the year, winning 10 awards out of 41 votes, and it felt like the perfect place for their resurgence.
For the performance, Lifeson used a Goldtop Gibson Les Paul, and Lee chose a green Fender Jazz. And it was a spritely show, too, as videos of the band over the years played in the stadium behind them.
Plus, playing the first single from their debut album, the release that led to an eye-opening tour with Rory Gallagher, was a poignant way to mark their second coming.
Speaking at the event, Lee told reporters that the choice of song was the manager’s idea, but Lifeson, a former comedian, offered a different story, saying: “It’s the only song we know how to play!”
Lee says: “Neil is irreplaceable, and if he had anything to say to us right now, he’d probably say, ‘You idiots!’ But, you know, music lives beyond tragedy, beyond anything that can happen in your life.
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“One thing we’ve learned in the last 10 years is that music is still a part of us, so to play it now with someone as young and sweet as Annika is something special for her.
That night, the band, in fact, didn’t feel like the “bad band” that Lifeson said he and Lee are waiting for when they start rocking again in 2024.
However, although the news of their weekly meetings was met with excitement in the prog and rock fandoms, there was little evidence to suggest that a meeting would happen in the first place. Lee has always believed that he served his lifelong friend – “We do this, or we don’t,” he said – when he wanted to revive another great rock band at the right time.
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Nilles, who the team was introduced to as their tech after spending time on the road with him during his days as Jeff Beck’s heartthrob, has big shoes to fill. Early signs are very promising.
He also cares about Peart’s legacy and popularity, even doubting that he would be able to play the Rush classic during the first rehearsal.
Rush’s comeback tour, which coincides with their 50th anniversary, begins at the Kia Forum, where they took their last bow 11 years ago, on June 6, ahead of the US and Canadian dates. They will play in South America and Europe in 2027, with Lee hinting that new music is possible, provided the band can survive their upcoming shows.
Meanwhile, Lifeson reflected on how his love for Jimmy Page influenced a 2112 hit, and what a wonderful start to Rush’s greatest hits.
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