by Sophia Caneira ’29 on September 24, 2026
A&E - Music
I never thought I would be able to see Rush live in concert. Neither did many Rush fans, after their last show in 2015 and the passing of the three-piece band’s beloved drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart, in 2020. Only in 2022, at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert, did vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson step back onstage to honor the passing of another rock legend. I remember watching the performance from home on YouTube. My dad and I had just discovered Rush a few years prior after hearing “Limelight” on the radio. How cool it would be, I thought, to see them perform in person.
Then, just last year, Lee and Lifeson announced the Fifty Something tour. Their first tour in over a decade would honor Peart’s legacy and celebrate Rush’s music throughout the years. To achieve this, Rush recruited German drummer Anika Nilles to help them perform.
On Sept. 14, my dad and I saw Rush play at TD Garden in Boston. The concert opened with the mystical 11-minute masterpiece, “Xanadu,” which, like each subsequent song, received thunderous applause. My dad and I agreed it was the perfect song to begin the set. The remainder of the setlist included all of the classic Rush songs, with the exception of “Freewill,” and the entire Moving Pictures album. The show was lengthy and included a 25-minute intermission and an encore.
I’ve always regarded Lee and Lifeson as talented musicians, but seeing Lifeson’s fingers fly across the guitar strings in person was simply spectacular. Lee multitasked throughout the entire concert, singing while playing both bass guitar and keyboards. I was also amazed by the elaborate lighting and special effects. The concert featured impressive pyrotechnics and fireworks, flashing lights, and a screen backdrop that played different clips during each song—notably, an animated red car driving around the screen during “Red Barchetta.” The whole experience went way beyond the music.
Aside from some comedic moments, like a cameo from Paul Rudd and a South Park parody of Rush, the video component also included several beautiful tributes to Peart. While the band played “Time Stand Still,” the video overhead featured a motorcycle driving through gorgeous landscapes, a symbol of Peart, who loved motorcycles and traveling, and even wrote several books documenting his life on the road.
Naturally, my favorite part of the show was getting to hear my favorite Rush song, “The Spirit of Radio.” The arena was electric. “The Spirit of Radio” is such a joyful song, and having 20,000 fans clapping and air drumming along to the chorus made the moment especially memorable.
As soon as the jumbotron above the stage lit up, the first thing I saw was the three musicians grinning at each other. That pretty much sums up Rush. Lee and Lifeson have the most genuine onstage personas. It is clear from the moment they step onstage that they really love performing—and having fun. Lifeson teased Lee while he spoke to the crowd, and later Lee ran behind Lifeson and photobombed him with bunny ears. The two of them and Nilles are clearly all friends who just enjoy making and playing music together.
Every aspect of the show was designed to honor Peart, who remains one of the greatest drummers in history. Their website and new T-shirts feature two birds—representing Lee and Lifeson—sitting on a traffic light wire while a third—representing Peart—flies away. Throughout the show, Lee talked fondly of Peart, their brotherhood, and his incredible contributions to the music world. Nilles, too, did a wonderful job honoring Peart’s role in the band without at all trying to replace him.
After three and a half hours, our ears were ringing and our matching Rush shirts were sprinkled with someone’s spilled beer, but it was more than worth it for what very well might have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a band that loves jamming out together as much as their dedicated fans love air drumming along