Rush's first concert after an 11-year absence was extremely emotional, with a sold-out audience and large-scale tributes to the late drummer Neil Peart.
The show took place on June 7 at the iconic Kia Forum in Los Angeles - the same venue where the band played their last concert in 2015 before their big break. The event officially kicked off their anniversary tour “Fifty Something“.
The band's founders Geddy Lee (vocals, bass) and Alex Lifeson (guitar) were greeted with a standing ovation. In place of drummer Neil Peart, who passed away in 2020, stood German virtuoso Annika Niles, who, according to critics and fans, coped with the incredibly complex parts without fail.
Keyboardist Lauren Gold also joined the lineup. The emotional peak of the evening included specially prepared archival videos and collages with Neil Peart, shown on huge screens to the sounds of his reflections on music. During these screenings, the band performed the iconic song “Bravado“, dedicated entirely to him.
The iconic instrumental piece “YYZ“ was played in his honor, but intentionally without the traditional drum solo, out of respect for his memory.
The concert was divided into two parts with a 30-minute intermission and included over 20 classics.
For the first time in their career, Rush opened the concert with the masterpiece “Xanadu“. Special guest was singer Amy Mann, who took the stage to perform live vocals on the 1987 classic “Time Stand Still“.
The audience fell into ecstasy to hits such as “Tom Sawyer“, “Limelight“, “The Spirit of Radio“ and all three parts of the progressive epic “2112“.
The evening ended with a bang with the surprise return of the song “By-Tor & The Snow Dog“ (unperformed since 2004) and the absolute finale with “Working Man“