MSN.Com recently ran an online news feature called Fabulous and 50 which focused on "some of Hollywood's most talented, forward-thinking, and, yes, hot celebs who are turning 50 or are already in their 50s. And still quite fabulous..."Among the Fab50 were all three members of Rush. Here's what they had to say about the band:

The Rush boys -- Geddy Lee, 55, Alex Lifeson, 54, and Neil Peart, 55: This trio has rocked North America (they're Canadian) for 40 years, including their successful, just-concluded 2008 tour. Lee was just 15 when he joined the band in '68, at the behest of lifelong pal Lifeson. The hard-rocking Rush members have influenced bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica and Primus, and show no signs of slowing down themselves. Not so fly by night after all.

You can read the entire article at this link. Thanks to reader Jeff Johnston for the head's up.

According to a posting at their official website, Atheist will be recording a cover of 'YYZ' on their upcoming reunion album scheduled for release in 2009. From their site:

"On the new ATHEIST record we are going to record a blazing cover of the brilliant 'YYZ' from RUSH. As you all know, we have long been fans of RUSH, and we know this cover is a bit outside the box of what most metal bands do, but then again as a band we are very outside the box of what most metal bands do. And I can confirm that it will fucking destroy, and when people hear [Steve] Flynn's [drums] version of this tune. He renders me speechless. He has always claimed Neil Peart as a major influence, and so it makes perfect sense to cover this amazing piece of music."

Atheist are a technical death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984, whose music combined brutal riffs with subtle latin music arrangements and elements of jazz. Their second album, Unquestionable Presence, released in 1991, has been regarded by some critics as one of the most influential technical death metal albums of all time.

Thanks to Power Windows for the news.

According to Ed over at RushIsABand.Com, Rush may be ending their nearly 20-year relationship with Atlantic Records after the release of a Greatest Hits album sometime next year. Rush has been under the Atlantic Records labels since 1989, marking the beginning of their long relationship with the release of Presto. Overall, the band has released 11 albums under Atlantic (7 studio albums and 4 live albums).

The aforementioned Greatest Hits album is tentatively being titled Rush: 1989-2009 and is likely to include some previously unreleased live tracks during the band's tenure with Atlantic.

Though nothing official has been announced, Rush is apparently now in negotiations with Rounder Records, one of the largest Independent records labels in the U.S.

Thanks, as always, to Ed for the news.

Neil Peart recently updated the Bubba's Book Club section of his website. As an avid reader, Neil periodically recommends and reviews some of the books he has read in this section of his site. In this 10th issue of the "Club", Neil recommends the following books:

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston
The Custodian of Paradise also by Wayne Johnston
The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell
Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Mark Richardson
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz

Thanks to reader Ray M for the head's up on Neils update.

The tour may be over but there's still plenty to talk about in the world of Rush. Here are some notable news stories from the past couple of days, plus a site update I'm sure you'll enjoy-

• The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Debate Continues: A recent blog from Wired.com has opened up the unending debate regarding Rush's exclusion from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This time, however, fans - and non fans alike - can add their voice to the issue which may reach the eyes and ears of those involved with the institution.

"You are yet to be inducted," Stephen Colbert asked the Canadian power trio on his show in June. "Is there any chance that your next album will be titled That's Bullsh*t?"

A fair, and hilarious, question, and one with legs. In honor of Listening Post's recent Rush tangent, I decided to ask my contact at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland if the institution would field some questions on the matter. They agreed, so here I am, Rush fans and haters, asking for your help.

If you could ask the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame about a Rush candidacy, what would you ask? Tell us below and we'll sift through the queries and lob the best three at Cleveland and see what comes up.

You can read the entire blog and post your own comments on the subject via this LINK.

• Progressive Metal Book to Feature Rush: According to Blabbermouth.Net, the first definitive book of Progressive Metal, which will be released by Bazillion Points Publishing in the Fall of 2009, will feature content on Rush. Penned by music writer Jeff Wagner, the book "explores the shared lineage of prog rock and metal".

Beginning with the hugely influential mid-1970s efforts of Canadian band RUSH, Wagner's book explores the shared lineage of prog rock and metal. He unfurls the huge tapestry and examines the sounds and styles created during the genre's 40-year history, including: the "Big Three" — QUEENSRŸCHE, FATES WARNING, and DREAM THEATER; extreme prog pioneers VOIVOD and CELTIC FROST; Norway's post-black metal avant garde; and of course the huge global movement of Big Three-worshippers in the 1990s. The vastness of what can be considered "progressive metal" has proven to be one of the most viable, malleable forms in all of modern music.

Many thanks to RushIsABand.Com for passing along the news.

• A Look Back at Rush's 30th Anniversary: After the recent attention Rush received in Rolling Stone magazine and the division among fans on whether or not the article 'Rush Never Sleeps' was a favorable one or not, I decided to revisit the amazing tribute Billboard Magazine did on Rush back in May 2004 in celebration of their 30th Anniversary.

The collection of articles and tributes that appeared in that issue were heart-warming and inspirational to read and further solidified the amazing and influential career that Rush has been blessed with. So, with that in mind, I've transcribed all of the Rush-related articles that appeared in that edition of Billboard magazine. Additionally, I've scanned all the images that accompanied those articles as well as all of the tributes and advertisements for Rush that were listed.

You can check them all out HERE. One final note: As many of you may recall, fans were allowed to 'donate' to the tribute which gave us the unique pleasure of having our names appear in the magazine (See this IMAGE). If your name appears on this image, drop me a line and let me know so I can highlight it on the image. Enjoy-

As has been the case throughout most of the 2007-08 Snakes & Arrows Tour, every time the band broke for an extended break, Neil would have a timely update in the News, Weather, and Sports section of his website. And so, with the tour over, we have another (and final for the tour) update from Neil. In this edition, titled Independence Day, Neil discusses the band's (and his personal) trip to the Fourth of July show in Atlantic City, NJ -- the last show I personally attended on this final leg of the tour.

This dirt and gravel track (sometimes sandy, too-a particular hazard to us on our heavy bikes) framed in pinewoods ran through the Wharton State Forest in the southern part of the state. The area, known as the Pine Barrens, is officially designated the Pinelands National Reserve, a million acres of pitch pines and other vegetation adapted to the sandy, acidic soil and frequent fires. It is one of New Jersey's more attractive areas, and Michael and I also traveled many pretty little roads in Western Jersey, passing verdant farms, luxurious rural homes, and lush woodlands.

As I'm a residence of Western New Jersey, I suspect Neil was too far off from my humble abode.

Neil went on to share his continued appreciation - and amazement - at the celebrity he and Rush have achieved over the years.

Several nights this summer, during the opening song, "Limelight" ("Living on a lighted stage, approaches the unreal"-still so true!), especially when we were playing outdoors and I could see everybody, I couldn't help shaking my head in disbelief at the sheer numbers of people out there. "Unbelievable," I thought, "All of those people spent their money and their time, on this night in this place, to come and see us."

That realization is somehow humbling—you feel you have to try to earn that, because it’s obvious that those people deserve the best you can give them.

Neil then proceeds to discuss many aspects of his 20,000 miles of riding, including the hazzards of his select mode of travel before wrapping up his update with some thoughts he and his bandmates had on the tour in general.

The forty-nine shows (added to the sixty-four last year) were exhausting, all right (and some of the rides, too), but satisfying, on the whole. Alex and Geddy and I were talking before the Atlanta show, one of the final ones, and agreed that the overall quality of our performances this summer has been better than ever before—that’s something to be able to share, after all these years. The audiences, as I wrote last summer, were “wonderfully large and unbelievably appreciative (adjectives interchangeable)”, and—crucially—we remained mostly healthy.

For now, I look forward to a long, slow recovery, and to a whole series of Independence Days. They will be sweeter for being so hard-won.

As usual, it's a very entertaining, informative and insightful read. I highly recommend you check it out (Link). Enjoy.

According to Rolling Stone's Midyear Music Biz Report Card, the 2008 leg of the Snakes & Arrows Live tour ranked #8 among all Rock/Pop concerts this year with earnings of $18.3 million. The initial leg back in 2007 came in at position #6 with $21 million in earnings. (See: Summer Concerts Rocked).

Bon Jovi, some guy from New Jersey and Van Halen took the top 3 spots during the first half of the year.

Amazon.Com now has the upcoming 2009 Rush Wall Calendar available for pre-order. The calendar is expected to ship sometime in August. At this time, it is not available at the Rush Backstage Club but I'm sure it'll be there relatively soon.

This marks the fifth Rush Wall Calendar in the series which began back in 2004. As with all the past calendars, I plan on scanning the contents and uploading them to the Image Database section of the site as soon as my copy arrives.

Pre-order the calendar via this LINK or if you prefer a store front other than Amazon.Com, you can pre-order it HERE.

Update: Audio samples of each track can be listed to HERE. Thanks to Eric from Power Windows for the link.

Amazon.Com has just posted the entire tracklist for the double-CD "Songs for Tibet" and, as many had expected, Rush's Hope will be the acoustic track that appears on the benefit album.

Disc: 1

1. Hide & Seek 2 (Imogen Heap)
2. Send Your Love - Art of Peace Remix (Sting)
3. Versions of Violence - Recorded in dressing room in Cologne, Germany (Alanis Morissette)
4. Belief (John Mayer)
5. Better (Regina Spektor)
6. We Are All Made of Stars - 2008 (Moby)
7. Making Noise (Damien Rice & The Cheshire Project)
8. More Than This - Campfire Take (Vanessa Carlton)
9. Nothing Fades- Kosen Rufu Version (Duncan Sheik)
10. Where Are You Going - Live in Barcelona (Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds)

Disc: 2

1. Song Of Sand - Great City Version (Suzanne Vega)
2. All The Good In This Life (Garbage)
3. Hope - Live for The Art of Peace (Rush)
4. Madonna On The Curb - Peace Mix (Jonatha Brooke)
5. In These Times - the Concord Mix (Joan Armatrading)
6. All My Mistakes - Featuring Tarira (Teitur )
7. Alive In The World (Jackson Browne)
8. Better Way - Live in Six Fours les Plage (Ben Harper)
9. The Heart Of The Matter Underlying Mix (Rupert Hine)
10. To Heal - and Restore Broken Bodies (Underworld)

Interestingly enough, it appears that the live rendition of "Hope" from Snakes & Arrows Live will be the version included on the album. You can pre-order the CD from Amazon.Com via this link. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for passing along the update.

On this date in 1953, in the small Toronto village of Willowdale, Gary Lee Weinrib was born. So, accordingly, let's all wish "Geddy" Lee - the voice and ferocious bass behind Rush - a rousing Happy 55th Birthday! Happy Birthday, Geddy -- and many happy returns.

Coincidentally, this date also marks the anniversary of when Neil Peart joined the band (July 29th, 1974). Now that's one heck of a birthday present to receive.

Thanks to Today in Rush History for the news.

The band's official website Rush.Com has added some new content to the Multimedia section. First up is Part III of the ongoing saga 'The Biggest Fans' which focuses on the Barbie dolls that adorn Alex's equipment on stage. It's, well, bizarre but certainly worth a viewing. There are also pictures from the last two concerts in Atlanta and Indy.

Finally, an interview video with Geddy and Alex has been included where the discussion centers around Rock Band: The Video Game and the release of the alternate version of "Working Man".

As reported earlier this month, Rush will have an acoustic song appear on the upcoming Songs for Tibet benefit album. That album is now available for Pre-Order at Amazon.Com and is scheduled to be released on August 5th.

As a show of solidarity with the Dalai Lama and Tibet, twenty musicians have come together to release an album on the eve of the Beijing Olympics. The CD is entitled Songs for Tibet The Art of Peace. Legendary producer Rupert Hine has brought together some of the world s top artists, including Sting, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Alanis Morissette, Ben Harper, Imogen Heap, Damien Rice and many others. These acoustic recordings - some original for the project and some acoustic recordings of previously released songs - express our common vulnerabilities and experiences in pursuing happiness, peace and freedom.

A track list still hasn't been published so the debate continues as to which Rush track will make the cut. Also note-worthy: As you can see on the album cover image, Rush takes the top billing behind Sting; nice to see considering the caliber of artists that also appear. Thanks to Power Windows for the head's up.

According to FogoLabs, who are the production and filming house behind the upcoming Snakes & Arrows Live DVD, the tentative release date for the DVD has been set as November 4th of this year. As previously reported, the Rush concert in Atlanta was filmed in HD so as to capture some additional footage which could make its way into the bonus material for the DVD.

Now that the tour has ended, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are expected to take several weeks off before before spending some time putting the finishing touches on the DVD set. Neil Peart is reportedly working on the packaging - and hopefully some commentary - of the set.

Though the release data is only a few months off, there are no pre-order links online - yet. Once they're available, we'll be sure to post about them here.

It all began on a warm, muggy night in Atlanta back on June 13th of 2007. Rush took the stage at the HiFi Buys Amphitheater for the first show in support of their latest album Snakes & Arrows. It was the first time in nearly 3 years that the band had taken the stage after completing their R30 (30th Anniversary) tour.

Now, over a year later, Rush will take the stage at the Verizon Amphitheatre in Indianapolis, IN for their 114th* and final show of this tour.

Interestingly enough, their last show in Atlanta was apparently filmed in HD as potential bonus material for their upcoming Snakes & Arrows Live DVD; the companion to the live CD. Beyond the Live DVD, which is slated to be released in time for the holidays later this year, the band has no immediate plans to return to the studio for their next album. However it's been clear that Geddy, Alex and Neil were extremely pleased with Snakes & Arrows as well as the tour so we can only hope that their creative juices will begin to flow in the very near future.

Regardless, this past year has been an exciting one for all Rush fans, myself in particular. I was fortunate enough to see the boys play four times during the 2007-08 tour including the phenomenal performance last September at Madison Square Garden in New York City as well as their very first performance in Atlantic City, NJ on the 4th of July.

Yet, Now it's come to this... the end of the tour. Thank you, Rush!

Prior to Rush's appearance on The Colbert Report last week, the band spent some time back-stage testing their skills on Rock Band. Their song of choice? Well Tom Sawyer of course. A behind-the-scenes video was taken of the band playing themselves on the little screen and was posted online by the Colbert Nation Fansite.

The video can been seen via this link. Will Rush pass the video game test? Check out the video and find out! Thanks to RushIsABand.Com for the head's up.

The Snakes & Arrows Live Tour of 2008 is winding down. Rush will play in Atlanta tonight at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park before closing out the tour in Indianapolis, IN on Thursday the 24th. In the mean time, there's been plenty of exciting Rush related news over the past couple of days, so let's get to it.

• Rush release alternate version of Working Man: Due to the popular demand which stemmed from its release on the video game Rock Band, Rush has now released the "Vault" version of Working Man on iTunes.

"The version features a never before heard guitar solo that Alex Lifeson did during the original recordings back in the 70’s. The song was re-mixed by Rich Chycki who is known for his work on R30 and Snakes & Arrows. A great addition to the Rush song library!"

• Rush's Old Stage Costumes Unearthed: This is a news story only a die-hard Rush fan can appreciate -- originally from Classic Rock Magazine:

Ever wondered where Rush's fondly remembered satin kimono costumes (link) ended up? Be honest now – you have, haven't you?

Well, now it can be revealed. Jap band Onmyo-Za have Geddy, Alex and Neil's old duds in their possession and are wearing them with pride!

(Alright, so we know these sorta outfits are de rigeur in Japan's Visual Kei scene, but give us a break, will ya?!)

Onmyo-Za have been described as a Japanese thrash-pop answer to Nightwish, and you can check them out playing their fine opus Kasha No Wadachi here.

• The House that Rush Built: Earlier this year we reported that Rush had donated $100,000 from the profits of their show in New Orleans to the efforts that are being made to revitalize the area since the Katrina Hurricane disaster. Today, Rush.Com reported that fans can also contribute to the Make It Right campaign which is being driven by Brad Pitt. For more information on this effort and for a donation link, please click here. To track how donations related to the Rush initiative are doing relative to other causes in the program, click here. Now you can have a hand in erecting the House That Rush Built.

The Rush performance on the Colbert Report last night was fantastic. Not only did the band perform an interrupted version of Tom Sawyer, but host Stephen Colbert also interviewed the entire band prior to the song. With such questions as "What's Your Favorite Color" directed at Neil Peart to wondering if their next album will be titled "That's Bullshit" in response to the band's exclusion from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the entire segment was extremely entertaining - and the studio audience was cheering and laughing throughout.

Videos of the performance/interview as well as other Rush-related moments during the show are already available on YouTube (see links below).

LINK

LINK

Because Colbert asked the band if their stop on his show would appear on the back of their concert t-shirts, to which the band responded "sure", I've added the stop to the Tour Dates section of the site :)

For the first time in over 30 years, Rush will be making an appearance - and playing - on American television. As indicated from an AP News Story, Rush will make their appearance on Wednesday night (July 16th):

The Canadian band Rush, which hasn't performed on U.S. television in more than three decades, will play their classic "Tom Sawyer" on the Comedy Central show Wednesday (11:30 p.m. EST). The Geddy Lee-led trio, which is currently on tour, hasn't played on U.S. television since 1975.

What a great way to wrap up the tour! I'll post video links to the actual appearance and performance once they become available. For more information on the Colbert Report, click HERE.

According to an article posted on Sting's (of the Police) website, Rush will appear on the upcoming Songs for Tibet - The Art of Peace album.

Sting, Dave Matthews, John Mayer & other Top Artists send a musical message of support to Tibet and the Dalai Lama - 'Songs for Tibet' set for release August 5, 2008 in time for the Olympics...

The Art of Peace Foundation announced today that over a dozen of the world's top musical artists, including Sting, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Suzanne Vega, Rush and Duncan Sheik are coming together for an album entitled, "Songs for Tibet - The Art of Peace." The project is the artists' expression of peace and support for Tibet and the Dalai Lama.

The album features acoustic songs recorded by the artists that are proactive celebrations of our shared humanity and common search for happiness. The songs themselves reflect the sublime beauty and vulnerabilities experienced in pursuit of happiness, peace and freedom.

The album will release August 5th, three days before the opening of the Summer Olympics.

At this time, it's unclear which Rush track will be included and if it will re-recorded by the band for this album, or lifted from an exisiting album. Possibilities include Hope from Snakes & Arrows as well as the live rendition of Resist from R30 and Rush in Rio.

Thanks to Power Windows for the news.

Rolling Stone Magazine is at it again while a British magazine has a few things to say about Rush. Plus some exciting news for Rock Band fans...

• Rolling Stone Magazine Responds to Rush Fans -- Sort Of: After last week's Rolling Stone Magazine's 4-page article Rush Never Sleeps hit the stands, Rush fans were quick to jump on the magazine for painting fans - and Rush - in less than a stellar light. Many fans, however, also thought the article was well done -- and long overdue of course. Now, Rolling Stone as countered with a mini-article which is available online.

In Rush vs. Rolling Stone: A Qualitative Analysis, RS reveals that, perhaps, they aren't as anti-Rush as we fans claim them to be. You be the judge -- I'm not quite convinced. A quick excerpt from the article follows. The full article can be read HERE.

A meme has developed in certain fan circles over the past few decades: Rolling Stone hates Rush. Ever since RS ran its review of Hemispheres in 1979, we've gotten more letters from Rush fans than perhaps anyone else. Most input runs along the lines of: "RS obviously hates Rush" or "Why hasn't Rush been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?" to "You suck!" So let's examine: Does Rolling Stone really hate Rush? Our scientific qualitative analysis follows.

More articles on Rush from RS Magazine:
   Rush: Power From The People - from 1981
   Rush: The Complete Album-by-Album Guide

• Classic Rock's "Buyer's Guide To Rush": The UK's Classic Rock Magazine, which has been fairly appreciative of Rush over the years, has a new segment in its latest issue available online. The article, titled Buyer's Guide To Rush discusses many of Rush's albums over the years and places them in categories from "Essential: Classics" to "Superior" right on down to "Avoid".

From Led Zep copyists and the sword-and-sorcery 70s, to prog rock giants and virtuoso instrumentalists, theirs has been an epic journey

Check out the entire article HERE. Thanks to Eric from Power Windows for the news.

• Rock Band: The Video Games Rocks to Rush The popular video game Rock Band, which came pre-loaded with a cover version of Rush's Tom Sawyer and later had versions of Limelight and Working Man available for download, is now slated to have the complete Moving Pictures album available as well. Additionally, master track versions of Working Man and Closer to the Heart are scheduled to be released for the game. Further, The Trees is rumored to be a feature track in the game's sequel Rock Band 2, which is due out this September.

Now, over at Rush.Com, a new video has been posted in the Multimedia section of the site which has Geddy and Alex discussing the game with Rock Band representative Brett Milano. The video touches upon the upcoming release of the alternate-master track version of Working Man, one which contains an alternate solo, for the game as well as a look back at the early days of Rush.

Finally, there are two "Rush & Rock Band" sweepstakes presently being held. You can read all the details and enter them both at the following LINK | LINK. With thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for the news.

The July 4th show in Atlantic City was everything you would expect from a Rush concert. A great, capacity crowd whose energy kept building throughout the show, flawless execution of the set list by the band, and a subtle but nice tribute to America's birthday by this Canadian trio. The show started off about 15 minutes late as people were still filing in at 7:30; the original starting time of the show. The first set was great, though you could sense the crowd wasn't fully into it...yet.

As the second set exploded (literally) with Far Cry, the crowd jumped to life and were going absolutely nuts by the time the second set ended. Neil's solo was, once again, outstanding and mesmerizing as witnessed by the entire crowd who were collectively fixated on the center stage and 2112 was a treat to behold.

As the band returned to the stage for the final encore, Neil replaced his usual Snakes & Arrows branded skull-cap with a "Stars & Stripes" version. Very fitting for the Fourth of July show. Some 60 odd pictures from the show can be seen via this link. Enjoy-

I can't imagine a better way to spend the July 4th holiday weekend than seeing Rush ... especially in a new venue. Rush is heading towards 'Sin City East' to play a date at Trump's Taj Mahal in the Marc Etess Arena. This will be the first time the band has ever made a stop in historic Atlantic City, NJ and yours truly will be in attendance. This will be the first time I've seen Rush during the 2008 leg of the tour. I'll have a camera ready to snap off some, hopefully, decent shots of the band which will, of course, be posted here over the weekend.

A number of fans will be congregating at the Trump's Plaza Beach Bar for pre-concert festivities (i.e. eating and drinking). I'll be there as well adorning a custom Cygnus-X1.Net t-shirt. If you see me, be sure to stop by and say 'Hi'. It would be great to meet up with fellow fans.

I hope everyone enjoys the show - and for those not attending, have a great and safe holiday weekend.

The article "Rush Never Sleeps", which appeared in the July 10-24 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, has now been transcribed and is available here. Here's an excerpt:

It's true that Rush doesn't mean today what it did in '76 or even '96. It may mean more. Back when Peart was lost in America, Lee remembers knowing that his friend's path back would be through music. "Because that's who he was," Lee says. "The quickest way to health is to be who you are and do that thing that you love to do." And if today's Rush stands for anything besides dazzling chops and heady abstractions, it may be that simple, oddly courageous conviction: doing what you love - whether it gets you called a nerd, spurned by your label or turned into an icon.

High-resolution images from the article as also included. For a magazine that regularly scorns or outright ignores Rush, this is actually a very well written and positively spun article. Enjoy!

For the second consecutive year, Neil Peart has won Drum! Magazine's Drummer of the Year award based on their 2008 Reader's Poll. In addition to the top spot, Neil also won the Best Live Drummer award as well as the Best Mainstream Pop Drummer award. In the category of Best Progressive Rock Drummer, Neil was the runner-up to Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy.

The entire results are to be published in the magazine's August 2008 issue. With thanks to RushIsABand.Com for the news.

Rush is heading into the final month of the Snakes & Arrows Live World Tour of 2008. Having started the tour back in April with their first date ever in Puerto Rico, Rush has made their way across the U.S. and Canada playing to legions of fans. Now, with but 14 shows left in the tour, Rush will make their way to the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. before calling it quits. In the mean time, there's been some interesting news of late.

• Pigs Must Be Flying - Rush in Rolling Stone: Well, the rumors earlier this year have turned out to be true. The latest edition of Rolling Stone Magazine (which has Barack Obama on the cover) contains a 4-page article on Rush called 'Rush Never Sleeps'. I plan on creating high-resolution scans of the article and pictures in the very near future. In the mean time, you can check out other scans of the complete article at this location. With thanks to RedSector A...

• The Latest Reviews: Having just played shows in Milwaukee and St. Louis, and now heading to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, the band has been met with very positive - mostly - reviews, as well as a nice preview of the Pittsburgh show:

Rush More Interested With Future Than Past

Most bands that have endured for three or more decades feel compelled to essentially play a greatest-hits set in their concerts. Be it Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard or Journey, these groups will sprinkle in perhaps three or four new songs into a live set at best.

Rush is the prime exception to that rule, and at no time has that been more apparent than on the group's tour in support of its 2007 studio CD, "Snakes & Arrows."

Rush Proves Everything People Say About It
Rush Delivers a Knockout Show at Summerfest
St. Louis Today - Rush
Rush Broadens Fan Base - Concert Preview

• Updates at Rush.Com: Rush.Com has added more content to the Multimedia section of their site. In the 'Rush on the Road' section, pictures from the latest shows including Red Rocks (Colorado), Milwaukee and St. Louis shows. The Red Rock pictures are particularly stunning. In addition to the pictures, a new video has been added called "CB on Border Crossings". In it, Rush's Tour Production Manager Craig Blaizer (CB) discusses such topics as border crossings (obviously) and illegal contraband.

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame, which is located in Pickerington, Ohio, is launching a new exhibit later this month called MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles. Among the numerous celebrity motorcycles in the exhibit will be Neil's BMW GS, along with one of his drum kits and other memorabilia.

The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum will spotlight over a hundred of the world’s most recognizable enthusiasts in its new exhibit, "MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles."

Scheduled to open in spring 2008, the 8,000-square-foot exhibit will feature many priceless machines, exclusive memorabilia and tales from celebrities’ favorite two-wheel adventures.

Click HERE for more information on the museum and this exhibit. Many thanks to Eric from Power Windows for passing along the news.

Rush is in the middle of their final extended tour break this week. Only 17 shows remain before they officially wrap up the Snakes & Arrows Live tour. I'll be attending the Atlantic City show on the 4th of July and I'm considering seeing the boys play at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel NJ on the 12th. Drop me a line if you're attending any of those shows. In the mean time, here are a couple of worthy news stories.

• Neil Peart "News, Weather & Sports" Update As expected, Neil Peart has updated his website with another edition of his News, Weather & Sports column. This entry, titled "When The Road Ends" touches upon several topics including Neil's riding "experiences" during this leg of the tour. Weather and other natural road blocks certainly made his journey an interesting one. Neil also touched upon the highly anticipated Snakes & Arrows Live DVD that is expected out later this year.

During that day I watched the finished edit for our live DVD from last October in Rotterdam. It looked really good, and we had played well, so it was enjoyable to view, but I could not get over how composed I looked. Such a contrast to how it feels, mentally and physically—brain frantically trying to keep everything “under control,” and body pounding away at full strength all the time. It doesn’t seem fair that it should look so easy. But as I learned a long time ago, “Ain’t no why, ain’t no fair.”

Neil also discusses, in a round-about way, the immediate future of the band:

For fifteen years people have been saying to me, "I hear this is your last tour" (I've been saying it myself since 1989), but subjects like that don't even get raised among the three of us. Certainly after the last two summers of heavy touring, which will eventually add up to well over a hundred shows, there will be no more of that for a while.

• Rock Band: Moving Pictures Download Coming Soon The highly touted video game "Rock Band", which came pre-loaded with a cover of Tom Sawyer and later had covers of Working Man and Limelight made available, will shortly have access to the entire Moving Pictures album (via download). At this point, its unclear if the entire album will also be covered for the video game, which is likely, or if the actual studio album version will makes its way onto the game. We'll have more as it's made available.

• With a Little Help From My Friends Donna Halper, who was credited with discovering Rush back in 1974, recently posted an article about several topics including her long-standing relationship with the band.

As I said, when I first discovered the band, I had no expectations of getting anything in return. So, when they dedicated their first two albums to me, and when I was given the opportunity to be the MC at one of their live shows in Cleveland, that was more recognition than I had usually received; as a music director for more than 13 years, I had helped a number of bands, and had seldom gotten so much as a thank you. I didn't take it personally. I understood that's how things often went in the music industry, and when Rush and their management acknowledged my efforts on their behalf, it was a pleasant surprise. But I certainly never expected that more than three decades later, the band would continue to remember what I did for them during those first few years.

You can read the entire article via this link.

And finally, I recently came across this interesting article/review of the Philadelphia show. Rock Fans, Update Your Bucket Lists discusses the obsession we fans have with the band.

Have you ever gotten into a debate about music with a hardcore Rush (MySpace) fan? If not, here's what you need to do. Next time you feel compelled to take your life in your hands, try to convince a Rush fan that Rush is not the greatest band ever. The loyalty they engender in their fans is something unmatched by, well, anyone. We'd always looked on Rush fans' fervor with a grain of salt, no more or less justified than any other person's love of their favorite band. We're just going to come out and say it: we were dead wrong.

An interesting read throughout.

Last month, I wrote about a project that was underway to get Rush a coveted Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The project, which was coordinated by Donna Halper and Rush fans Keith and Kevin Purdy, reached out to fans across the world for support. Today, we received word that Rush will, indeed, be honored with their own Star on the famous stretch of Hollywood real estate.

According to this AP News release, Rush will receive their star next year along with 25 other celebrities including (gasp) The Village People and Tinkerbell.

No word yet from the band on having this honor bestowed on them, but they were in support of the initiative to begin with so I can only guess that they are thrilled with the results. We'll have more news including the date of the ceremony and who, if any, of the band members will attend as it becomes available.

Pat yourself on the back for this one, fellow Rush fans. We can make a difference.

Rush have embarked on their final extended break of the 2008 Snakes & Arrows Live tour after playing the Tweeter Center in Boston, MA last night. The band will resume the tour on June 25th by returning to Colorado to play the rescheduled date at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. After the Colorado make-up date, Rush will play three dates in Wisconsin, St. Louis and Cincinnati before finishing up the tour on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. (for the most part).

If history repeats itself, we should get another update from Neil Peart posted to his website within the next few days. We'll let you know once that update is online.

And speaking of Neil, IBM has provided air-drummers the world over the ability to channel Mr. Peart while driving down the highway. Check out the Drumming Car for more information.

What will they think of next? :-)

Rush.Com has posted a new video in the Multimedia Section of the site called "The Great Spider Cook-Off". With all that could go wrong during a concert tour (weather, equipment malfunctions, NBA Playoff games) this is one problem that has to take the cake.

I don't want to spoil the surprise, so check out the video for yourself...just keep your drink covered unless you like crunchy bits of protein floating around in it. :-)

Oh, and hats off to the road crew for keeping the band spider-free.

Rush has been progressing eastward over the past week, playing shows in Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit. Tonight, they return to their homeland to play a show in Montreal before heading to the Eastern US to perform in Philadelphia and Boston before taking their final 10-day break.

More favorable reviews of the recent shows have been posted as well as a preview article from The Phoenix (of Boston). That article delves into the stigma surrounding Progressive rock.

...the Canadian trio’s rabid fan base and enduring legacy continue to frustrate those who’d like to pretend that ’70s prog never existed. (And who but Rush would do something like follow up last year’s Snakes & Arrows with this year’s Snakes & Arrows Live?) Of course, Geddy thinks that the whole “prog is a four-letter word” stigma is all smoke and mirrors. “Look at a band like Radiohead: they are a big-themed band, and they’re kind of the leader in the current prog-rock parade, in my opinion. They are probably loved by a lot of people who don’t like ‘prog rock,’ because they have an image that makes them acceptable, a grooviness that supersedes their music. And I think that’s part and parcel with acceptance of certain bands: if they have a groovy buzz, then it almost makes what they are doing musically acceptable by association. I think it’s a lot about a time and a place, more than the actual music that they’re playing.”

Rush Survive 40 Years on Rock’s Very Edge
Rush Rocks Out at the United Center
Concert Review: Rush at Starlight

Also keep in mind that the band's official site (www.rush.com) has been posting pictures from most of the dates they played thus far. You'll find them in the multimedia section under the Rush On The Road heading.

Here's the latest information directly from the band regarding the rescheduling of the Red Rocks (Colorado) show:

DENVER SHOW RESCHEDULED:
As previously announced, due to the severe weather conditions earlier this week, the sold out Rush Red Rocks performance previously scheduled for Thursday, June 5th was postponed. The rescheduled concert date is now confirmed for WEDNESDAY JUNE 25TH and all tickets purchased for the June 5th Denver show will be honored at the door. Fans unable to attend the rescheduled event may obtain a refund at point of purchase.

INDIANAPOLIS SHOW RESCHEDULED:
Due to scheduling changes, the RUSH Indianapolis performance previously scheduled for WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 at Verizon Wireless Music Center, will now move to THURSDAY, JULY 24. All tickets purchased for the JUNE 25 Indianapolis date will be honored at the JULY 24 show. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled date, please contact your point of purchase directly regarding refund.

We'll have more news if any additional developments are announced.

Tonight's show at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado has been postponed due to "Severe Weather". This announcement comes from the Red Rocks Website as well as Live Nation. It has not been confirmed by the band at this point, but that announcement is likely to be made very soon.

A rescheduled date should be announced shortly. Fans should hold onto their tickets, which will be honored pending confirmation of the rescheduled date. More to come as it is announced.

Thanks to reader James for the head's up and RushIsABand.Com and Power Windows for the additional information.

As most Rush fans know, Geddy Lee is a tremendous fan of the game of Baseball. He's often been spotted in the stands at Blue Jays games as well as stadiums across the nation while the band is on tour. Now, Geddy's appreciation for the game has been taken to the next level. According to an article posted at KansasCity.Com, Geddy recently donated close to 200 baseballs to the Negro League Baseball Museum of Kansas City.

Close to 200 baseballs, all autographed by former Negro Leagues baseball players or backers, have been donated to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum by a somewhat surprising fan ... Rush singer/bassist Geddy Lee.

It’s among the largest single donations the museum has had, according to director of marketing Bob Kendrick. It also represents some history the museum didn’t previously have.

The museum is still determining the best way to display these baseballs for all to appreciate. Well done, Geddy. Well done!

• The Tour Continues: Rush just completed playing a couple of dates in Washington State, as well as a show in Boise, ID. Their next stop will be in the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado on the 5th. A couple of new reviews have been posted, including a relatively short but entertaining one from the wife (super cool one at that) of a fan:

Greatness, Thy Name is Neil Peart
Rush Defies Age with Vitality and Verve

• Now That's What I Call Classic Rock: Classic Rock is eternal and it is now! The 2008 Now Classic Rock features 20 of the best Classic cuts of the century. From Queen to Heart, from Boston to Kansas, from Kiss to Cheap Trick, the greats of rock bounce through this CD digging way back with 'Fire' from the Jimi Hendrix Experience to 'My Generation' with the Who. An album so valuable you'll need several copies for the future ones which will go missing and borrowed!

Rush's The Spirit of Radio (labeled as Spirit of the Radio on Amazon) is track #4 on this collection. You can purchase this collection via this LINK.

• Rush for Human Rights T-Shirt: As reported earlier, Rush recently donated $100,000 to the development of a Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Special T-shirts were made up and sold at the recent Canadian dates wherein the proceeds of those sales were donated to the cause. Fans can now purchases these t-shirts from the Rush Backstage Club where, once again, all proceeds will be donated to the cause.

Today marks the 4th anniversary of the Cygnus-X1.Net site. It's somewhat hard to believe at how quickly these past four years have gone by and how much the site has evolved over that period. It went from a small site which housed some pictures of my family and a mini-personal blog and grew into an enormous resource for Star Trek and Rush fans alike. So, here we are: 4 years, 1.5 million visitors and 7 million page views later and still going strong.

As many of you know, this past year was among the most difficult for the site as well. It suffered not one, but two massive attacks back in April which infected each and every page of the site with MalWare. Subsequently, many visitors to the site during that period were also attacked with the MalWare infection. I spent days restoring the site and plugging the hole which caused the security breach in the first place. During that time, I seriously considered shutting down the site permanently. The attack was that discouraging to me.

But through the kindness and encouragement of many visitors and fellow webmasters, I stayed the course, got the site up and running and now I'm happy that we're entering our 5th year of service. There's still some fall-out from the attack, most notably the lack of family pictures on the site. But I am working that issue and hope to have it resolved shortly.

In the mean time, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support over the past 4 years. I'm glad you've all found something worthwhile in this little corner of the internet. Thank you all and on to Year #5

-John

The Rush Tribute @ Cygnus-X1 is maintained by John Patuto.
All Rush-related content with the exception of the "Reviews" and "Rush Links" section of this site are (c) 1997-2008 Anthem Entertainment.
"Cygnus-X1.Net" and the "Tribute to Rush" is in no way associated with nor endorsed by Rush and/or Atlantic Records and/or Mercury Records
and/or Anthem Entertainment; their parents or their affiliates. "Rush" et al and any/all related names, marks and/or insignias
are trademarks of Atlantic and/or Mercury Records. No infringement on the rights of these entities is intended.

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