Rush News Archive - June through August 2007

There are 42 active users currently online.

Comments

- Rush News Archive -
June through August 2007

August 29th, 2007

Rush News Bullets

- Rush Rocks Indiana: Rush played the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, IN earlier this week which drew an extremely favorable and somewhat introspective review of the show and the band. The review, titled Rush Raise Questions About Human Condition comes from The Indianapolis Star which also posted several photos from the show. There are additional photos from the show available at this link courtesy of tst4eko.

- Neil Peart Article Precedes Detroit Show: Prior to yesterday's show in Detroit, MI, Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press wrote a very interesting article which focused on Neil Peart. Here's an extract from the article, which is called Neil Peart of Rush: The Beat of a Different Drummer:
He's known as the Professor.

But that's not all they call Neil Peart. Stick the phrase "Neil Peart is..." in Google, step back and watch the accolades fly. As far as the Web is concerned, the Rush drummer is unreal, the greatest, a legend, the man. He is, some breathlessly proclaim, a rock god.
- Win an Autographed Neil Peart Drum Head: The Rush Backstage Club is holding another contest; this time giving away an autographed Neil Peart Drum Head. From the site:
Win this autgraphed drum head! Neil gave this to us before the St. Louis show, as his drum tech Lorne was putting on a new one. You'll be able to see the wear from previous shows. This contest closes on September 15, 2007.
Good luck to all!

August 27th, 2007
Alex Lifeson Celebrates 54th Birthday

Alex Lifeson, born Alexander Zivojinovich back in 1953, is celebrating his 54th birthday today. You can learn more about Alex's life leading up to and since joining Rush by reading one of the several biographies on the band in the Biographies section of the site. Happy Birthday, Alex!

August 23rd, 2007
Central U.S. and Canada Prepare for Rush Invasion

The third leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour will commence tonight at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Kansas City, MO and will take the band through the Central U.S. and Canada over the next month. Also included on this leg of the tour is the highly anticipated Madison Square Garden show on September 17th; the last U.S. show for the tour.

Rush will also play at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis, MO tomorrow night and in preparation for that event, an "interesting" article called The Geddy Lee Chronicles II: Electric Jambaroo was just published in the St. Louis River Front Times. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the article :)

August 22nd, 2007

Every Road Has Its Toll

At the mid-way point of the Snakes & Arrows tour Neil Peart has taken a moment to update the NEWS, WEATHER, and SPORTS of his website.
Standing backstage while the opening movie played the other night, poised to run on, sticks in hand, ear-monitors in, I found myself excited by two thoughts. I was idly pondering how I might start my solo that night (since I have been improvising the first part of it this tour, I always try to open with a different figure straight off), and I also felt an unaccustomed eagerness - a curiosity to get out there to see the audience.

Not to hear the audience, note - not to bask in their cheers and appreciation - but just to look at them. Their numbers, their faces, their reactions, their dances, their T-shirts, the signs they hold up. Even while I'm supposed to be up there entertaining people, they can be so entertaining for me.

Occasionally signs are scattered among the crowd, like two I saw in the audience at Red Rocks: One quite far back on the stage-right side read, "If I Loved a Woman Like I Love This Band, I'd Still Be Married!" Near the front, on the stage-left side, was another, "I Support My Husband's Rush Addiction!" Two very different stories there, obviously.
The entire article can be viewed at this LINK.

August 22nd, 2007

Eddie Trunk Interview with Geddy and Alex Now Online

Registered owners of the MVI version of Snakes & Arrows received their first treat yesterday as they were sent an email with a link to the first part of the Eddie Trunk interview with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. The interview, which took place earlier this year, discusses the writing process of Snakes & Arrows along with plans, at that time, for the up-coming tour.

The email that was sent to registered owners of the MVI version of the album included a short note from the band:
We recently sat down with Ed Trunk to discuss the new album, here is the first installment of that interview. Be on the lookout for the second installment and a contest to win an autographed 'Snakes & Arrows' drum head.

The tour is going great! - Rush
You can view Part I of the interview at this LINK.

Thanks to reader Tom for the head's up on the news.

August 20th, 2007
More Rush News Bullets

- Snakes & Arrows Charting News: After an impressive 15-week run which began with a debut at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, Snakes & Arrows has now fallen out of the Top 200 list. The first single Far Cry, which remained in the Top 10 on several charts for 22 weeks, has also dropped off. Fortunately, "The Larger Bowl", the third single from Snakes & Arrows, has cracked into the Top 30 on several charts | charts.

- More Rush.Com Updates: The official site, Rush.Com has been receiving an infusion of updates of late. Of real interest is the full list of "House Songs" which are played before (and after) a Snakes & Arrows concert. The list of songs was compiled by Neil himself. You can access that list at Rush.Com within the Multimedia/Downloads section. The Rush Mobile Store is also now open with Mobile Videos, Ringtones, Wallpapers and more.

August 16th, 2007
Rush News Bullets

- That's a Wrap Part Deux: Rush wrapped up the second leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour with a near-capacity show at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion in Houston, Texas. The tour will resume on August 23rd at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in St. Louis, Missouri. According to several reports, Neil broke his snare drum during the first set which led Geddy to the microphone to address the crowd with "...See how strong our drummer is? He broke his snake which is why I'm talking to you now...". Rush also played the alternate set list for the Houston show.

- Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie available on DVD: Released in theaters back in April of this year, the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie, which features a cameo by Neil Peart, is now available on DVD. You can order the two-DVD set via Amazon.Com.

- More Content Added to Rush.Com: Earlier this week, I reported that Rush.Com had updated its Multimedia section with the Darn that Dragon! video. Two more short videos-interviews have now been added: One with Andy from SRO/Anthem and the other with Bucky, Alex's Guitar tech. Both interviews were shot at the Irvine, CA show.

- One Million and Counting: At around 2:30AM (EST) on August 15th, Cygnus-X1.Net received its One Millionth visitor. Thanks to all of you for helping to make this site a success. On to the next million.

August 14th, 2007

Snakes & Arrows Special UK Tour Edition CD/DVD

Rush is scheduled to release a special "UK Tour" edition of Snakes & Arrows for the United Kingdom. This CD/DVD combination package mirrors the content included in the MVI version which is available here in the U.S. and Canada. From the Noble PR press release:
To coincide with their forthcoming UK October arena tour dates, Canadian rock power trio, RUSH, today announced the Monday September 3rd 2007 release of their critically acclaimed "Snakes & Arrows" album as a "Special 2007 UK Tour Edition" comprising 2 discs (CD and DVD).

Comprised of Special Tour Edition packaging, including a stunning 28-page full colour booklet, Disc 1 (CD) will feature the original stereo mix of the studio album, while Disc 2 (DVD) will include tons of interactive features audio mixes in 96 kHz/24-bit hi-resolution stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound.
You can view the complete press release via this LINK.

August 13th, 2007
Second Leg of Snakes & Arrows Tour Wrapping Up

Rush has been touring the Western United States over the past couple of weeks and are currently in Texas, wrapping up a 3-show stint in the Lonestar state. The band will then take 9 days off before resuming the tour in Kansas City, MO.

Prior to the tour hitting Texas, Rush played a show at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. A decent review of the show can be read HERE.

There's also a review of the Dallas show from the Dallas Morning News. The review, titled Rush's Signature Humor, Talent Pack Smirnoff is short, to the point and fairly positive.
Air guitarists were everywhere. And just as many air drummers pounded away at the ether, too, thanks to Neal Peart's stately presence. A few tipsy types stumbled around, but no one appeared truly ripped. Some wives rocked out as hard as their hubbies, some crossed arms and wished they were gazing at Grey's Anatomy instead of Geddy's.
Thanks to Chuck for passing me the review.

Finally, there was a nice pre-concert article written called Early Radio Airplay Won Rush its Fans that's definitely worth a read.

August 11th, 2007

Snakes & Arrows Guitar Tablature Book Now Available

The Guitar Tablature Book for Snakes & Arrows is now available. Released by Alfred Publishing, the book includes:
"...Standard Notation With Lyrics, Chords & Chord Frames. Matching songbook to group's 2007 album. Includes 4 color art section. Contents: Far Cry Cry, Armor And Sword, Workin' Them Angels, The Larger Bowl, Spindrift, The Main Monkey Business, The Way The Wind Blows, Hope, Faithless, Bravest Face, Good News First, Malignant Narcissism, We Hold On."
Click HERE to order the book from Amazon.Com

August 10th, 2007

Darn That Dragon! Video Now Online

The intermission video from the R30 / Feedback Tour, Darn That Dragon! is now online in the Multimedia section of Rush.Com.

The 2+ minute video features the bobblehead versions of Geddy, Alex and Neil (a.k.a. Dirk, Lerxst and Pratt) doing battle with the R30 dragon in a Japanese Monster Movie type of setting.

Click HERE to access the site and watch the video.

August 10th, 2007

Permanent Waves Ultradisc II? 24 KT Gold CD

This November, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab will be releasing the Ultradisc II? 24 KT Gold edition of Permanent Waves. From the website:
By 1980, Rush was experiencing the mid-point of what would be their golden period of recording (1976-1982). Released in January that year, Permanent Waves was a transitional exercise that moved them further from the 'prog-rock' lump-labeling and pointed the way for their next masterpiece the following year, Moving Pictures.

Peaking at Number 4 on the Billboard's Album chart, Permanent Waves spawned such perennial concert staples as "Freewill" and "Spirit of Radio". Well-beyond the power-trio of old, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart each contributed equally, with multiple instrumentation and arranging approaches. With Terry Brown again producing, on board from their 1974 debut through 1982's Signals, each new album was a leap forward in mixing and production values, helping elevate the group to the upper echelons of rockdom. The combination of songwriting, arranging and production indeed renders it "an undisputed rock classic".

Contains the mega hits "Freewill" and "Spirit of Radio"
4 ½ Stars, "An undisputed rock classic" - All Music Guide
Numbered Limited Edition "Japanese Mini Sleeve" gatefold packaging
24 Karat Gold - Ultradisc II

1. The Spirit Of Radio
2. Freewill
3. Jacob's Ladder
4. Entre Nous
5. Different Strings
6. Natural Science
This marks the fourth Rush album to be released in this format. The previous three were 2112, Moving Pictures and Signals. For more information on this release, click HERE.

August 9th, 2007

Rush News Bullets

- GuitarPlayer Interview Videos with Alex Lifeson: As reported earlier this month, Alex appeared on the cover of the September 2007 edition of GuitarPlayer Magazine. There are now 3 video interviews with Alex available on the magazine's TV Site. Just look for the Alex Lifeson channel on the left side of the screen.

- Alex Teams Up with Tiles and Terry Brown: Long-time Rush producer Terry Brown and Alex Lifeson recently reunited when Alex performed a guest appearance on a song for the upcoming Tiles album which Terry is producing. The album, Fly Paper will also feature Hugh Syme on keyboards for at least one track and will likely reflect some of Hugh's artwork as well. From the Tiles website:
"Terry had approached Alex about making a guest appearance - and played him some of our new songs. Alex liked what he heard and said he would have a chance to do 'something' before Rush began rehearsals for their 'Snakes and Arrows' tour. The window of opportunity arrived this past March - and Terry went to Alex' studio where the two proceeded to work their magic on "Sacred and Mundane." Listening to Alex' parts for the first time was amazing - and the amount of work he put into the song was beyond what we could have hoped for. He came up with a counter-riff that literally 'became' the song; he added acoustic guitars to the refrains; played an acoustic Celtic counter-melody in the bridge; came up with a cool backwards solo in the breakdown section; and added an assortment of guitar textures and effects from start to finish. Terry and Alex spent almost 12-hours recording." - Tiles guitarist Chris Herin
- Snakes & Arrows Ranking - Week #14: In its 14th week on the charts, Snakes & Arrows dropped another 13 spots to position #178 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. The album has sold nearly 233,000 units in the U.S. alone and over 70,000 (est.) units in Canada. In its 20th week since being released, Far Cry has dropped out of the top 10 and is sitting at lucky position #13 on several charts | charts.

August 7th, 2007

Lush Cover Art Revealed

The cover artwork for the upcoming Rush Tribute Album "Lush" has been revealed and, not surprisingly, it's strongly reminiscent of the original cover artwork for Rush. The tribute album, which is being produced by MainManRecords will represent a "loving recreation of Rush's debut album... back when John Rutsey was the drummer and they had greasy hair."

As previously reported, the tracklist for the tribute album will be:

1. Finding My Way - 3 Legged Rabbit
2. Need Some Love - Rutsey
3. Take A Friend - Snagglepuss
4. Here Again - Joe Harvard Band
5. What You're Doing - Ed Mundell
6. In The Mood - FourYearBeard
7. Before And After - Frankenstein 3000
8. Working Man - Murder 1
9. Not Fade Away - A Farewell To Bling
10. Can't Fight It - Worro Pilkinson

Pre-ordering of this very limited edition tribute album will begin in mid-August from the MainManRecords website.

August 6th, 2007

The Drums of Snakes & Arrows

The August 2007 edition of Modern Drummer Magazine contained an articled penned by Neil Peart called "The Drums of Snakes & Arrows". The DW Drums website has now posted scans of the article online at their site. The article discusses Neil's approach to creating the drum sections for each of the tracks from Snakes & Arrows.
Certainly my favorite part of the job is getting together with Alex and Geddy in some little studio to exchange new ideas. And that exciting first day, walking around my drums and thinking, 'Hmm...what can I change?'
The scanned article is available at this link.

Thanks to GeddyWannaBe and RayM for the head's up on this article.

August 3rd, 2007
Snakes & Arrows Charting News - Week #13

Week 13 had Snakes & Arrows dropping from position #154 to #165 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart; a 7% week over week change.

Far Cry continues to chart very well after 19 weeks. It's currently up a spot to position #34 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and remains in the Top 10 on other rock-single charts | charts. Unfortunately there's no sign of Spindrift of The Larger Bowl on any singles chart yet.

August 2nd, 2007

Rush in Print

Alex Lifeson appears on the cover of the September edition of Guitar Player Magazine. The tag line on the cover reads:
Alex Lifeson Re-engineered: How New Gear, New Tunings, and Old-School Passion Forged Rush's Biggest Guitar Sounds in Years!
Also available online is an article/interview with Geddy Lee from Bass Player Magazine. The article, called Northern Warrior touches upon Geddy's work ethic, his rehearsal regimen and how he's grown musically and personally over the years.
I'm a lot happier with my bass playing on this record than I was on Vapor Trails. For example, I think there is more range to the parts. They are more thoughtful and melodic. I didn't realize that until I went back to start rehearsing some of the Vapor Trails material for this tour. I realized the emphasis on Vapor Trails was rhythm, and that it had a rather narrow melodic scope compared to this record, which is all over the neck. I'm much stronger melodically, and I hadn't realized that until this rehearsal. I feel really good at the place I am as a player at the moment.
Thanks to RushIsABand for the news.

July 30th, 2007

The Weekend Rush

This past weekend had Rush playing in the desert towns of Phoenix Arizona and Las Vegas Nevada. The Phoenix show reflected the "alternative" set list (Thanks Rick M.) while the Vegas show reflected the original. There were two well written articles posted in the Las Vegas Review-Journal about Rush and the Vegas show. The first one, Trio's Virtuosity Delivers it Hard, Easy discussed the Vegas show and the evolution of Rush through the years.
Rush might have started out as a comic book come to life, a sci-fi obsessed power trio that crafted heady Spock rock tempered with Ayn Rand-inspired libertarian musings, but the band members have steadily become a more introspective, reflective bunch, highly attentive to the world around them.

At the MGM Grand on Saturday, the band delved heavily into their latest disc, the searching, disconsolate "Snakes and Arrows," which offers some razor-wire-sharp commentary on matters of conflict and faith.
The second article, The Long Haul: After 30 years, Rush Still Packing Arenas with Three-Hour Shows is an interview with Alex Lifeson where he discusses the rigors of touring and how the band keeps in shape. "We all work out with trainers for months before we go out," Lifeson says of the band pre-tour regimen. "My trainer set up two programs for me, one in the gym and one in my hotel room. I play golf almost every day because it gets me out of my boring hotel room for five or six hours. We try to be as athletic as we can to stay in shape, because you really need to -- especially at this point."
And finally, Geddy Lee celebrated his 54th birthday on Sunday. Happy Birthday, Geddy!

July 27th, 2007

New Information on Lush: The Next Rush Tribute Album

Last week I discussed the details behind the upcoming Rush Tribute Album from MainManRecords called "Lush". The website has some additional information on the album including some potential initial artwork. From MainManRecords:
A loving recreation of Rush's debut album... back when John Rutsey was the drummer and they had greasy hair. Tracklist below... artists to be announced soon.

Features 2 bonus tracks, the songs from Rush's first single!

1. Finding My Way - 3 Legged Rabbit
2. Need Some Love - Rutsey
3. Take A Friend - Snagglepuss
4. Here Again - Joe Harvard Band
5. What You're Doing - Ed Mundell
6. In The Mood - FourYearBeard
7. Before And After - Frankenstein 3000
8. Working Man - Murder 1
9. Not Fade Away - A Farewell To Bling
10. Can't Fight It - Worro Pilkinson
Though the blurb from the website indicates that "artists will be announced soon", I've already confirmed that Ed Mundell of Monster Magnet, Jon Nardochone of Murder One and The Cursed as well as Frankenstein 3000 will be among the contributing artists.

Pre-ordering of this very limited edition tribute album will begin in mid-August from the MainManRecords website.

July 27th, 2007
Snakes & Arrows Charting News - Week #12

After 12 weeks since its release, Snakes & Arrows continues to make a precipitous drop on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. Last week, the album dropped out of the Top 100 list, falling to position #131. This week the album slipped another 24 spots to position #154.

In contrast, the album's first single, Far Cry, continues to chart extremely well after 18 weeks. It's currently ranked at position #35 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and remains in the Top 10 on other rock-single charts | charts.

July 27th, 2007

Heavy Metal Box Set to Include Rush's Working Man

According to Billboard.Com, Rhino Records will be releasing a massive 4-disc Heavy Metal box set called Heavy Metal Box which will include Rush's Working Man on disc 1. From Billboard:
Heavy metal fans will be banging their heads in delight this fall with the release of Rhinos's "Heavy Metal Box," due Oct. 2. The four-disc, 70-song set boasts classic tracks from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Slayer, among dozens of others.

Arranged chronologically from 1968 to 1991, the compilation also boasts hits from bands like Deep Purple, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, Pantera, Alice Cooper, Venom, Testament, Rush and Megadeth; the project will be packaged in a box resembling a Marshall guitar amp.

The liner notes will include extensive photos, track commentary and interviews with Ronnie James Dio and Lita Ford.
The box set is scheduled to be released on October 2nd. Thanks to RushIsABand.Com for the news!

July 26th, 2007

Official Malignant Narcissim Video Now Online

BobbysBrane.com, the creator of the computer-animated Neil Peart/YYZ video, has just completed and uploaded a new video for the Snakes & Arrows track Malignant Narcissim. The video, which was sanctioned by Rush, is available for download in both WMV (Window Media Player) and MOV (Quicktime) formats.

The video, which also employs computer animation, is called "on The Origin of Specious -- Religion: The Family Tree".

You can view the video and leave feedback at this LINK.

July 25th, 2007

The World Series of Video Games to feature YYZ in Competition

The World Series of Video Games competition will include a competition segment featuring Guitar Hero II; the video game that features, among other notable rock tracks, Rush's YYZ.
This Sunday, July 29 at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT, CBS will show some of the best Guitar Hero II players in North America as they compete for a piece of the $90,000 prize pot at the WSVG Louisville circuit stop. At the WSVG, the top prizes aren't awarded to the players with only the highest scores but rather to the most accurate, stylish and energetic performances as determined by a panel of celebrity judges including "MTV Style" VJ Coltrane Curtis, legendary video game composer Tommy Tallarico, and Becky "Aktrez" Young, leading lady of the Girl Gaming Network. The event attracted players such as David "WuLFe" Briers, the number one player on the Xbox leaderboards, Nikolai "Kov" Shish and Kelly "Tipper Queen" Law-Yone. Catch a glimpse of Kov playing an amazing rendition of REVEREND HORTON HEAT's "Psychobilly Freakout" here, as he tries to one-up WuLFe's stellar performance of RUSH's "YYZ" in the finals. Kov and WuLFe end up battling it out in a hair-raising performance of BUCKETHEAD's "Jordan", the hardest song in Guitar Hero II. The show will also feature footage from the circuit's other games, World of Warcraft and EA Sports Fight Night Round 3. A teaser video of the show has been posted on YouTube.
Thanks to Blabbermouth for the news.

July 25th, 2007

The Next Snakes & Arrows Single: The Larger Bowl

A while back, there was a rumor that The Larger Bowl would be released as the second single off of Snakes & Arrows. In fact, Spindrift became the second single and, unfortunately, didn't fair all that well. Now word comes that The Larger Bowl has just been released under the following formats: Heritage Rock, Adult Contemporary and Country.

Help support the new single -- Call your local station and ask them to play it!

Click HERE for a larger image of the single.

July 25th, 2007

Rush "Big Apple Fly Away" Contest

Rush.Com and the The The U.S. performing rights organization SESAC, who also represent Rush, are sponsoring an exciting contest called the Big Apple Fly Away.

The prize package includes Two roundtrip airline tickets to New York City, Hotel accommodations courtesy of the Kimberly Hotel, Two tickets to the RUSH concert at Madison Square Garden and Two Meet & Greet Passes to meet RUSH.

Click HERE for more details.

July 25th, 2007

Snakes & Arrows Concert Reviews

As Rush continues the second leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour on the West Coast of the U.S., a couple of new reviews from the Seattle and Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles) shows have appeared online. The Seattle review, Rush Brings Out Too Much New, took exception with the number of new songs that made their way into the setlist:
It was out with the old and in with the new Friday when venerable Canadian rock trio Rush performed a marathon three-hour concert at White River Amphitheatre that was as equally disappointing as it was delighting.
In contrast, one of the most favorable and well written reviews about the tour came from the Los Angeles show at the famed Hollywood Bowl. The review, Rush in Los Angeles, focused on the "meticulous musicianship":
It was still daylight when "Limelight" opened the proceedings with a hearty swagger. The first of four tracks from 1981's epic "Moving Pictures," it demonstrated early the spot-on and meticulous musicianship that would mark the evening. The vocals weren't as consistent, but there were no atrocities, Lee seeming to pick his battles wisely. Where he pushed to meet a higher stretch on the opener, he later nailed "Subdivisions" as though it were effortless, wavered a bit on "Freewill," then delivered a vocal performance on "Distant Early Warning" that was as impeccable as the music that carried it more than two-and-a-half hours into the set.
There's also a short interview with Alex Lifeson called Rush Rolls Out New Songs on Tour at AzCentral.Com; Arizona's Home Page.

Finally, thanks to reader Mike Dover who sent me the image to the right from the Portland, Oregon show. Click the image for a larger view.

July 21st, 2007

Win an Autographed Alex Lifeson Guitar

The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is currently holding a raffle to help raise money to combat cancer. For every donation (suggested amount is $10), your name will be entered in a drawing with a chance to win an Alex Lifeson autographed Paul Reed Smith SE guitar.
We want to express our sincere thanks to "RUSH" for taking time to help us with this great cause, and extend thanks to "Coffey Music" of Westminster, MD and Paul Reed Smith Guitars for their support.

Help us fight cancer as you take a chance to win a unique collector's guitar from the World's Greatest Rock Trio!
To read more or to make a donation, please click through to this LINK.

July 20th, 2007

Rush News Bullets

- Cover Boy Geddy Lee: Geddy Lee appears on the cover of the August 2007 edition of Bass Player Magazine. In addition, a number of video clips with Geddy are available at Bass Players TV Site including one where Geddy shows off his bass-playing skills. Definitely worth a watch.

- Calgary Show Review: There's a pretty humorous review of the Calgary Alberta Show over at jam! Showbiz. The reviewer, who attended the show with her husband, admits she's not a Rush fan, but still gave a fairly positive review of the show, ending with this comment:
But while I did not gain a new love of Rush, the thousands of fans chanting the band's name at the end of the night (as well as my better-half, who threatened to leave me if I gave them a poor review) assured me, or rather convinced me, they rocked.
- First Leg of Tour Has Strong Sales: According to the July 21st edition of Billboard Magazine, four shows from the first leg of the tour made the Top 35 Concert Gross Revenue list.
21. $860,671 Rush - Nikon Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY, July 2, attendance 12,300, capacity 13,851
24. $689,995 Rush - Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA, June 27, attendance 12,358, capacity 14,245
25. $662,267 Rush - Tweeter Center Waterfront, Camden, NJ, July 6, attendance 12,180, capacity 24,956
27. $628,792 Rush - PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ, July 8, attendance 12,014, capacity 16,996
- Snakes & Arrows Tour Book Images: And if you hadn't noticed yet, the images from the S&A Tourbook are now online. You can check them out HERE.

July 19th, 2007
Snakes & Arrows Charting News - Week #11

Update: According to Rush Forum user rushman14, Soundscan sales of Snakes & Arrows were only 5,518 last week which puts the album at position #131 on the Soundscan Top 200 Chart. The Soundscan and Billboard Top 200 charts are usually fairly similar.

Snakes & Arrows has dropped out of the Top 100 Albums on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. It was at position #58 last week, thanks to the strong sales of the MVI version of the album. As Billboard.Com only shows the Top 100 albums from the list of 200 online, I'm not certain where Snakes & Arrows is currently positioned. If someone else knows the current ranking, please post it in the comments section.

The single Far Cry increased a notch to position #29 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks while it dropped a spot to position number 8 on several other charts | charts.

July 18th, 2007
Second Leg of Snakes & Arrows Tour Begins Tonight

After a 9 day rest period, Rush is prepared to launch into the second leg of the Snakes & Arrows World Tour. Returning to Canada after nearly 3 years, the band will take the stage at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta Canada tonight. Following the Alberta show, Rush will work their way down the West Coast finally ending up in Texas in mid-August before taking their next break. We'll have more news on setlist changes and other notable events as the tour continues.

July 17th, 2007
New Rush Tribute Album to Focus on John Rutsey Period

Last week I reported that a new Rush Tribute album was in the works from the Indie Label Main Man Records. Since then, I've been speaking with a member of the label who filled me in on some details. The tribute album will be called "Lush" and will focus on the debut album Rush, the band's first single "You Can't Fight It" and the John Rutsey period of Rush's career. Confirmed performers include Ed Mundell of Monster Magnet, Jon Nardochone of Murder One and The Cursed as well as Frankenstein 3000.

The album is scheduled to be released in mid September, most of which will be radio giveaways on The Legendary Electric Ballroom Radio Show which aires on 95.9FM The Wrat (out of Pt. Pleasant, New Jersey). There will also be 100 copies available for sale to the public directly from Main Man Record's website with pre-ordering beginning on or about August 15th.

You can listen to one of the tracks on the tribute, "What You're Doing" at this LINK.

Thanks again to Keef from Main Man Records for the updates.

July 15th, 2007

Update from Neil Peart - "That's the Way We Roll"

Neil Peart has just updated the NEWS, WEATHER, and SPORTS section on his personal website, NeilPeart.Net. The entry, "That's the Way We Roll" discusses Neil's motorcycle journey during the first leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour as well as his recent meeting with Richard Foster (see news story below).
"With only a few days at home after the first leg of the 'Snakes & Arrows' tour (16 shows, 7,257 miles of motorcycling), this will definitely be the 'short version.' Still, I wanted to try to put up something new.

"Photographs of the performances are plentifully available elsewhere (my view of the audience this tour is studded with innumerable cell-phone cameras, sticking up like periscopes), so I thought I might just display a couple of motorcycling photos. On this tour Michael and I haven't even carried cameras with us on the bikes, let alone bothering to ease our steady pace to take photos, but recently we had a camera-happy 'guest rider,' Richard S. Foster. The name might ring a bell to dedicated readers of album credits - our song 'Red Barchetta' had a note on the lyric sheet, 'Inspired by 'A Nice Morning Drive' by Richard S. Foster.'
You can read Neil's entire entry via this LINK.

July 13th, 2007

Inspiration for Red Barchetta Meets Neil Peart

Back in November of 1973, Richard S. Foster had a short story called "A Nice Morning Drive" published in Road & Track. That story led to the inspiration of Red Barchetta. Now, over 25 years since the release of the album, Neil Peart and Richard Foster meet for the first time and even ride together. Richard recently posted an in-depth message on the Metro Washington BMW Messageboard about the experience of meeting Neil. The article is extremely interesting and contains some great photos.

You can check out the message by clicking this LINK.

To read the original short story, simply click HERE.

July 13th, 2007

Rush Sighting on G4TV's Code Monkeys

G4TV has a new animated show called "Code Monkeys" which is done in the style of the old 8-bit computers of the 1980's. The debut of the show, which aired this past Wednesday, revealed a poster of Rush hanging in the office of Dave and Jerry, two of the main characters in the show.

The posted appears in the opening credits as well as some scenes during the show. You can check out some clips via this LINK.

Code Monkeys airs on G4TV every Wednesday at 9PM EST.

Thanks to Power Windows for the news.

July 12th, 2007
Snakes & Arrows Charting News - Week #10

After 10 weeks on the charts, Snakes & Arrows is now at position #58 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart; a drop of only 3 spots from last week. Clearly, sales of the limited-edition MVI version of the album coupled with the successful tour thus far have given the album some staying power on the charts. On the Billboard Top Internet Album Chart, Snakes & Arrows has shot up to #1!

Far Cry charting has softened a little, however. On Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, the single is at position #29; down one spot since last week. On other charts | charts, Far Cry has dropped to position #7 (from position #4 and #6 respectively last week); still very impressive after 17 weeks on the charts.

July 12th, 2007

Tom Sawyer included in upcoming Rock Band Video Game

Kotaku, the makers of last year's Guitar Hero II video game which featured YYZ are in the process of creating a new game which will take the Guitar Hero format one step further. Rock Band will incorporate drums and vocals along with the guitar track for a complete music experience. Included in the track-list for the game is a cover of Rush's Tom Sawyer. Below is the current track-list for the game, which is scheduled for release later this year.

The Who "Won't Get Fooled Again"
Mountain "Mississippi Queen"
David Bowie "Suffragette City"
Black Sabbath "Paranoid"
Blue Oyster Cult "Don't Fear the Reaper"
The Ramones "Rockaway Beach"
Rush "Tom Sawyer"
Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive"
Nirvana "In Bloom"
Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline"
Weezer "Say It Ain't So"
Foo Fighters "Learn to Fly"
Metallica "Enter Sandman"
The Hives "Main Offender"
The Strokes "Reptilia"
Queens of the Stone Age "Go With the Flow"

Mountain, Sabbath and, tragically, Rush are all covers, the rest are originals.

Thanks to RushIsABand.Com for the news.

July 11th, 2007

Rollin' With Rush

An interesting article was recently posted in the Sabian.Com Message Forums detailing some of the recent projects that Neil Peart has been involved in. While there isn't anything really new about the article, there are a number of exceptional images of Neil in the studio and beyond.
Since the R30 tour Neil has been immersed in several different projects including an instructional DVD called Anatomy of a Drum Solo, a DVD from the R30 tour and a new book titled ROADSHOW: Landscape with Drums, A Concert Tour By Motorcycle. The latest issue of Modern Drummer (Aug 2007) on shelves now has an article written by Neil about recording the new album.
Thanks to reader GeddyWannaBe for the head's up on the story.

July 9th, 2007

Rush Rocks New Jersey - About to close East-Coast Leg of Tour

Last night, Rush rocked to a nearly full house at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. I was in attendance last night and was able to snap off over 50 pictures from the show. You can check them out via this LINK. There are a couple of nice shots that show Neil sporting a custom(?) Snakes & Arrows t-shirt to go along with his Snakes & Arrows head-band.

Once again for the second time during the tour, the setlist had a minor change to it as one song was replaced for another. Check out the setlist page for more information.

Finally, the New York Daily News has an article discussing Rush and the upcoming show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. You can check out the article, called "It's Rush Hour Again" by clicking HERE. The Mohegan Sun show marks the end of the East-Coast leg of the tour. The band will take a 9-day break before resuming the show in Calgary, Alberta Canada.

July 6th, 2007
Rush Tributes and Soundtracks

According to Monster Magnet Guitarist Ed Mundell, a new Rush Tribute Album will be released this September from Main Man Records. The album will include Ed Mundell on guitars and bass, Rick Ferrante on drums, and Colby Veil on vocals. One of the tracks, "What You're Doing" from the debut album Rush, is now available online. Thanks to RushIsABand.Com for the news.

According to Blabbermouth, Rush's Tom Sawyer will be included on the soundtrack of the Halloween Movie remake by Rob Zombie (who is also the founder and frontman of metal band White Zombie). The remake of the 1978 horror classic is due out August 31st. The soundtrack should be available on August 21st. Below is the complete track listing:
1. BLUE ÖYSTER CULT - "Don't Fear The Reaper"
2. NAZARETH - "Love Hurts"
3. PETER FRAMPTON - "Baby, I Love Your Way"
4. RUSH - "Tom Sawyer"
5. BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE - "Let It Ride"
6. KISS - "God Of Thunder"
7. THE SWEET - "Love Is Like Oxygen"
8. ALICE COOPER - "Only Women Bleed"
9. MISFITS - "Halloween 2"
10. TYLER BATES - "Halloween Theme"
11. TYLER BATES - "Michael stalks Laurie"
12. MR. SANDMAN - "Nan Vernon"

July 5th, 2007
Rush News Bullets

The Snakes & Arrows tour rolls on to stellar reviews, the sales and charting of the album shoot up (thanks to the MVI release) and we have our first confirmed setlist change.
- Rush Rocks New York: Rush finished playing New York with shows at Jones Beach on the 2nd and Darien Lake on the 4th. Two solid reviews for the shows are now online. The first, Geddy Lee takes Rush album to Jones Beach came from Newsday and was fairly positive if not a little generic. The second review, Rush's Power Rock Still Soars came from the Buffalo News and was as positive a review as you'll read.

- Set List Change: The first confirmed set-list change on the Snakes & Arrows tour occurred during the Darien Lake show on the 4th. Distant Early Warnings took the place of Summertime Blues in this show. It'll be interesting to see if this is a permanent change, or just a rotating one.

- Billboard Charting News: Thanks to the release of the MVI version of Snakes & Arrows, the album jumped from position #93 last week all the way up to position #55 this week on Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. Far Cry is still charting strongly, though it has dropped a couple of spots on several charts | charts.

July 3rd, 2007
Neil Peart included in list of Top Canadians

In honor of Canada Day, UGO.com (UnderGroundOnline) has created a list of their Top 11 Awesome Canadians, with a number of honorable mentions. Coming in at position #5 is Rush's Neil Peart. Here's what UGO had to say about Neil:
Back when video games were still just for geeks the beating heart inside every gamer was the rhythm of Neil Peart's 900-piece (give or take) drum set. The syncopated Morse code call of "YYZ" in a 10/8 time signature was like a tribal call for hardcore nerds to congregate, discuss the latest cheats for Zork, episodes of V: The Visitors, or to show off how many Python lines they'd memorized. Peart (the drummer from Rush, for those who aren't catching all this) not only kept the beat but wrote the lyrics, too. And to you, Neil Peart, we say, "The battle's over and the dust is clearing/Disciples of the Snow Dog sound the knell/Rejoicing echoes as the dawn is nearing/By-Tor in defeat retreats to Hell!"
Rounding out the Top 5 are Wolverine, William Shatner, Phil Hartman and at #1, The Cast of You Can't Do That on Television.

July 2nd, 2007
Rush Scheduled to Appear on HDNet's Sound Off with Matt Pinfield

Both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are scheduled to appear on HDNet's Sound Off with Matt Pinfield this Sunday at 8:30PM EST. The show will be re-aired at 12:30AM and 4:30AM EST.
Rush - Matt chats with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of the legendary rock trio Rush. With well over 35 million records sold worldwide, Rush has gained international fame with their instrumental virtuosity and eclectic lyrics. Their latest album is entitled Snakes & Arrows.
Thanks to RushIsABand.Com for the news.

July 2nd, 2007

Rush Snakes & Arrows Tour - Saratoga Springs, NY

Rush Concert Reviews and Pictures

Rush has been playing in the North East over the past week, including recent stops at the Tweeter Center outside of Boston, MA (Mansfield, MA), Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. There have been a number of extremely positive reviews of these shows posted over the weekend.

This review, Time Seems to Stand Still for Rush discusses the Mansfield show and how the crowd apparently wasn't "familiar" with the songs from Snakes & Arrows, save for Far Cry.

The next two reviews were about the Scranton, PA show. Rush Wows at Montage focused more on the stage props than the show itself while Rush Fans Rewarded for Loyalty discussed the "cult" status of Rush.
It's hard to view a band like Rush as having a "cult" following, but that is how some people see the Canadian-based power trio.

Perhaps it's because, during its 33-year history, the band has scored only a small handful of hits, and even those weren't big chart busters. But considering the group has sold 35 million albums, and that some of its songs are still staples at classic rock radio, and that whenever it hits the road for a tour, thousands of people show up each night, "cult" just doesn't seem like the right word.
Finally, a review of the Saratoga Springs show, Rush Wows SPAC Crowd is coupled with some pro-shot pictures from the show. Those can be viewed via this LINK.

July 2nd, 2007
Initial Snakes & Arrows Concert Attendance Figures

According to Blabbermouth.Net the following are some of the early RUSH "Snakes & Arrows World Tour" concert grosses, as reported by Billboard magazine:
Artist/Event: RUSH
Venue: HiFi Buys Ampthitheatre
City/State: Atlanta, GA
Date: June 13, 2007
Gross Sales: $505,255
Attendance: 8,998
Capacity: 15,949

Artist/Event: RUSH
Venue: Sound Advice Amphitheatre
City/State: West Palm Beach, FL
Date: June 15, 2007
Gross Sales: $492,908
Attendance: 9,432
Capacity: 19,238

Artist/Event: RUSH
Venue: Ford Ampthitheatre
City/State: Tampa, FL
Date: June 16, 2007
Gross Sales: $605,896
Attendance: 13,434
Capacity: 19,508

Artist/Event: RUSH
Venue: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
City/State: Charlotte, NC
Date: June 18, 2007
Gross Sales: $408,908
Attendance: 8,287
Capacity: 18,700

June 29th, 2007

Rush Snakes & Arrows Tour - Mansfield, MA

Rush mines rarities in energetic outing

This past Wednesday, Rush played before nearly 20,000 fans at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA - the largest crowd thus far on the Snakes & Arrows tour, and one of the largest U.S. crowds for a Rush show ever. The Boston Herald posted a very positive review of the show:
It was a gold-Rush of goodies new, old and obscure for longtime fans of Canada's premier progressive trio.

Having gone the hits route for their 2004 30th anniversary trek and with no opener cutting in on their time, Rush's "Snakes and Arrows" tour is geared toward hard-core devotees. And judging by the adoring energy of the sold-out Tweeter Center crowd last night, there's no shortage.
You can read the entire review HERE.

June 28th, 2007
Snakes & Arrows Charting News

Despite the release of the MVI version of Snakes & Arrows, the album dropped 15 spots on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. It's now at position #93. We'll see what kind of strength the MVI sales will give it this week; hopefully it'll be enough to keep the album in the Top 100. Once again, Far Cry continues to chart strongly, holding on to position #4 on several charts | charts.

June 27th, 2007

Rush Snakes & Arrows Tour - Bristow, Virginia

Bristow VA Pictures and Pittsburgh PA Review

I recently uploaded several pictures I took from the Bristow, Virginia show (June 23rd at the Nissan Pavillion). They were taken from section 104 so what they lack in detail they make up for, somewhat, in overall content. You can view the gallery of pictures via this LINK.

There's also a very favorable review of the Pittsburgh, PA show which took place at the Post Gazette Pavillion on June 25th. The review ("Rush quick to show love for local fans") appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and focused on the long-standing relationship of the band and their Pittsburgh fan base.
Clearly, local fans have formed a bond with the Canadian rock trio Rush over these 30-plus years. It seems the feeling may be mutual. "I think I always say this, but I think we've played Pittsburgh more than any other city," bassist Geddy Lee told the Post-Gazette Pavilion crowd Monday night.
You can read the entire review via this LINK.

June 26th, 2007

Snakes & Arrows Tour Book Now Online

For those of you who simply can't wait to get a copy of your own, I've now transcribed the complete text from the Snakes & Arrows Tour Book as well as scanned several of the images. You can see it at this LINK. I've also begun the arduous task of scanning each image from this fantastic tour book which should make its way to the site within the next week.

Though I've made the tourbook available on the site, as I've done with all previous tour books, I strongly suggest you purchase one for yourself. The text and images that appear here can not truly capture the quality behind the piece of Rush history. And at $20, it's well worth the price. If you're not going to a Rush Concert this time around, you can still purchase the Tour Book at The Rush Backstage Club. Enjoy.

June 26th, 2007

Snakes & Arrows MVI Released Today

At long last, the MVI version of Snakes & Arrows has finally been released. With a limited run of just 25,000 units, it's likely that this special edition of Snakes & Arrows will sell out soon. At this time, you can still order a copy from Amazon.Com and the Rush Backstage Club has a few copies left.

The description from the Rush Backstage Club:
Rush has recorded Snakes & Arrows on a new format called "MVI" (Music Video Interactive disc). Another name for this is the "DVD-Album". With a higher storage capacity than a standard CD, the MVI is loaded with exciting new features. Superior sound quality plus a wide range of video features and interactive digital content combine to bring you closer to the artists and their music. It plays in all standard DVD players, computers and game consoles with DVD drives. The MVI includes the full album in 96kHz/24 bit hi-resolution stereo audio and a 5.1 surround mix, plus bonus video and digital content. Although the MVI disc will not play in your CD player, the audio tracks are pre-encoded for easy transfer to your computer, portable music player, or recordable CD. Digital music files are compatible with all MP3 devices. Please note that this MVI will not play in CD players.

The Rush "SNAKES & ARROWS" MVI comes in a deluxe box, and includes these 13 new songs in hi-resolution audio, the entire album in 5.1 surround sound, a video documentary on the making of the album, and more.
You can see some screen shots of the menu system via this LINK.

June 22nd, 2007
Rush News Bullets

Reviews from the early concert shows on the Snakes & Arrows tour continue to be extremely positive as Rush work their way up the East Coast of the U.S. over the weekend with shows hitting Virginia and Pennsylvania. Below are some other notable new stories.
Snakes & Arrows Charting News
In its seventh week since being release, Snakes & Arrows has now dropped one spot to position #78 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. Far Cry continues to chart strongly, holding on once again to position #4 on several charts | charts.

Vote for Rush!
Billboard.Com is running a poll on their site to select the Greatest Rock Trio of All Time. After a strong start by the Bee Gees, Rush has currently taken over the lead. Place your vote and view the results via this link.

'Snakes and Arrows' finds the Canadian trio vital after nearly 40 years
Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette had a very positive article on the band. You can read the full article HERE. Elsewhere in the Gazzette, Rush was also mentioned in an article titled "That '70s Show: A new breed of rock band emerged in the '70s and still roams the Earth". You can read that article via this link.
On a personal note, I'll be attending my first concert on this tour tomorrow, Saturday, June 23rd at the Nissan Pavillion in Bristow, Virginia. I'll be taking pictures which I'll later upload to the site.

June 21st, 2007

Rush.Com Contest: Win a Meet and Greet or Front Row Tickets

Rush.Com just announced that they are holding a contest where you can win a Meet and Greet with the Band or Front Row Tickets to a show. From this official band site:
So, you think you know the new Snakes & Arrows songs by heart? Then go to http://www.rush.com/v4.html, then go to the News section and click there to find out! If you can match the song titles, you will be entered in a drawing to win either Front Row tickets or a Meet & Greet with the band. The most important point in this contest is that if you win a Meet & Greet, you *must* already have tickets to the venue you indicate on the contest submission form. Concert tickets *will not* be provided to Meet & Greet winners. In addition, winners are responsible for his/her travel and hotel accommodations.
There can only be one winner per household, but you can enter as many times as you like for the number of shows you are attending. Good luck everyone!

June 20th, 2007

Pictures from the Charlotte, NC Show Now Online

Pictures from the 4th show on the Snakes & Arrows Tour are now online. The pictures are available at the Brazilian Rush Fan Site, Rush Fa-Clube Brasil. The venue, the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, NC was at near-capacity for the show. At this time, there haven't been any professional reviews posted about the concert.

The next concert date will be held tonight in Raleigh, NC at the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre followed by shows in Virginia; one of which I'll be attending at the Nissan Pavillion in Bristow, VA.

June 19th, 2007

Rush BackStage Club Now Selling Snakes & Arrows Merchandise

The Rush Backstage Club is now selling official Snakes & Arrows merchandise including the Concert Tour Book. Other items for sale include various t-shirts, key chains, head-wear, wallets and, of course, thongs.

June 18th, 2007

Rush in Print

Neil Peart has written an article called The Drums of Snakes & Arrows which appears in the August 2007 edition of Modern Drummer. The article describes Neil's point of view as a drummer in the making of the album. The article also includes a section where Neil discusses each song on Snakes & Arrows and the process he went through for developing the drum tracks of each song.

Also out is a special edition of the U.K. magazine Classic Rock Magazine. This special edition, which is devoted to Progressive Rock, includes Rush on the cover along with a 6-page article on the band. The article focuses on the band's three decades of music-making, though I'm not quite sure how the 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's count as only "3" decades. If anyone has seen this article and would care to elaborate, I would appreciate it.

June 17th, 2007

Audience Gets Quite A Rush From The Past

Tampa Bay, Florida was the third stop on Rush's Snakes & Arrows World Tour. According to reports, the setlist once again did not change from the first two shows. Another favorable review of this show appeared in the Tampa Bay Tribune.
Opening with "Limelight," the band sounded superior throughout. Lifeson's guitar has plenty of flash but a goodly portion of soul as well. Lee's voice has mellowed over the years to become a versatile and expressive instrument.

Peart's drumming is busy but never distractingly so. His solo was genuinely entertaining, employing tuned and electronic percussion as well as his main kit, and ending with him swinging over a big band recording, a tip of the hat to one of his heroes, jazz drummer Buddy Rich.
You can read the complete review from this link.

June 16th, 2007

Rush in West Palm Beach, FL - 06/15/2007

Concert Review and Pro-Shot Pictures from the West Palm Beach, FL Show

As Rush currently rocks Tampa Bay on the 3rd night of the Snakes & Arrows tour, pro-shot pictures plus a review of the West Palm Beach show are now online. You can see two sets of pictures from the following two links: Picture Link 1 --- Picture Link 2.

The very positive review of the concert, titled Rush delivers energetic music along with technical twists, can be read at this link.
The show was a loud, energetic collision of impressively colorful computer graphics, the expected but still surprising pyrotechnics and a nonstop collection of Rush songs, classic and new, from their just released Snakes and Arrows CD.

June 15th, 2007
Rush News Bullets

With the launch of the Snakes & Arrows World Tour earlier this week, it's been a busy time for Rush news. Here are some recent, notable stories:
Snakes & Arrows Charting News
In its sixth week since being release, Snakes & Arrows has now dropped to position #77 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. Last week, it was at position #61. Far Cry, on the other hand, continues to chart strongly, holding on to position #4 on several charts | charts.

Geddy Lee appears on CBC's "The Hour"
Geddy Lee appeared on CBC's "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos on Thursday. The complete interview can be viewed at the show's official website.

Snakes & Arrows Tour Introduction Video Now Online
A bootleg video of the opening video sequence from the Snakes & Arrows tour is now online. Recorded from the Atlanta show, this YouTube video also features the first song in the setlist; Limelight.
With Rush playing in Florida over the weekend, we'll keep tabs on any changes to the setlist and will continue to do so as the tour progresses.

June 14th, 2007

Atlanta Show Pictures

The first professionally shot pictures from the Atlanta Show are now online at the Access Atlanta website. Click HERE to view 11 images from the concert.

The guys look great from these images, particularly Alex who looks like he's dropped 20-30 lbs. from the last tour.

June 14th, 2007
Opening Night Recap

Rush took the stage for the first time in nearly 2 1/2 years in support of Snakes & Arrows last night. The show, which took place at the HiFi Buys Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia was a raging success. The official setlist is now online, and here are a few other highlights from the show.
* There's an opening dream-sequence video with Alex and Neil that opens the show.
* A second video at the beginning of the second set features Alex and the Snakes & Arrows Leela Cover.
* There are two other video introductions to songs; one from Bob & Doug McKenzie and one from Cartman of South Park. You can check out the setlist for more information.
* The dryers and vending machines of past tours have been replaced with chicken rotisseries. Ron Popeil would be proud.
Many thanks to several readers including Jake M., GeedyLeeWannabe, Mike Broaden and, of course, Power Windows for supplying me with the information. On to Florida!

June 13th, 2007
Snakes & Arrows World Tour Launches Tonight

The highly anticipated World Tour in support of Snakes & Arrows is finally here. Rush begins the tour at the HiFi Buys Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia. During the final rehearsal of the concert last night, a few "spies" were able to identify nearly all of the songs in the set list, which is expanded from the post earlier this week. To avoid spoilers, I've listed the revised set list at THIS location. I'll add the final/verified set list to the main tour section of the site within the next 24-48 hours. Here we go, vertigo!

June 11th, 2007

Digital Rush Experience Opens Logo Store for Charity

The administrator, Jim (aka Crazyrunner), of the Rush Fan Site DRE (Digital Rush Experience) recently opened up a logo store to help support the Epilepsy Foundation. The store contains around 100 unique items which showcase a great new Rush logo that DRE came up with. From the DRE website:
Today the Digital Rush Experience, the most complete up-to-date archive of information on digital live recordings of Rush, officially launches a new Logo Store at Cafe Press. The store contains approximate 100 unique items with new updated DRE logos (artwork by Nephronic). Items for sale include shirts for Baby, Kids, Jrs, Men and Women in a variety of colors, sizes and styles. In addition, we also are offering hats, mugs, stickers, buttons, magnets, postcards, prints and posters. We even have a barbeque apron, mouse pads and baby bibs! Cafe Press frequently publishes discount coupons that are easily found using your favorite internet search engine. All proceeds from sale of items at the DRE logo store (up to $3.00/item) will be donated to the Epilepsy Foundation.
To access the DRE store, click HERE.

June 10th, 2007
Alex Lifeson Interview Reflects Hope for Remastered Vapor Trails Album

The April 2007 issue of Metal Edge Magazine contains an interview with Alex Lifeson regarding the making of Snakes & Arrows. Interestingly enough, Alex discusses Vapor Trails as well which hints that Rush will address the mastering issues that plagued the album.
Vapor Trails was so difficult. ... For me it's really a sonic issue: it was mastered much too hot; it's too loud and it eats away at us and we want to address that -- and maybe for no other reason than it would just make us sleep peacefully at night.
With thanks to RushIsABand.Com for sharing the news.

June 10th, 2007
Snakes & Arrows Set List - Revealed?

With the tour now just days away, a partial set list has apparently been leaked which reflects some very interesting song choices. To avoid spoiling the fun for those who would prefer to wait and "hear", I've placed the leaked songs in THIS message thread on the Cygnus-X1.Net Message Forums. Enjoy-

June 9th, 2007
Snakes & Arrows Charting Information - Week 5

After 5 weeks on the charts, Snakes & Arrows has dropped another 10 spots on the Billboard Top 200 Albums and is now sitting at position #61. On the Canadian Charts, Snakes & Arrows is now at position #36, down from position #29 last week. Far Cry continues to hold within the Top 5 of various Rock charts; an impressive showing after 3+ months in release.

June 9th, 2007
Got Drums?

Neil Peart has just updated his official website, NeilPeart.Net, by uploading a mastered, drums-only version of The Main Monkey Business. The website has an embedded music player so all visitors should be able to listen to this track.

June 6th, 2007
It's Official: Rush to perform at Madison Square Garden

Rush.Com has just confirmed that the band will indeed be playing the final U.S. Show on the Snakes & Arrows tour at New York City's Madison Square Garden on September 17th. From the official band site:
"Attention RUSH fans: RUSH have just announced they will be playing Madison Square Gardens' in New York City on Monday September 17th, 2007! This will be the last US date on the Snakes and Arrows tour and is sure to be a great show! Tickets will go on-sale to the public on Saturday June 16th at 10AM EST and will be available through www.ticketmaster.com. To obtain information on fan pre-sales please click on the link below.
At this time, there's still no confirmation about a second leg of the tour that might hit other U.S. arenas and South America.

June 6th, 2007

Rush 2008 Wall Calendar Available for Pre-Order

NMR Distribution, a leading North American supplier to specialty retailers of licensed youth oriented products; specifically posters and calendars, has the Rush 2008 Wall Calendar available for pre-order. In addition to the Wall Calendar, they also have some other interesting Rush items, such as a 1000-piece Rush puzzle (featuring the 2112 cover image), some nice posters including the Far Cry image from Snakes & Arrows and more.

Check them all out at NMR's website by typing in 'Rush' in the search field.

Many thanks to Todd/TCG for alerting me to this site and the calendar.

June 5th, 2007
Rumor Has It - Rush to Play MSG

A while back, a rumor was spreading that Rush would play a date in New York City's famed Madison Square Garden sometime in the fall. Now, according to WDHA-FM 105.5 The Rock of NJ, Rush will play the Garden on September 17th. An AMEX sponsored pre-sale is scheduled for June 11th followed by the public sale on June 16th. Considering that Rush is playing in Montreal on the 15th and Toronto on the 19th, playing a date in NYC on the 17th is logistically possible. Further, there are no scheduled events on the MSG calendar for the 17th so it is possible that Rush could, in fact, have a show on that date. However at this point there has been no official confirmation of this date from Rush.Com.

Thanks to Todd/TCG who alerted me to this story after hearing the WDHA-FM announcement.

June 4th, 2007

Neil Peart's Drum Kit - Snakes & Arrows Tour 2007

Sneak Peak: Neil Peart's Snakes & Arrows Tour Drumkit

For those of you who could not wait for the tour, an image has just surfaced, courtesy of DrumSmith.Com, that shows Neil's assembled drumkit for the upcoming Snakes & Arrows tour. Click on the thumbnail to the right for a larger, high-resolution shot.

And no, the gent behind the drums isn't Neil; it's his drum tech Lorne Wheaton.

June 2nd, 2007 Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson

New Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Magazine Interviews and Articles

The August 2007 issue of Guitar World includes an article called "Classic Rock Salute: Rush The Making of Moving Pictures". In addition, an interview with Alex Lifeson regarding Snakes & Arrows is included.

Also, in the latest issue of Classic Rock Magazine from the United Kingdom, an interview with Rush is included which has Alex Lifeson proclaiming that Snakes & Arrows is his favorite Rush album ever. Geddy, however, indicates that the latest offering from Rush is in his top three.

Thanks to Power Windows for the news and to RushIsABand.Com for the image.

June 2nd, 2007

Snakes & Arrows MVI Screen Shots Now Available

Screen shots from the highly anticipated MVI version of Snakes & Arrows are now available. Available from MviMusic.Com, the four screen shots show various sections of the main menu and general interface. It's nice to see that the interface is very "Rush" like, taking on the look and feel of the Snakes & Arrows artwork and fonts.

In other MVI-related news, Rush.Com has confirmed that the this version of Snakes & Arrows has been delated until June 26th, due to "a handful of unfortunate yet unavoidable production delays".

The double-vinyl edition of the album is still on track to be released on June 19th.

June 2nd, 2007
Correction on the Next Single - It's Spindrift

Rush.Com has now confirmed that the next single to be released from Snakes & Arrrows is Spindrift, not The Larger Bowl.
"To coincide with the start of the 2007 Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season...Atlantic Records brings you the exciting new RUSH release that will leave you soaked and dizzy after one listen! "SPINDRIFT" from the band's # 3 Billboard debut record "Snakes & Arrows", rocks you like a hurricane on June 1! RUSH will hit the road June 13 in Atlanta and will continue a massive world tour through 2008! Call your local stations and urge them to play it!"
Spindrift was released as a single on June 1st and word has it that The Larger Bowl will also be released as a single later this summer.

June 1st, 2007
Rush and Site News Bullets

* Snakes & Arrows has dropped to position #51 on the Billboard Top 200 as it enters its 4th week on the charts. It's also at position #29 on the Canadian Charts. Far Cry continues to hold around position #4 on various charts.

* The Larger Bowl has been selected as the second single from Snakes & Arrows. Distributed to a number of radio stations across the country, TLB is being labeled as Rock, Heritage Rock, Adult Contemporary and even Country. Help support the latest single - contact your local Rock station and request that they play it!

* Cygnus-X1.Net is celebrating its 3-year anniversary today. In 3 years, the site has received over 860,000 visitors and generated over 4 million page views. I'd like to personally thank all of you for making this site a success.

- Rush News Archive -June through August 2007

- Rush News Archive -
June through August 2007