2112 Anniversary (April 1, 1976) There are many stories behind the albums and the artwork of Rush. Neil Peart tells a futuristic story in 2112 of the Starman representing a hero who fights against collectivist mentality (depicted by the evil red star). During the buildup to the Time Machine Tour in 2010, Neil warned against any crossover with the Starman, and the steampunk-themed 2010 tour. Peart wrote, “Fundamentally, thematically, philosophically, and narratively, the Starman has no place in the Time Machine/ steampunk world.  That’s all there is to it.  Placing the Starman over clockworks and steam valves and those images makes my skin crawl, because the stories are so diametrically …

“What Le Studio meant to us, is really hard to put into only a few sentences. It was not only a place where we did some of our best work, but we also experienced many profound personal moments there. To say nothing of the friendships that were forged there that still endure today. Le Studio played a key role in our album recording experience at a pivotal point in our career. We were already saddened to learn of its derelict state a few years ago, but upon hearing that it has now been destroyed by fire, it truly marks the end an age for the 3 of us,” remarked Geddy Lee …

Earlier this month, Canadian Music Week announced that the members of RUSH would be the 2017 recipients of the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award at Canadian Music Week in April. Part of this prestigious Humanitarian award includes $40,000 to be made to the recipient’s charity of choice. The members of Rush – Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart – have unanimously decided to direct the funds to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research at Sunnybrook. “We are pleased to direct this generous donation from the Allan Slaight Humanitarian award to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research at Sunnybrook. Many Canadian families have been affected either directly …

Don’t miss out on the special @Fantoons short “The Early Days of Neil Peart” that will run in cinemas only – Thursday November 3rd – via @FathomEvents in the US and @Cineplex and Landmark in Canada for the Rush | Time Stand Still documentary premiere event. Visit http://rushtimestandstill.com for ticket and event details.      

Forty years ago today, on April 1, 1976, Rush released 2112. “The album just flowed; one song came out of the other. Alex and I knew what we wanted to write even before we saw the lyrics, the overblown intro, the pacing, the movements… And then Neil had written these lyrics and it was almost magical how well they worked. There was a lot of passion in that record, a lot of ferocity and it cut through the static of the music that was out there and it reached people.” – Geddy Lee Read more with Geddy speaking about 2112 in UK’s Prog Magazine  here. “We were touring so much that …

We were thrilled to sponsor this year’s MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award and give it to Don Bossé of Fredericton High School (FHS) in Fredericton, NB on behalf of Canada’s music education charity MusiCounts. Don is an incredible music teacher and we were inspired to meet him. Congratulations Don!  And a special thank you to all the music teachers who inspire and educate daily! MusiCounts Announces 2016 Teacher of the Year Sponsored by RUSH Canada’s music education charity MusiCounts is thrilled to announce Don Bossé of Fredericton High School (FHS) in Fredericton, NB as the recipient of the 2016 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award.  Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees and multiple GRAMMY®-nominated …

BubbaGram4: At The Route 66 Motel

NPR’s Morning Edition is doing a week-long feature about drums and drummers. For the second installment in “Beat Week,” Steve Inskeep spoke with Neil Peart about his early fascination with Gene Krupa and the demanding requirements of his playing.

Pre-order the limited edition hardcover (only 500 copies) here exclusively from Rush Backstage: click here. Whether navigating the backroads of Louisiana or Thuringia, exploring the snowy Quebec woods, or performing onstage at Rush concerts, Neil Peart has stories to tell. His first volume in this series, Far and Away, combined words and images to form an intimate, insightful narrative that won many readers. Now ‘Far and Near’ brings together reflections from another three years of an artist’s life as he celebrates seasons, landscapes, characters, travels roads and trails, receives honors, climbs mountains, composes and performs music. With passionate insight, wry humor, and an adventurous spirit, once again Peart offers a …