Rush, Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan, Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Summer’s going fast–
Nights growing colder
Children growing up —
old friends growing olderFreeze this moment
– Neil Peart, Time Stand Still
A little bit longer
Make each sensation
A little bit stronger
Experience slips away…
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one entering the LCA in a state of genial disbelief. The high school friends I sat with, the prog posse members I met up with during the night – at one point or another all had the same sort of stunned grin on their faces. The experience we thought had slipped away for good was back.
After all, it was only 10 months ago that we heard the impossible was happening; Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were reactivating Rush, 10 years after their final show as a band and 5 years after the passing of Neil Peart. As intel trickled out, the major media that didn’t give Rush the time of day for decades posted major puff pieces, the tour began with a series of 4-night residencies, the good vibes and great reviews snowballed, it sometimes felt like a dream that would vanish when we finaly woke up. But here we were!
As it turned out, Geddy Lee was in the same place as us emotionally, as well as physically. After magisterial opener “Xanadu” (complete with dry ice and double-neck guitars), Geddy’s first words to the crowd were “Is this the Motor City? Are we really back here in Detroit? Oh my God, a sight for sore eyes.”
And then Rush took off, fighting through a boomy early mix to deliver a setlist we would have been delirious to even think about until recently. Half of Permanent Waves. Side one of Moving Pictures (the follow-up show’s crowd got the complete album). Unstoppable singalong “Closer to the Heart”. Hemispheres‘ instrumental exercise in self-indulgence “La Villa Strangiato”. Well-chosen look-ins to the 1980s and 1990s, from a jet-propelled “The Analog Kid” through a massive “Subdivisions” to a sizzling “Animate”. And to top it all off, the complete “2112” suite to start the second half. Having already mounted career retrospective tours R30 and R40, Rush zoomed in on the proggy hard rock that built their audience from a Canadian/Midwest American cult to a worldwide fanbase.
But the “why” of the night was even more important than the “what”. Far more than cultural movers and shakers have reported, Lee made clear with every onstage announcement that this extensive tour is in honor of his late comrade and colleague, whose words he was privileged to sing and in whose grooves he delighted for decades. Before “Freewill” he paid tribute to Neil Peart’s lyrical evolution, from fantasist to philosopher to shrewd observer of human behavior and thought; before “Anthem” he recalled how Peart’s drumming pushed him and Lifeson out into uncharted musical territory, even as he auditioned for them (“he was playing triplets!”). Coming late in the show, Clockwork Angels’ warm closing ballad “The Garden” testified to the “measure of love and respect” for Neil that had motivated Geddy and Alex’s improbable comeback.
That motivation also came through in the sweat equity evident onstage. After hard work with a coach to strengthen his voice, Lee still occasionally slid up to a high note or quietly substituted a lower pitch – but when he went for it on the final verse of “Freewill” and earlier material, his banshee falsetto was back, strong and secure. (Supporting player Loren Gold took some of the weight off Geddy, singing core vocal hooks at the octave below or triggering digital samples at key moments.) Fit, healthy and smiling all night, Alex Lifeson was having a whale of a good time: riffing with new energy, taking off for parts unknown in his solos, dad-dancing at center stage, flicking picks into the front row, even singing backing vocals for real and setting up the stoner train song “A Passage to Bangkok” with a supremely goofy announcement. It was all next-level music making, consistently landing to powerful effect.
And speaking of powerful: Anika Nilles was an utter revelation in the drum chair. Talk about grace under pressure! She brings precision, strength, speed, taste and unerring instinct to the music of Rush – the whole package of a true virtuoso. A quarter of the way through this tour, she has locked in completely with Geddy and gives Alex all the space he needs, driving the music hard all night. Throughout, she consistently captured Neil’s unique sense of groove, varying the occasional fill but respectfully nailing all the parts that air drummers mime to — not least when stepping up for the iconic licks that cap the solo section of “Tom Sawyer”:
Encoring with debut album tracks “Finding My Way” and “Working Man”, Rush made no promises about further returns. But if Wednesday night was the last time they come my way in concert, so be it. After the R40 tour, Lee and Lifeson had honored Peart’s desire to retire from the road; with this unexpected, ongoing tribute, they’re honoring his life, his rare gift for friendship and the music the three of them made for forty years. Their gratitude and love – a love that so many of those in attendance for the Fifty Something tour (and especially on this night in Detroit) gratefully share – is there onstage once more, for all the world to see.
And if the music stops
– Neil Peart, Bravado
There’s only the sound of the rain
All the hope and glory
All the sacrifice in vain
If love remains
Though everything is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost
— Rick Krueger
Setlist:
- Xanadu
- The Spirit of Radio
- The Analog Kid
- Freewill
- Subdivisions
- Bravado (with Neil Peart video tribute)
- La Villa Strangiato
- Natural Science
- Limelight
- 2112 (complete)
- Animate
- Closer to the Heart
- A Passage to Bangkok (with Alex Lifeson intro)
- Time Stand Still (with Neil Peart video tribute)
- YYZ
- Anthem
- Red Barchetta
- The Garden
- Tom Sawyer (with South Park Lil’ Rush video intro)
- Finding My Way
- Working Man (with Fantoons John Rutsey video tribute)
An outstanding performance by the boys from Norway. Even through tricky time signatures that require lockstep coordination of playing, Gazpacho delivers an emotional and beautiful show. Jan Henrik Ohme’s vocals are spellbinding – delicate and tremulous one minute, powerful and commanding the next. While he’s caressing the microphone, his bandmates play their hearts out. Songs I thought I knew take on new meaning and accessibility. This set is a perfect introduction to someone curious about this somewhat enigmatic and definitely magical group.
As light as Gazpacho is dark, Glass Hammer has been riding a high for the past few years – Ode To Echo and The Breaking Of The World are both instant classics. Double Live features the best cuts from those albums, as well as a terrific rendition of the epic “The Knight Of The North”. Steve Babb and Fred Schendel have been together so long they are telepathic onstage. Aaron Raulston is excellent on drums while Kamran Alan Shikoh has matured into an astonishingly inventive guitarist. Carl Groves is the best male vocalist GH has ever had, and Susie Bogdanowicz steals the show with her performance. No fancy camera work here – the music and performance are strong enough to speak for themselves.
This is a fine collection of Spock’s Beard tracks. The first disc features the best of the “Neal Morse Years”, while disc two has six tracks from Beard versions 2 and 3 (featuring Nick D’Virgilio and Ted Leonard) and a new epic featuring a big reunion of everyone. You might think that losing your lead vocalist and sole songwriter would mean the end of a band, but the Beard is nothing if not resilient. The songs from the post-Morse era certainly hold their own against anything from the first six albums. I wish they had included “The Great Nothing”, but there’s only so much space on a compact disc! Of course, long-time Beard fans want to know how the new epic, “Falling Forever” stacks up. To my ears, it’s a pleasant listen, but not particularly memorable. It’s clear that Neal’s path has diverged from the Beard’s, and each camp has its own strengths that don’t necessarily mesh into a powerful whole anymore. The DVD features performances from 1997’s Progfest interspersed with contemporary interviews of the band. It’s illuminating for the hardcore fan, but not essential.
Phenomenal growth from this band. As mentioned in the interviews included in the Blu-ray, the first album had the members somewhat tentative about critiquing each other, while during the recording of Second Flight they were much more collaborative. This is set is a terrific performance that showcases the talents of each member. Casey McPherson is a very confident frontman, and an amazing vocalist. Steve Morse’s guitar work is jaw-dropping good, and Dave LaRue almost steals the show with his bass solos. Mike Portnoy is, as usual, controlled chaos on the drums. Neal Morse plays more of a supporting role in this group, keeping in the background for the most part. “Cosmic Symphony” and “Mask Machine” are highlights, while the segue from “Colder Months” into “Peaceful Harbor” is one of the most beautiful musical moments I’ve ever heard. The quality of the Blu-ray is top-notch, both in sound and video. An excellent choice for the prog fan who enjoys the likes of Boston, or even classic Journey.
Which brings us to the big release of the year: Rush’s R40 Live. I have every live DVD Rush has released, and this isn’t the best performance. But there is something so special about this show that it will probably be the one I return to most often. There were times I caught myself thinking, “Gosh. they are looking old!”, but then I had to remind myself they’ve given of themselves so generously for 40 years. 40 years! How many bands have kept the same lineup for that long, and are still talking to each other? ZZ Top is the only one that comes to mind. The fact that this show is from Toronto makes it even more moving.
Progarchy 