Rush Thoughts

I was introduced to the musical trio named Rush in 1981 by my brother. He brought home their Moving Pictures album and had me lie on the floor of our bedroom in between the stereo speakers. That was it, I was instantly hooked and they’re the reason I still play music today–always inspiring me. In 2002 I won an on-air radio contest and they gave me front row tickets and meet and greet passes. My wife and I were able to briefly meet and take a photo with Alex and Geddy. Neil famously did not do those kinds of things with fans in his later years, he was to shy and said they were awkward. They’re still my favorite band and this year marked my 16th and 17th concerts I’ve attended of theirs; I estimated it at 20 until I went back with the aid of setlist.fm and looked at which shows I actually attended. Can you tell I’m a huge fan? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I was also in a Rush tribute band called Invisible Airwaves. Check below for an audio and video clip!

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The dates I saw them and tour apparel I might have.

Grace Under Pressure 5-28-84 – San Diego, CA
Power Windows 2-3-86 – San Diego, CA
Hold Your Fire 2-1-88 – Phoenix, AZ 2-3-88 – San Diego, CA
Presto 4-5-1990 – San Diego, CA
Roll The Bones 1-20-92, San Diego, CA 6-6-92, Las Vegas, NV
Counterparts 2-7-94 – San Diego, CA
Test For Echo 5-7-97 – San Diego, CA
Vapor Trails 11-10-02 – Manchester, NH
Snakes & Arrows 6-27-07 – Mansfield, MA 7-11-08 – Manchester, NH
Clockwork Angels 9-7-12 – Manchester, NH
R40 6-23-15 – Boston MA	(No shirt?! WTF?)
Fifty Something 9-12-26 – Boston, MA 9-14-26 – Boston, MA

Tour Program Gallery

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“All the highlights of that headlong flight
Holding on with all my might
To what I felt back then
I wish that I could live it all again”

Neil Peart, from the song “Headlong flight”

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From John to Neil to Anika

Earlier this year, Alex and Geddy announced they were going back on the road after 10 years and 6 years since Neil passed away, with Anika Nilles, the female, virtuoso jazz-fusion drummer from Germany along with Loren Gold on keyboards and backing vocals. Some people did not like that decision. I am not one of those people for a few reasons. This is the third drummer Alex has had in the band, along with Geddy who is the second bass player after Jeff Jones, lest we forget. John Rutsey famously played on Rush’s 1974 debut album as well as their pre-album single “Not Fade Away” b/w “You Can’t Fight It”. Neil Peart came on board on Geddy’s 21st birthday in 1974.

When we listen to their All The World’s A Stage live album or any live recording where they’re playing songs from 1974 and before, we can hear Neil playing John Rutsey’s parts on the first album’s songs clearly in Neil’s own style, WAY more embellished than John played. I don’t hear anyone complaining about that. I’ll admit when I play a song that I didn’t write, I’ll always throw a little of my own personality into it. I would think that’s what most musicians do, unless you’re in a tribute band–which Anika is not. She was chosen to play these songs and not be a robot or Peart-clone. If I choose to go see a Rush tribute band, I do want to hear the songs note for note–that’s the whole idea. I’ve seen quite a few live and online and quite enjoy them, if they’re done well–and most are. If Alex and Geddy chose another drummer instead of Anika such as Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater or Danny Carey from Tool, do you think either one of those guys would play Neil’s parts exactly like the album? I don’t think so. If Slim Jim Phantom from the Stray Cats showed up with his snare, 1 kick drum and 1 cymbal, he’d play the parts like himself. That what musicians do.

My drummer friend said this about Anika a week or so after she was announced to be their drummer: “She’s good, but at the end of the day she’s a cover drummer doing what most tribute drummers have done for years…” Is she though? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I don’t have to agree.

Another friend of mine seems to think Alex and Geddy should not go back on the road as Rush, especially with another drummer AND a keyboard player and recently sent me a video clip of the remaining members of Led Zeppelin on Letterman in 2012 where Jimmy Page remarked “There was no way with the amount of work and mutation that had gone on with those songs, that we could say to another drummer, ‘could you learn this bit and learn that bit?’ It just wouldn’t work.” Different band, different circumstances. Neil walked away and retired while Geddy and Alex were not ready for retirement. Alex was having health issues but he changed his mind about touring, it’s his band and his songs too. They’re allowed to do that. Check out Ultimate Guitar’s article aboot [sic] it for more info.

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Do I Have A Favorite?

It’s so hard to have a favorite when a band has such a vast catalog like Rush does. Twenty studio albums plus there are some solo Alex Lifeson guitar pieces and Neil’s drum solos on the (TWELVE?!) live albums, so lots to choose from. For me, they tend to be the longer, more instrumental songs like Xanadu, La Villa Strangiato and The Camera Eye. Of course I’ll go through a phase and just listen to an album and try to pay attention to only Alex’s guitars, or Neil’s drumming or Geddy’s bass playing, or even the use of Taurus Bass Pedals. Lots to choose from. I did put together a ranking of sorts, because it was so hard to put a solid number rank on the albums so I decided to make a graphic representation of my ranking: more favorite ones at the top and less favorite toward the bottom. It’s hard to do and something that might be close to the top for me one year might fall and something else take its place. So without further ado, here’s my ranking from 2020. (Now that I’m looking at it, I may redo it!)

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Rush In Boston Photo Dump – Fifty Something Tour

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Invisible Airwaves (crackle with life)

This tribute band I was in was a fun band but a lot of work! Back in 2013 I think it was, I answered a Craigslist ad for a Rush Tribute band seeking a ‘Geddy Lee’. I nervously replied like a big dork and said something like:

Hi, my name is Terry and I play the bass and have synthesizers and bass pedals and Rush is my favorite band and Geddy is my favorite bass player and I think I can do this and I’m really excited and where do you live and what songs do you want to do, are you just a fan of the early stuff or of their entire catalog?

The guy who posted the ad was a drummer named Sean, and I was the first person to answer. We hit it off right away then eventually auditioned a few people, had a couple different guitarists as well as two singers but eventually settled into a four piece with Sean on drums, me on bass and synth, Pat on vocals and Greg on guitar. Our first of two gigs was at an all ages club called The Sad Cafe and played on stage for the first time on Halloween Day in 2014. Our only other gig was at Pat’s Dolanpalooza party back in 2016. Looking back, I am such a better musician now than I was back then and wish I had my chops & gigging experience that I have now, back then.

Through the years I still keep in touch with Pat and Sean, they’re great guys and great friends! After a few years, Invisible Airwaves all went our separate ways musically and eventually Pat and I were in a classic rock cover band together called Tapedeck Heroez and played a ton of gigs together. Sean and I still jam or go see a Rush tribute band together occasionally.

Amazingly, our YouTube channel still exists and our old website is still kind of accessible on the Wayback Machine, so check ’em out. There’s another Rush tribute band now (at least one) called Invisible Airwaves, so don’t be fooled by late adopting copiers! (Kidding of course!). Here is audio of us doing Tom Soyee and below that is a video of us performing Working Man at Dolanpalooza.

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A little humor I created regarding the fake social media posts evil people make in order to scam people such as senior citizens and Rush fanatics. Notice the intentional spelling, punctuation and capitalization errors–kind of like the real thing, eh?

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-Terry, October 2026