WHAT WENT DOWN
Rush opened their Fifty Something tour June 7 at the Forum in Los Angeles with German drummer Anika Nilles behind the kit and Loren Gold on keys — the first time Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson played a full Rush show in 11 years *, †. Aimee Mann joined them for Time Stand Still, her first time performing the song live with the band †, ‡.
THE DETAILS
- Four-night stand at the Forum — the same venue where Neil Peart played his final Rush show in August 2015 *, **.
- Nilles, who toured with Jeff Beck in 2022, auditioned alongside only one other drummer before Lee and Lifeson chose her *, ¶.
- The 24-song setlist opened with Xanadu — the first time Rush used that track as a show opener — and included multiple songs unplayed since 2004 to 2013, plus a tribute segment with archival Peart footage *, †, ‡.
- Paul Rudd and Jason Segel appeared in an intro film reprising their I Love You, Man characters ‡, ‡‡.
- The tour expanded from 22 dates to 58 North American shows after immediate sellouts, with over half a million tickets sold; South America and Europe dates follow in early 2027 *, ¶.
THE TAKE
Lee and Lifeson had four months of prep instead of the usual six to eight weeks, and it shows in the depth of the setlist *. Nilles fumbled a stick during Xanadu but recovered instantly — the crowd applauded, and the rest of the night rolled without incident ‡‡.