Concert Reports

Alongside the release of the powerful new single “Headlong Flight,” Rush is in the midst of a North American Tour in support of their latest studio album, “CLOCKWORK ANGELS.” This year’s fall tour will visit approximately 33 cities, including a Sold Out show November 19 at Gibson Amphitheatre.

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www.Rush.com

“CLOCKWORK ANGELS,” the band’s 20th studio album, was released on June 12th. This is the renowned trio’s first new collection of original material in over five years and their first studio release via Anthem/Roadrunner records. With more than 40 million records sold worldwide and countless sold-out tours, Rush – Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart – is not only one of the most inventive and compelling groups in rock history, but remains one of the most relevant.

Singer/bassist Geddy Lee remarked, “‘Headlong Flight’ was one of those songs that was a joy to write and record from beginning to end. Alex [Lifeson] and I had blast jamming in my home studio one day before the 2nd leg of the Time Machine Tour and I did not revisit that jam until a year later. Alex and I assembled the song to be an instrumental and it's original title was "Take that lampshade off yo head!" but once we saw the lyrics Neil had written for ‘Headlong Flight’, I knew that the spirit of the lyrics matched the instrumental perfectly and it was just a matter of making them fit and writing the melodies.”

Drummer and lyricist Neil Peart explained, “In late 2011, my drum teacher Freddie Gruber, towards the end of his long and adventurous 84 years, was reminiscing among friends and former students. Often he would shake his head and say, "I had quite a ride. I wish I could do it all again." That is not a feeling I have ever shared about the past -- I remain glad that I don't have to do it all again. While working on the lyrics for "Headlong Flight," the last song written for Clockwork Angels, I tried to summarize my character's life and adventures. My own ambivalence colored the verses, while Freddie's words inspired the chorus ‘I wish that I could live it all again.”

The RIAA has certified Rush for the third most consecutive gold/platinum studio albums by a rock band, topped only by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Rush’s vast catalog includes such classics as 1974’s self-titled debut, 1976’s “2112,” 1981’s “MOVING PICTURES,” 1996’s “TEST FOR ECHO,” and 2002’s “VAPOR TRAILS.” Rush’s last studio album, 2007’s “SNAKES & ARROWS,” debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, marking the band’s highest chart debut since 1993, as well as their eleventh top 10 album in the U.S. The album’s first single, “Far Cry,” hit the top 5 at mainstream rock radio, with airplay on over 100 radio stations in the US and the track “Malignant Narcissism” was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance category.

In addition to their commercial success, Rush has also been recognized with a number of Juno Awards and multiple Grammy nominations, including one for the acclaimed documentary “Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage”. Enjoying a recent pop culture renaissance, Rush made a rare television appearance - their first in over 30 years - on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” and a memorable cameo in the film “I Love You, Man.” A career-chronicling Rolling Stone feature summed up the renowned rock trio’s continuing artistic vitality by observing, “It’s true that Rush doesn’t mean today what it did in ’76 or even ’96. It may mean more.”

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