On Sunday, Rush co-founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson kicked off the highly anticipated tour with the first of 4 sold-out shows at Los Angeles' Kia Forum, marking the band's first tour performance in 11 years.
The show launched a landmark run celebrating more than five decades of Rush music and legacy, bringing the band full circle as Kia Forum was also the site of Rush's final R40 Tour performance on August 1, 2015 with longtime band member Neil Peart who passed away in 2020.
Joined by acclaimed drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold, Rush opened the show with a signature opening film that pays tribute to and celebrates the band's more than fifty year career and then broke into 11 minute "Xanadu" with both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson revealed behind the fog with their signature double neck guitars.
Rush performed 2 career-spanning sets, with Night 1 featuring fan favorites including "Limelight," "The Spirit of Radio," "Tom Sawyer" and "YYZ," alongside beloved deep cuts from across the band's legendary catalog such as "By-Tor and the Snowdog."
On Night 2, Rush changed it up with over 9 different songs including "Free Will," "The Trees" and "Closer to the Heart" while kicking off the second set with the entire first side of legendary album “2112” to a spellbound crowd.
Both evenings featured a special guest appearance from Aimee Mann, who joined the band for an emotional performance of "Time Stand Still," the second of two tributes to Neil Peart in the show.
Rush closed both nights with "Working Man" from their self-titled debut album, bringing the opening nights of the Fifty Something Tour to a memorable end and heightened anticipation of what's in store for nights 3 and 4 of their sold out run.
The Fifty Something Tour continues this week with additional sold-out performances at Kia Forum on June 13 before heading to Mexico City, Fort Worth, Chicago, New York, Toronto, and more.
The special "evening with" performances feature two sets each night, with Rush building every setlist from a catalogue of 40 songs for this tour spanning the band's celebrated five-decade career across.
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