Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Begin Rush ‘Fifty Something’ Tour—Recap
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Rush’s Alex Lifeson Geddy Lee at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, June 7, 2026. Photo: Richard Sibbald; used with permission)
Rush co-founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson kicked off the highly anticipated “Fifty Something” tour on June 7, 2026, with the first of four sold-out shows at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, marking the band’s first tour performance in 11 years.
The first two concerts launched a landmark run celebrating more than five decades of Rush music and legacy, bringing the band full circle as the venue was also the site of their final R40 Tour performance on August 1, 2015, with longtime band member Neil Peart who died in 2020.
Alex Lifeson, Anika Nilles and Geddy Lee at the Kia Forum, June 7, 2026. (Photo: Richard Sibbald; used with permission)
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 an 11-minute “Xanadu” with both Lee and Lifeson revealed behind the fog with their signature double neck guitars.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees performed two 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 nine 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.
Aimee Mann and Geddy Lee in Los Angeles, June 7, 2026. (Photo Steve Rose; used with permission)
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 Peart in the show.
Rush closed both nights with “Working Man” from their self-titled debut, bringing the opening nights of the tour to a memorable end.
Thanks to realrocker777 for the videos.
The special “evening with” performances feature two sets each night, with Rush building every setlist from a catalog of 40 songs for this tour spanning the band’s celebrated career. The tour was first revealed on Oct. 6, 2025, with many more dates since added. The extensive run continues well into 2027. Tickets are available here and here.
A career spanning collection, Rush 50, is available in several distinct configurations: the Super Deluxe Edition (4-CDs and 7-LPs) [order here], a 7-LP Deluxe Edition (here), and a 4-CD Deluxe Edition (here). It’s also available in Canada here and in the U.K. here.
2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationTheyrre baaak. Wonderful. Miss Anika bringing the full blown energy back as Rush lives on. Great job and beautiful set up Anika has and commands it like water. I knew she was fully capable of taking the throne for Neal, as he looks down at his pals who decided to move on, just as life does. One day miss anika can show her grandchildren a clip of her playing with the one of the greatest band of the times. Peace be with you all in your new chapter of RUSH.
I saw Rush at the Holiday Spectacular {On January 4, 1976, the Holiday Spectacular concert at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, featured Ted Nugent as the headlining act. Supporting performers on the bill included Blue Öyster Cult, REO Speedwagon, Rush, and Leslie West}
Rush opened, and I did not care for Geddy Lee’s voice at all! I had never heard of them. Of course, over time they grew on me. It’s so good to see them in another iteration with powerful drumming from the likes of Anika Nilles, who was born to take over for Neil Peart. I would love to see some of the current performers like Rush, but my concert days are over, and I am glad this site could provide some of the footage for all to view.
Now how about the other acts on that bill? The ticket stub, which I still have, among 40 others I managed to keep, cost $6.50! I probably attend 80 shows around the Washington DC area between 1973 and 1989 starting with Alice Cooper and ending with the Rolling Stones. What a great time to be alive!