Posted on 12/08/2023 3:44:10 AM PST by Squawk 8888
Geddy Lee surprised a venue full of Rush fans on Thursday by marching out old friend and longtime band mate Alex Lifeson to help him traverse back through decades of shared memories.
It was a rare opportunity to see the progressive rock legends in a semi-causal setting, sans guitars but armed with many punchlines, as the bassist closed out the North American leg of his "My Effin' Life" book tour at Massey Hall in Toronto.
"Don't make me cry before I get started," he pleaded with Lifeson shortly after the Rush guitarist was revealed as the other half of the two-hour fireside chat.
Turns out, the evening was mostly bereft of tears but loaded with laughs and the occasional light barbs at one of his closest pals.
All of it was catered to the thousands of Rush diehards in attendance, some of whom didn't waste a moment before unleashing their adoration for their heroes.
"I love you guys, man!" shouted one from the balcony, provoking others to echo the sentiment in a rising chorus of rowdy compliments.
"Excuse me, I'm talking," Lee responded in good humour when they started to get too unruly.
But the Rush fans couldn't be silenced.
Cheers and heckles continued throughout the show — albeit at more appropriate times. That allowed Lee and Lifeson to showcase what it might be like to hang out with them at home, a tradition they've kept alive over the years.
The pair joked it was rare to be in shared company without a bottle of wine in reach. The "Fly By Night" musicians had recently returned from their first-ever holiday together, Lee said, without disclosing the destination.
The loosely structured chat began with stories about the foundation of their nearly life-long friendship which predates the band.
Lee and Lifeson were 13-year-old schoolmates when they met, they said. Now both 70 years old, they acknowledged how quickly old age has crept up on them.
"And yet, you still seem so well-preserved," Lee joked to his friend.
Those friendly prods characterized much of the conversation, with Lee pulling out anecdotes and Lifeson often knocking them out of the park with a quick-witted punchline.
They told stories about the formation of Rush and the first time they met drummer Neil Peart, who died of brain cancer in 2020. He was a late addition to the band when another member dropped out.
When he showed up at the audition with his drum kit in garbage bags, they were confused. After they saw his skills in action, there was little question he would be part of the band, they said.
Other memories touched on Rush's so-called "Fun Craft," the nickname for the Dodge van that carried them across North America in the early days.
They recalled their unfavourable experience opening for Aerosmith in the 1970s. Steven Tyler's band refused to let them perform a sound check before their shows, much to their dismay, they said.
Sadder tales mentioned in the "My Effin' Life" memoir were left mostly off the table.
While Lee brought up the tragic loss of Peart's teenage daughter in 1997, and his private battle with cancer after Rush's final tour, it was mostly in passing.
The duo spent more time discussing the complicated emotions of Rush's final tour in 2015, a decision made by Peart who wanted to focus on his family life. The others admitted they weren't quite as eager to hang up their instruments.
"Towards the end, it became sadder it was coming to a close," Lifeson admitted.
One passage Lee read from his memoir detailed Lifeson's drunken rampage through a hotel, dressed only in a window curtain draped across him like a toga.
Lifeson sat in the shadows as his friend recounted the details, shaking his head at whatever he might remember of the unhinged moment.
George Stroumboulopoulos, media personality and music aficionado, joined the conversation for an audience question-and-answer period later in the evening. It was the only time Lee choked up, recalling the production of the 2012 album "Clockwork Angels," which he says marked a high point for the band.
"I'm proud of that record for a lot of reasons," he added.
Lee's "My Effin Life" book tour began last month in New York before winding through other big cities with a surprise guest each night.
Friends and admirers including actor Paul Rudd, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and Calgary singer Jann Arden were among those who joined Lee on stage in various cities.
Lifeson's appearance in Rush's hometown was special, Lee noted, because it took him back to his younger years before they came on stage.
"We were sitting in the dressing room remembering all of these crazy things," he said.
"I'm so happy we have this shared volume of memories."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2023
Absolutely love this band.
Geddy Lee’s vocals must be an acquired taste. I never acquired it. Legendary band though.
I heard Tom Sawyer on a friends stereo in 1981 as a H.S. Freshman and was hooked. They’re still on my playlist.
They first came on my radar in 6th or 7th grade when a classmate played “2112” while we were both in his parents’ basement. That would be around 1975 IIRC. At the time I didn’t think much of them.
The song that got my attention was released as a single that the AM rock stations here played to death in 1981: “Subdivisions” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7_fdU7kUBI
My bad- per rush.com, “Subdivisions” came out in 1982.
The video was shot entirely in Toronto and its immediate suburbs. The opening aerial view is of the Financial District and is part of a complex that housed the HQ of a major Bank; the tallest building is less than 800’ and was completed in the early 1970s. It was Canada’s tallest skyscraper until another major bank opened a skyscraper diagonally across from it on the same intersection. All of the five largest Canadian banks have skyscrapers within a few blocks that connect underground with each other and back then at least three subway stations as well.
As a UK visitor once told my mom back in the late 1960s, “Toronto will be a wonderful city- if they ever get it finished!”
What drove me nuts about architecture that was all the rage here throughout the 1980s: Houses with a garage where the verandah or front lawn should be! I grew up in a subdivision that was built in the mid-1950s and the houses were designed to be customized and/or expanded from the design stage. A couple of hundred houses from no more than half a dozen blueprints. The same is no doubt true of American suburbs; the older they are, the more livable they get.
What’s with the naked guy reaching out to embrace a red star?
I must have seen them in concert 6-8 times over the years.
Pure Amazement.
The Professor still rules !!!
God has quite the roster being built up in Heaven.
Hendrix
SRV
Edward Van Halen
Neil Peart
Back in the day... $20 Concert Tickets (great/good seats), $8 T-Shirts, $0.50 beer ~~~~
In my mind Neil Peart is the finest drummer who ever lived. Always loved “Limelight”.
Pretty rare to have two guys, in Geddy and Alex who have been best friends since childhood, and let never let the business aspect of the band get in between that friendship.
What’s the history behind the “Starman” emblem? What made you come up with it?
The evolution of the star and man was Neil’s and mine’s first true collaboration. He simply described the Red Star Of The Solar Federation as being all that is contrary to free thought and creativity, and the man as our hero. I simply combined the two. Never was this intended to be the band’s brand or logo, with such a strong and enduring association with all things Rush.
https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/qa-with-rush-starman-hugh-syme/
What’s funny is that, some labelled Rush as a “Fascist” band, because of Neil’s admiration for Ayn Rand. Even though Geddy’s mother was a Holocaust survivor.
That’s interesting, thank you!
From Wiki:
“A galaxy-wide war resulted in the planets forcefully joining the Solar Federation (symbolized by the “Red Star”).
Gee, that sounds just like where we are heading, as Biden and his cronies are pushing us towards WWIII.
One my favorite bands. Legendary, iconic... The talent from these musicians and song writing skill is something rarely repeated, rarely seen.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.