It’s because there are jackasses out there who said she was a DEI hire. Geddy and Alex are just setting the record straight. Clearly, it was a merit-based addition to the band. I’ve seen Rush 4 times...in the 80’s, 90’s and twice after 2000. Annika is a nice fit to fill in for the irreplaceable.
Free Republic actually had a "like" option for about 20 minutes back in the early 00s.
Well, that sounds like bending to the pressure of folks that have never listened to Rush’s catalog of music nor read the lyrics. I’m sorry and confused that they felt they had to say anything more than “We’re pleased that Annika’s in the band and we can’t wait to play for you.”