So there we were on Sunday, June 7, 2026, some 15,000 strong, gathered at the aging but still respectable Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, located across a parking lot from the gleaming SoFi Stadium where World Cup and Super Bowl matches come to be played. It was a pleasant Southern California afternoon settling into evening as we wandered about the arena, most taking time to shop at one of the numerous souvenir stands or sip ridiculously priced adult beverages from the even more numerous concession stands. It was an assemblage of the familiar, old friends growing older, talking about children growing up, and reminiscing about the days and time gone by that, had we known better when they were happening, we would have preferred to stand still.
We were there to see a band that had provided the soundtrack to our lives, youthful times blasting eight-tracks and later on cassettes from our car stereos for often unimpressed friends who could not for the life of them figure out our obsession with these three Canadians singing about oddball subjects in songs set to even odder rhythmic patterns. They were not pretty boys singing pretty songs. This band was simultaneously heavy and thoughtful. They proved it was possible to rock, and rock hard, from the head atop one’s neck as opposed to the one inside one’s pants. They were the perfect soundtrack for the generation raised on Star Trek and Star Wars, one that rejected the polyester, disco, and cocaine of 70s pop culture in favor of imagination and contemplation.
The band was Rush. And they’re back.
What seemed like an impossibility following the 2015 retirement and 2020 passing of drummer and lyricist Neil Peart — namely, seeing and hearing Rush in concert once more — had come about through tragedy. Bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson agreed to perform together at the 2022 concerts in Los Angeles and London held in honor of the Foo Fighters’ late drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Some none-too-gentle nudging of Lee and Lifeson backstage at the London show by none other than Paul McCartney further stoked the fire. The problem was, who could manage the almost unimaginable feat of taking Peart’s place behind the drums?
Enter Anika Nilles. Recommended to Lee by his bass tech from his previously thought concluded touring years, said tech having worked with Nilles when she was touring with the late Jeff Beck, Nilles provided both the chops and the spark to make Lee and Lifeson willing to scrape off the rust and breathe life into their vast back catalog. The Peart worshipers whined, while the rest of Rush’s vast online fan base said let’s give her a chance. A tantalizing taste of what lay in store came via the 2026 Juno Awards, when the refreshed trio, augmented by keyboardist and background vocalist Loren Gold, tore it up with a blistering rendition of “Finding My Way” from their 1974 eponymous debut album.
All well and good. But that was one song, and one of Rush’s simpler songs at that. How would the band stand up under the heavy demands of performing its complex signature pieces? Could Nilles fill the bill? Could Lee’s voice, which had noticeably weakened during the band’s last tour in 2015, stand the strain? Would Lifeson’s arthritis permit him to play the dazzling runs and washes critical to the Rush sound?
The answer came quickly. After a humorous introductory video, the band came out with “Xanadu” from its 1977 progressive rock opus “A Farewell to Kings.” This was not something a bunch of old rockers could mug their way through to placate nostalgia buffs. “Xanadu” requires precision playing and dynamics to pull off.
They pulled it off, the audience roaring as one when Nilles proved from the get-go she was more than worthy of the job. Her intensity and smile energized the arena, and the constant looks of professional affection between her and Lee were impossible to miss. Anika Nilles has accomplished the previously thought impossible: bringing Rush back to life live on stage.
The concert was a true immersive experience, lights and animations blending to create a seamless whole, augmenting the music without overpowering it. Throughout the evening, better-known and deep tracks came together, highlighting how, during their career, Rush did what many artists are unwilling or unable to do. They grew up. While not entirely leaving aside the sci-fi and fantasy themes of “2112” and “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” in favor of personal and societal observations, the latter became prominent. The band brought this into sharp focus with the one-two punch of “Time Stand Still” and its wistful longing to savor today, graced by Aimee Mann in person, replicating her vocal on the album, followed by the devastating examination of the Holocaust’s horrors with “Red Sector A.”
The evening paid proper homage to Peart while celebrating the fact that in 2026, Rush remains a vital part of the thinking person’s music library. Many a tear was shed by eyes unaccustomed to such events, not in lament of paying the price but rather rejoicing that we are still able to eschew counting the cost. Rush is back, and we are the better for it.
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