Rush took the stage at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, July 29, and Saturday, Aug. 1. The Fifty Something tour marks their first run since 2015. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson brought drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold along for the ride.
On Saturday, the group played three hours straight, according to Forbes. “Xanadu” from their 1977 record A Farewell to Kings kicked things off. They ripped through “The Spirit of Radio,” and “Limelight.” After a break, the second set delivered the full 2112 suite and then some. The band also played five tracks off Moving Pictures, which hit its 45th birthday this year.
Anika Nilles stepped in after drummer Neil Peart died in 2020. Glioblastoma took him at 67. The German musician toured with Jeff Beck in 2022 and has earned strong reviews for her performances with Lee and Lifeson.
Lee and Lifeson honored Peart during the concert. Old videos and recordings of Peart appeared on screens before “Bravado” and “Time Stand Still.” They also remembered John Rutsey, who drummed on the 1974 debut record, when they played “Working Man.”
The encore brought out “Finding My Way” and “Working Man” from that 1974 self-titled debut. Rutsey recorded those songs before Peart came aboard. Between tracks, clips from South Park and bits with actors Paul Rudd and Jason Segal flashed on the screens.
Laryngitis and bronchitis hit Lee in late June. Two shows at Dickies Arena got pushed back. The singer recovered, and the tour picked up again on July 11.
The 2026 leg started with 22 dates. Tickets vanished fast, so the band tacked on more shows — 58 concerts across 24 cities now. Over half a million tickets have moved for 2026. South America and Europe will get added in early 2027.
Lee and Lifeson last played together as Rush in 2015 during their 40th-anniversary run. They shared a stage again in 2022 for the South Park 25th anniversary and Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts.
The group wrapped up their four-night New York City stand with a final Madison Square Garden show on Monday, Aug. 3.
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