What a Time We Had: When Rush Played at the Juno Awards

If you had told me a year ago that I would be seeing Rush reunite, I doubt I would have believed it. Yes, Geddy and Alex had performed at a couple of tribute concerts, but for all intents and purposes, any talk of attending a Rush concert seemed quite unlikely. And that was okay. I understood that after Neil lost his battle with cancer, Alex and Geddy put the band aside and focused on other things. Time passed. Alex and Geddy often kept in touch, and they still enjoyed playing music. It was healing for them. It made them happy. But I honestly didn't think they would ever get back to being working musicians again.

But times change. And at a certain point, Alex and Geddy decided to create the next iteration of Rush. When they made the announcement in Cleveland at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, they asked me to be there. But I was as surprised as most people when they announced they had chosen a drummer and were getting ready to perform again. 

That drummer was Anika Nilles, and that in itself was notable. Having long been told that Rush was a band for guys, and few if any women liked them (not true then, not true now), it was quite a change to see a woman join the band. I can only imagine Neil with a big smile on his face, seeing that the next iteration of Rush has Anika behind the drum kit. And she happens to be a very good drummer. As I said on social media, if she were not a very good drummer, Alex and Geddy would not have chosen her. But more than that, if she were not a good person and someone the two felt comfortable with, I doubt she'd be part of the band. Friendship matters: Alex and Geddy often said that they thought of Neil as a close friend, and they all liked to spend time with each other; they liked to joke around and make each other laugh. I don't know what kind of friendship Alex and Geddy will have with Anika (or with Loren Gold, the new keyboard player), but I get the impression they will all have a good time making music and entertaining the fans.

The other night, the band made its surprise debut, playing at the Juno Awards. The song they played was surprising too-- "Finding My Way," which we did very well with at WMMS when I was there. After "Working Man" was getting played to death, listeners wanted to know what else was on that first album, and I chose "Finding My Way." I still love to hear it, and those opening chords bring back a lot of memories. I thought Rush's performance was inspiring. As I saw it, they were at the beginning of a great adventure, one that nobody thought would ever happen a year ago. I give Anika a lot of credit-- she is stepping into a difficult gig, because while many fans will love her for herself, some will want to compare her to Neil.

I hope they don't. What I saw was a new iteration of Rush doing what they loved best-- playing music, and playing it well. It put a smile on my face, because even Geddy had told me a few months ago that he had no idea how many concerts someone of his chronological age would be able to play. Based on what I heard, the band still sounds good. Geddy's range isn't what it was 25 years ago, but it doesn't need to be. He still can hit the notes he needs to. Alex can still play in a very impressive manner. And Anika is a welcome addition, someone who is bringing new energy and new perspectives to the band.

And watching them perform at the Juno Awards, I kept remembering a younger and more inexperienced version of the band, back when John Rutsey was still the drummer. They were three guys from Toronto with no idea what the future held for them, amazed to be in Cleveland in late June of 1974, amazed that people loved "Working Man," getting ready to perform at the Allen Theater and hoping to make a good impression. They did then. They still do now. Many years have passed, and now it's a new version of the band I've loved for so many years. It was wonderful to see Rush up on stage again, in March 2026, getting ready to go on tour, and bringing so much joy to so many people.