In 52 years of touring, Rush has built a reputation as one of rock's most technically flawless acts. That streak hit a very public speed bump on Thursday night at Los Angeles's Kia Forum.
During the third night of their Fifty Something Tour, Geddy Lee's bass went completely dead just two minutes into the overture to 2112. The legendary frontman ripped the instrument off his shoulder and sprinted backstage hunting for a replacement—only to discover it wasn't immediately waiting for him.
What unfolded next was improvisation: guitarist Alex Lifeson and new touring drummer Anika Nilles kept the prog-rock band rolling with a guitar-and-drums-only rendition of the track, somehow holding the musical line without their bassist. It took Lifeson a minute to realize what was happening. "We're going to take a break," he announced, looking genuinely bewildered before signalling Nilles to stop.
Within seconds, Lee returned with a fresh instrument. The band kicked back in—and hit even harder the second time around.
This was Rush's first tour in over half a century without the late Neil Peart on drums. The band brought in Anika Nilles as their new touring drummer, and she mastered the band's notoriously complex catalog on the fly.
The rest of the show was flawless. Rush tackled the entirety of their 1980 masterpiece Moving Pictures, including a breathtaking live debut of "The Camera Eye." Aimee Mann returned for a third performance of "Time Stand Still," reprising her role from the original 1987 recording.
For a band in their 70s playing their first tour without their iconic drummer, a single equipment malfunction was a minor stumble—one they corrected without missing a beat.
