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On This Day in 2015, Rush Kicked off a Landmark Tour, Taking Fans Back in Time to Their Humble Beginnings
On this day (May 8) in 2015, Rush kicked off their 35-stop R40 tour with a show at Tulsa, Oklahoma’s BOK Center. The tour celebrated a milestone for the Canadian progressive rock legends. It marked 40 years since drummer Neil Peart joined the band. At the same time, they took fans back in time, playing their most recent material early in the show and working their way back through their discography. It was also planned to be their final tour.
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The shows started with songs from their 2012 album Clockwork Angels with a state-of-the-art stage setup meant to bring those tunes to life. The band then worked backward through their discography. However, they chose to exclude material from Power Windows (1985), Hold Your Fire (1987), Presto (1989), Test for Echo (1996), and their 2004 EP Feedback.
Every show ended with “Working Man” from their 1974 self-titled debut album. The stage paid homage to the band’s humble beginnings for the final song. It looked like a school gym with a disco ball spinning above. Geddy Lee played with a single bass amp on a chair behind him, per the band’s website.
The tour was a blast of nostalgia for longtime fans and a treat for younger fans who were just digging into the progressive rock legends’ discography. It was also slated to be their final outing.
Rush Almost Stopped Touring
Rush had embarked on 23 large-scale tours before R40. They were getting older, and being on the road was getting harder. Neil Peart, specifically, was no longer excited to leave his home for weeks or months at a time, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
“People say to me, ‘Are you still excited when you go on tour?’ Should I be excited about leaving my family? No, and no one should,” Peart said. “It’s as simple as that. If you put aside the fantasy of it, it is what it is and had to be done. That’s fine, and I pour my entire energy and enthusiasm into it, but of course, I’m of two minds about the whole idea,” he added.
More than missing his family, Peart suffered from tendinitis, which could make playing painful. At the same time, guitarist Alex Lifeson has arthritis, which makes playing difficult for him at times.
In short, it looked like the R40 dates would be the last chance to see Rush live. Five years later, when Peart died, fans were sure it was the end. More recently, though, everyone learned that wasn’t the case.
Last October, the band announced their Fifty Something tour. It will be their first tour without Peart. Anika Nilles will play drums in his place.
Featured Image by Mat Hayward/Getty Images
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