A new-look Rush have made an early comeback to the stage ahead of their hotly-anticipated reunion tour, tearing through one of their first-ever songs at the 2026 Juno Awards.
The band, which now sees guitarist Alex Lifeson and bass player Geddy Lee supplemented by former Jeff Beck drummer Anika Nilles and former Who keyboardist Loren Gold, marked their first appearance since their final show with late drummer Neil Peart in 2015.
Lifeson and Lee have linked up since that show, which brought the R40 tour to an end at the Kia Forum in LA. They performed Rush classics with Dave Grohl at the Taylor Hawkins tribute shows in 2022 and made a surprise appearance at a Gordon Lightfoot tribute show two years later.
Article continues belowBut this is the first time the Canadian duo has reunited as Rush-proper; something many felt was impossible after Peart’s passing in 2020.
The prog rock legends sent the TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, into a frenzy as they rolled back the years, performing “Finding My Way” at the Juno Awards. The Canadian showcase has been kind to the band over the year, having claimed 10 wins from 41 nominations, and it felt like a fitting place for their resurrection.
For the performance, Lifeson wielded a Goldtop Gibson Les Paul, with Lee opting for a green Fender Jazz. And it was a spritely showing, too, while videos of the band over the years played on screens behind them.
Moreover, playing the first song from their first album, a release that led to an eye-opening tour with Rory Gallagher, was a poignant way to signal their second coming.
Speaking at the event, Lee told the press the song choice was management’s idea, but Lifeson, ever the comic, offered an alternative narrative, saying: “It’s the only song we know how to play!”
“Neil is irreplaceable,” Lee returns, “and if he had something to say to us right now, he'd probably say, ‘You guys are idiots!’ But, you know, music lives beyond tragedy, beyond anything that can happen in your life.
“One thing we've learned over the last 10 years is that music is still a part of us, and so to play it now with someone as young and exciting as Annika is just another tribute to him. I think he'd be very pleased with our choice of drummer, and I think he would have a bit of a smirk on his face and thumbs up.”
On the night, the group, vitally, sounded nothing like the “bad tribute band” that Lifeson had said he and Lee represented when they began jamming again in 2024.
Yet, while news of their weekly meetups was met with excitement in the prog and rock fandoms, there was little evidence to suggest a reunion would happen at first. Lee has since admitted that he served his lifelong friend an ultimatum – “We’re either doing this, or we’re not,” he had said – as he looked to revive one of rock’s greatest bands in a timely fashion.
Nilles, who the band was introduced to by their tech after they spent time on the road with her during her days as Jeff Beck’s heartbeat, has huge shoes to fill. The early signs are extremely promising.
She’s also extremely sensitive to Peart’s legacy and towering reputation, even doubting that she could tackle a Rush classic during an early rehearsal.
Rush's comeback tour, which loosely coincides with their 50th anniversary, kicks off at the Kia Forum, where they took their final bow some 11 years ago, on June 6, before dates across the US and Canada. They'll also play South America and Europe in 2027, with Lee suggesting that new music is a possibility, provided the band survives their upcoming live shows.
Meanwhile, Lifeson has reflected on how his love of Jimmy Page inspired a 2112 hit, and how bizarre dreams were the genesis of some of Rush's most monumental tracks.
