Geddy Lee Jokes About What They Should Call the New Rush

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will launch their Fifty Something reunion tour in June under the Rush name. Drummer Anika Nilles replaces the late Neil Peart. The bassist defended keeping the band's name in a recent chat with Classic Rock, joking they could call themselves Iron Maiden instead.

The two had spent years insisting they'd never tour under their band's name again. They'll be playing 40 Rush songs over five shows. Lee said the decision came down to simple logic. 

"When the band ended, we said it's only Rush with Neil in it," Lee told Classic Rock. "Which of course is true. Rush as most people know it."

Lee admitted the choice wasn't easy for him and Lifeson. "We were twisting ourselves into a pretzel to try to avoid using the name that we have had for fifty years, and even before Neil came," he said.

The bassist explained that other options seemed pointless. "It just seems silly to go on as 'Lee and Lifeson Present The Music Of…'" he said. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Let's just be who we are and have been for over fifty years."

Peart's family has also given their blessing. Lee acknowledged that performing without his bandmate will be hard. "There are some songs you play where it kind of hits you, it's bad, and it feels weird," he noted. "And it's appropriate that that happens."

The group will pay tribute to Peart at each show, weaving memories of him throughout both sets. "If we just picked up and went on without feeling any tug of anything, that would be absurd, that would be a whole other thing," Lee said. "And there'll be moments in both sets where we'll pay tribute to him. We're working hard on that, making sure that it's appropriate."

The tour kicks off at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, where the band played their final show with Peart in 2020. All new tour dates are listed on the band's website.