RUSH: Concert Review & Photos 'Witnessing History in Montreal, Canada! Sept 4, Night 2- The Metal Voice

The Metal Voice
48 minutes ago
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RUSH September 4, 2026 Bell Centre Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Review and Photos by Jimmy Kay The Metal Voice

The first time I saw Rush live was in April 1983 during the Signals tour. The last time I saw them perform live was October 18, 2012, on the Clockwork Angels tour. In between, I have witnessed countless Rush performances throughout the years. The reason I mention this is because I have a unique perspective: I can compare last night's performance to other Rush shows I've attended.

So, let's take this apart.

Background

Rush was formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighborhood of Toronto. The original lineup consisted of Alex Lifeson on guitar, Jeff Jones on bass and John Rutsey on drums. Geddy Lee soon replaced Jeff Jones as the band's vocalist and bassist.

Rush released its self-titled debut album in 1974. Shortly afterward, drummer John Rutsey (R.I.P.) was replaced by legendary drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. That lineup went on to create 18 studio albums and establish Rush as one of the most influential progressive rock bands in history.

Following the tragic passing of Neil Peart in 2020, German drummer Anika Nilles joined Rush as their touring drummer for the band's 2026 reunion.

The Present

The "Fifty Something" Tour marks Rush's first concert tour in 11 years. It is their first live outing since the R40 Live tour in 2015.

The global tour kicked off on June 7, 2026, in Los Angeles and is currently scheduled to conclude on April 10, 2027, in Helsinki, Finland.

For the first time in the band's history, Rush is performing live without Neil Peart. Alongside Anika Nilles, the band has also added keyboardist Loren Gold to the touring lineup, making this the first time Rush has toured with more than its three core musicians on stage.

The Setlist

The "An Evening With" format means there is no opening act. Instead, Rush delivers a massive performance divided into two full sets, with four rotating setlists that can change from night to night.

The setlists are dynamic and draw from a catalogue containing more than four decades of classic Rush material.

And Montreal Night 2 was particularly special.

While the first Montreal show featured the entirety of 2112, Night 2 treated fans to the complete Moving Pictures album.

The rest of the setlist traveled throughout Rush's career, touching on different eras and fan favorites.

Interestingly, the only point of the night when I noticed a significant number of fans leaving their seats for bathroom breaks or heading toward the merchandise stands was during "Headlong Flight," from Clockwork Angels, the band's final studio album. But if you gotta go, you gotta go.

The Production "Fifty Something" Tour

I have seen countless concerts throughout my life but I have to say that, next to KISS, this might be one of the biggest visual productions I have ever witnessed.

Actually, I would go even further and say that Rush's production may have exceeded KISS in one important area. The visual content wasn't simply there for spectacle. It was filled with humor, relevance to the music, emotion, memories and touching tributes. Everything had a purpose.

NOTE - If you looked carefully at the floor seating, you could see that what seemed like approximately 15% of the floor was occupied by the soundboard, production equipment and lighting crew.

This was a massive undertaking.

And it showed.

The New Girl

WOW.

Precision. Energy. Power.

Anika Nilles brought all three.

She added her own little nuances here and there while showing enormous respect for the legacy of Neil Peart.

Let's make one thing perfectly clear: No one will ever replace Neil Peart. NO ONE.

But Anika represented his legacy with class. There was no traditional drum solo last night. Instead, you could see Anika working relentlessly behind the kit, occasionally peeking out from behind the cymbals with a little smile.

She fit right in.

What impressed me most was that she came across as humble, witty and professional, a musician first rather than someone trying to be a rock star.

She understood the assignment.

Geddy's Vocals

This is where things really got interesting.

The 1970s were a time when Geddy Lee would scream in his head voice at full throttle. During the 1980s, he brought things down an octave and relied much more heavily on his chest voice.

Then came the 2000s.

Let's just say his voice was cracking, breaking and struggling, particularly when performing some of the older material.

But something has changed on this tour.

It seems like Geddy is making his way back toward that 1980s-era voice.

Geddy's voice was in top form.

And if anything, he seems to be getting better the more they tour after looking at clips on Youtube

At first, you might wonder whether some of the vocals were being assisted by tapes or other technology. But I was standing directly in front of Geddy in the photo pit and I didn't notice anything that suggested vocal trickery.

My guess is that it's a combination of vocal preparation, lessons, experience and perhaps most importantly, an 11-year rest from touring.

Bottom line:

GEDDY IS BACK — VOCALLY.

On the older material, he appeared to choose the right workaround notes when necessary, while still preserving the character of the original songs. As far as I could tell, the songs were performed in their original keys although, as always, correct me if I'm wrong.

Musicianship

After seeing Rush so many times over the decades, I have to say this may have been one of the best Rush shows I have ever witnessed.

Maybe it was the fact that, after 11 years away, they had something to prove once again almost like those early days when the band was hungry and determined to show the world what it could do.

Maybe it was the combination of the music, humor, love for Neil, incredible production and classic songs being revisited in a fresh and emotionally charged setting.

Maybe it was simply the fans.

There was an overwhelming enthusiasm in the building. People knew they were witnessing something special and possibly getting one last opportunity to see their favorite band perform together. Don't know what you got until it's gone.

Maybe a combination of all of the above.

Whatever the reason, all three members, plus Loren Gold, knocked it out of the park and then some.

The band felt completely locked in.

At the top of their game.