Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson
Ignored by critics, passed over by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, loved and hated in equal measure by the listening public, the Canadian progressive-rock band Rush are quite accustomed to life on the fringes of the mainstream, thank you. For all their 40-plus years together as a band—with a legion of devoted fans on par with Deadheads and Trekkies and record sales that rank them right behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums sold—Rush have been known more as musicians’ musicians than “rock stars.” And this suits Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, and Alex Lifeson just fine.
The status quo may be on the verge of change for the band, however, with an unexpected hit recently at New York City’s 9th annual Tribeca Film Festival where their documentary, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, made its world premiere and nabbed the coveted Heineken Audience Award. Directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn of Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and Iron Maiden: Flight 666 fame, the critically acclaimed documentary is being compared to 2008’s endearing rock doc, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, by fellow Canadian rockers Anvil. This first in-depth look at the history and influence of Rush—from their start in frontman/bassist Geddy Lee’s basement as kids growing up in suburban Toronto to their Snakes and Arrows tour, which ended in 2008—has renewed interest in the band and is expected to appeal not only to the group’s cult-like following, but to nonbelievers and those new to the band as well.
Beyond the Lighted Stage chronicles the highs and lows of Rush's career and the conscious effort they make to stick to their principles and unique sound despite industry pressure for more radio-friendly material. McFadyen and Dunn, who has an anthropological background, rummaged through many decades’ worth of material to construct a timeline of the band’s history for the film, tracking Rush's musical evolution through each of their landmark albums, from their progressive-rock sound of the '70s to the heavier rock of their more recent work. As one of music's most highly regarded bands, Rush have been cited as an influence by many of rock's most respected artists including Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Sebastian Bach (ex-Skid Row), Gene Simmons (Kiss), Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), and Kirk Hammett (Metallica), all of whom turn up in the movie in heartfelt and sometimes hilarious interviews.
Also featured in the film is rare archival footage of some of the band's early performances and golden moments, like guitarist Alex Lifeson breaking the news to his parents that he's dropping out of his senior year of high school to focus on the band. There's a real sense of family between these straight and narrow bandmates that comes through in the film as does a surprising sense of humor. "That was something that fascinated us," says Dunn. "How do we tell the story of this band that takes their music so seriously and yet, as people, they're practically like a comedy trio? Maybe that's a real ingredient to their longevity: they can get into a room together and make music that's serious and challenging and intellectual, but when they're just hanging, they're friends."
McFadyen and Dunn were also granted access to Rush's inner sanctum and address a very painful chapter in the band's history—the deaths in 1997-98 of drummer Neil Peart's daughter (in an automobile accident) and wife (to cancer) within ten months of each other. The personal tragedies resulted in a five-year hiatus for Rush when the notoriously private Peart reportedly informed his bandmates to consider him retired and took to the road on his BMW motorcycle, covering 55,000 miles throughout North and Central America, to mourn and reflect on his loss. When asked if there was a lot of tiptoeing around the delicate subject, McFadyen said, "For a long time when we interviewed Neil we would discuss different periods, and we would just not touch that period. And then we went motorcycling in the desert and we sat him down. We just wanted to not deal with the actual events of what happened; we're not into the sensationalizing of anything. The other guys were more comfortable talking about the actual events, and how they found out. We don't know if Neil's seen the film yet, and I look forward to hearing his thoughts, but everyone else feels we've done it in a tasteful way." Still, it makes for some uncomfortable viewing.
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage is a fascinating, honest look at a band who have played an important part in rock 'n' roll history. Die-hard fans will cherish this film, but even if Rush isn't your thing, you will certainly come away with a whole new appreciation for the band. The film was released to video on June 29, 2010, and features a second disc of exclusive bonus material, including previously unseen interviews, outtakes, backstage footage, and rare live performances of such Rush favorites as “La Villa Strangiato,” “Working Man,” and “YYZ.”
On June 25, 2010, Rush received the 2,412th star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Lifeson thanked the crowd gathered in front of the Musicians Institute on Hollywood Boulevard, which included Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan, and called the event a “beautiful, surreal moment.”
And if a hit film and a Hollywood star aren't enough Rush for you, the band are hitting the road this summer. They've just kicked off a 40-city North American tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that winds all over the US and Canada before wrapping up in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the fall. The Time Machine tour, as it is called, features the band playing their classic 1981 album Moving Pictures live in its entirety, which includes the hit singles “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight.” They will also play some of their other classic songs as well as a sampling from their forthcoming album, Clockwork Angels, Rush’s 19th studio album, which is set to drop sometime in Spring 2011. The first two singles from the new record, “Caravan” and “BU2B,” were released last month as digital downloads. Check them out on the band's website at www.rush.com.
