On the first of four sold-out nights at Chicago’s United Center, Anika Nilles arrived poised to upend the expectations of one of rock’s most famously male-dominated audiences. Steadfast Rush fans proved to be absolutely ready for it.
The veteran Canadian progressive rock trio had ceased activity following its R40 tour in 2015. The shutdown was largely attributed to drummer and lyricist Neil Peart’s wishes to retire after decades of wear due to the punishing physicality of his playing and to spend time with his young family. Peart was acclaimed among rock’s premier drummers by audiences and musicians alike.
Unfortunately, a glioblastoma cut short his opportunity to enjoy an idyllic home life. Peart died in 2020 at age 67. Afterward, bassist and singer Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson publicly stated that the loss of their crucial bandmate and friend meant the end of Rush.
Positions softened after Lee and Lifeson participated in transatlantic tribute events honoring late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Rush undertook its Fifty Something tour to mark decades of ambitious creativity while serving as a traveling celebration of life for Peart. The drummer’s family provided its blessing.
The jazz-schooled Nilles did more than sit in, and the audience welcomed her enabling presence with enthusiasm. The German native came to Rush based upon the recommendation of Lee’s bass technician, John “Skully” McIntosh, who worked with Nilles while touring with guitar legend Jeff Beck.
Nilles’ elite status was evident during challenging fare including dazzling instrumental “YYZ.” Her dexterous and powerful playing incited a waving field of the crowd’s air-drumming arms while reproducing Peart’s most famous fills.
Her percussion was not passionless mimicry, however. She brought perspective and personality to epic pieces including movements from the cinematic “2112” suite and a thundering encore of “By-Tor and the Snow Dog.” Nilles received passionate ovations while embellishing the exacting arrangement of the genre-shifting “The Spirit of Radio.”
Nilles’ virtuosity clearly invigorated her bandmates, whose faces may have ached from permanent grins throughout the performance. After careening through the interlocking riffs of instrumental “La Villa Strangiato,” Lee remarked, “That’s fun to play, I gotta tell ya. It shouldn’t be allowed.”
The evening began with fantasy epic “Xanadu,” for which Lee and Lifeson donned the double-necked guitars they used in the ’70s. Keyboardist and vocalist Loren Gold, a veteran of multiple tours with the bands Chicago and the Who, provided rich analog synthesizer textures that enabled Lee to shed a layer of multitasking and focus on rocking out alongside Lifeson at center stage.
Lifeson’s soloing exuded feeling and character, with bluesy bends followed by thrilling flurries and melodic passages in crowd-pleasers including the reflective “Limelight” and expression of teen angst “Subdivisions.” The foundations of Lifeson’s singular style could be traced to other luminaries including Beck and Jimmy Page.
Lee’s singing was surprisingly strong considering a recent bout of bronchitis and the day’s hazardous air quality due to Canadian wildfire smoke. The singer, who turns 73 this month, delivered poignant passages in “Bravado” with tenderness and hit challenging high notes in the portrait of individuality “Freewill” with clarity and confidence. “Red Sector A” was a haunting reflection of his parents’ traumatic experiences in German concentration camps during World War II.
His adventurous bass playing was nimble and muscular on songs including the slashing “Vital Signs” and urgent “Far Cry.”
Peart’s presence remained constant throughout the show. Screens showed interview clips, photo montages and comedy bits featuring Jason Segel and Paul Rudd reprising their Rush-obsessed characters from buddy comedy film I Love You, Man. Lee offered fond memories and anecdotes. The chiming “Time Stand Still” became an especially touching ode.
The show reached its emotional peak with a performance of “The Garden” from Rush’s 2012 album, “Clockwork Angels.”
“The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect,” sang Lee, conveying a melancholy ache while turning Peart’s words back toward their author. Gold added elegant piano and warm vocal harmony.
The main set concluded with classic rock staple “Tom Sawyer,” a song that Peart admitted never became easy to play despite countless repetition. It may have been tricky, but the musicians seemed to be having the time of their lives playing it together.
Seeing a Rush performance of this caliber in 2026 was an unexpected joy. The chemistry and vitality of the revamped four-piece lineup suggest that the music need not end when the Fifty Something tour wraps. New material with this combination of players would be an exciting prospect for fans of progressive rock while continuing to honor Peart’s legacy.
SET LIST
Set 1:
01 Xanadu
02 Limelight
03 Far Cry
04 Subdivisions
05 Freewill
06 Bravado
07 Caravan
08 La Villa Strangiato
09 Vital Signs
10 Spirit of Radio
Set 2:
11 2112 Part I: Overture
12 2112 Part II: Temples
13 2112 Part VII: Grand Fin
14 Distant Early Warning
15 Red Barchetta
16 Dreamline
17 Natural Science
18 Time Stand Still
19 Red Sector A
20 YYZ
21 The Garden
22 Tom Sawyer
Encore:
23 By-Tor and The Snow Dog
24 Working Man