Neil Peart - The Latest News

I've been following a lot of Rush tours over the years -- both as a concert-goer and, for the past 8 years, on this blog. The Clockwork Angels show was definitely Rush's most elaborate spectacle to date.

So much happened during this tour, I thought this was a good time to look back at the highlights (some of them for Rush, and some for me). Enjoy.

Sep 7, 2012: Opening night in Manchester, NH

As I followed along on Twitter, I was genuinely surprised with the changes to the show, including:

Deep cuts from Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure, and Roll the Bones for the first time in many years
A small orchestra joining the band onstage as they played through much of Clockwork Angels and a few other songs.
Three (yes, three!) drum solos by Neil Peart (still playing his Time Machine kit)
Neil Peart firing T-shirts from a cannon!

Sep 9: Washington, DC - More set changes

Rush changed the set again, swapping out multiple songs. This trend would continue until they settled on essentially two main sets. To see how many sets Rush played on this tour, check out this handy table at Power Windows. (In case you were wondering, there were 12 different sets.)

Neil Peart interviewed as part of New York Times article about drumming and fitness.

Sep 10 - Rush receive "Album of the Year" from Progressive Music Awards for Clockwork Angels

Sep 11 - Neil Peart cover story in DRUM!

Sep 12 - Neil's 60th birthday

While Neil celebrated this major milestone on the road, there was also a virtual party in the Twitterverse with Rush fans, friends, and colleagues wishing the Professor many happy returns.

Sep 17 - Clockwork Angels the Novel debuts at #18 on the New York Times bestsellers list

Oct 5 - Rush nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame