For a band that was reluctant to tour again, Rush’s “50 Something Tour” is turning into a lengthy excursion covering much of the globe. Yesterday the band announced it was adding South American dates to the trek, which already consisted of extensive runs in North America and Europe. The tour, which will run though next year, now includes 82 shows in all. Tickets for the newly announced dates go on sale this week.
In other Rush news, the tour will include some new faces. In order to perform as “Rush,” Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson had to find a drummer who could fill the formidable shoes of the late Neal Peart. Anika Nilles was announced late last year to fill that role. Yesterday, the band revealed that they were bringing on veteran keyboardist Loren Gold. As Geddy told “Planet Rock,” “He’s played with the Who for the last 12 years or more and also Chicago, and he’s a real veteran. So we’re excited to bring him on board and our first rehearsal with him starts very soon.” Up until now, Lee handled not only bass and vocals but keyboards, sometimes all at the same time. Now, as Alex Lifeson has said, “It’s going to free us up to work on those dance moves.”
