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September 18, 2009
Rush Auctions Memorabilia on eBay For Charity
Could there be any doubt which member of Rush is behind the the selection of the beneficiary for a charity eBay auction that will offer up various Rush memorabilia? “Grapes For Humanity” is the charity organization in question, and in light of the fact that the group’s bassist and lead vocalist Geddy Lee is well-known a wine aficionado, and even has is own spacious wine cellar in his home.
Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart may also be among those that enjoy wine, and evidently are fully behind this event, however, as someone whose wine cellar was once featured in a Toronto magazine called City Bites, one has to suspect Lee as the man behind this particular choice.
“Grapes for Humanity” is described as an “organization that helps to raise funds to benefit humanitarian causes around the world with the assistance of the international wine community.”
Now as someone who cannot drink the stuff (it gives me terrible headaches), I’m not on board with the whole wine thing, but I’m sure that “Grapes For Humanity” is a very worthy cause if the guys from Rush support it. I’ve heard stories from people that have actually worked with Rush that describe them as some of the nicest guys in the business.
For those interested in what little bits of Rush history might be up for grabs on eBay, here’s a sampling:
- A Geddy Lee Signature Fender Jazz bass AND a rare Garrison G-50E Custom Acoustic guitar used by Alex on the Snakes & Arrows tour. They have both been signed by Geddy and Alex as well as by members of Depeche Mode, TOOL,The Fray, Pearl Jam, Judas Priest and many more in Support of Grapes for Humanity.
- A Gibson Les Paul Axcess "Custom Shop" guitar which was used by Alex Lifeson in a recent secret session. The guitar will be autographed and will be accompanied by a signed photo of Alex with the Guitar.
- A Sabian Paragon Diamondback Chinese 20" Cymbal, from Neil Peart’s personal kit, with Neil’s signature.
If you’d like to toss your hat in the ring, you can visit eBay and enter your bid.
“Grapes For Humanity” cites their main focus as “To provide a better quality of life for victims and survivors of disasters. We help these individuals become self-sufficient citizens to go on to lead fulfilling and productive lives. Funds are raised through various international wine events, wine auctions, corporate and private home wine tastings. Through our partners we direct the proceeds of these events to those in immediate need. Grapes for Humanity is an organization that is run on the strength of its volunteers. We pride ourselves on the fact that all monies raised go directly to our chosen partner.”
In this particular case, the chosen partner is HALO (Hazardous Area Life-Support Organization) for their on-going work with victims of landmines in the African nation of Angola. In addition to the money that will be raised through the auction, that sum will be matched by the Julia Burke Foundation in California.
More information is available at Rock Star Weekly.
September 14, 2009
Geddy Lee on Toronto’s Massey Hall
A wide-eyed kid sat mesmerized during a live performance by the legendary classic rock trio Cream, admiring the skill of bass player Jack Bruce. Although he sat alone in the crowd, unable to convince his friends to join him at the show, it was a defining moment in his life.
The venue was Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada – a place destined to live on in the memory of the young musician throughout the career that he may not have even dared dream about.
We classic rock fans, and particularly those of us who are fans of Rush, know the young man in question as Geddy Lee. At the time, young the Lee thought it was virtually unthinkable to be standing on that stage playing before a live audience. Although he may have had no idea at the time, he was destined to play out virtually the same role that his idol, Jack Bruce, was playing out at that very moment – fronting a rock trio as bassist and lead vocalist for a group that would become legendary.
Lee describes Massey Hall as their (Rush’s) version of The Royal Albert Hall “or something like that,” as he puts it.
It’s abundantly clear that Massey Hall might be considered sacred ground in the mind of Geddy Lee. The group’s performances there are clearly some of the most significant and memorable in their career.
“Massey Hall was the pinnacle prestige gig to us,” Lee says. A place that represented musical success to the trio who were beginning to gain traction on their home soil, but had not yet broken through the invisible barrier that would allow them to bring their music to just about anyone in the world who cared to listen.
Thanks to Sonic City TV for sharing this clip and giving fans a little background on the important role a building that most of us have probably never heard of played in the evolution of Rush.
September 4, 2009
New Rush Album And Tour On Tap For Next Year?
We’ve heard subtle hints coming from Rush’s two most vocal members for a while now about the possibility of the group getting back to work soon. From all appearances, it seems that both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are starting to get a little antsy and would like to begin work on some new material.
Drummer Neil Peart, who just recently became a father again, might be a different story. After a major life event like that, he may want to stick around home for a while and settle into the new routine. Lee and Lifeson will probably talk him into returning to work before too long, however.
Recent word by way of NoiseCreep.com suggests that the group may resume work soon and if all goes well, come up with a new album to showcase on a tour next summer.
The group seemed extraordinarily pleased with the finished product after working with producer Nick Raskulinecz on their last album, Snakes & Arrows. I think Nick calls the office once a week just to make sure we’re still planning on getting back to work at some point,” according to guitarist Alex Lifeson.
The Snakes & Arrows tour was particularly grueling for Rush, with a total of 120 shows performed at venues around the world. The group decided that a year off would be a good break after spending so much time on the road. Although there are no formal commitments coming from them about when they will get back to work, Lifeson reports he has been doing some writing and hopes he will get together with Lee and Peart in the near future to start planning their next album.
Although it’s too early for Rush fans to start planning for a tour next summer, it’s obvious that Rush is not finished yet. It’s a pretty safe bet that they will be releasing a new album again. The only question is: “When?”
April 2, 2009
Rush Frontman Geddy Lee Featured In ‘Heeb’ Magazine
I would have not imagined that there was a magazine called Heeb that catered to the Jewish community, but lo and behold, there is indeed! What makes the most recent edition of the publication interesting for Rush fans who may not be Jewish is a pretty good interview with Geddy Lee.
In the interview we learn a little bit about Lee’s childhood, a “nerd” by his own admission, who tended to be somewhat socially isolated and lived in a world inside his own head. Going from suburban nerd to rock star is quite a journey indeed, and probably one that Lee still finds hard to believe today.
In a potentially controversial portion of the interview, Lee admits to being a Jewish atheist, “if that’s possible,” he adds. Something that I don’t find particularly surprising when one considers some of the lyrics that are such a big part of what shapes the group’s identity.
Drummer and lyricist Neil Peart has made no secret of his thoughts about religion, and although I cannot remember hearing anything about where guitarist Alex Lifeson stands on the issue, it appears that Lee is onboard with Peart where that subject is concerned.
Lee also spends some time talking about a 1995 trip he made to some of the Nazi concentration camps with his mother, who is a holocaust survivor. Although many Rush fans have probably already figured it out, the song “Red Sector A” was inspired by events that Lee’s mother related to him regarding her own experiences during that terrible time in history.
Although Rush has a reputation as one of the best-behaved bands in rock, Lee does admit that they were not always on their best behavior. “I can’t vouch for us being well-behaved every night,” he says. What he means by that is not clear, and he is reluctant to elaborate.
Perhaps his wife will have some questions for him when she sees the interview, if she has not already. Seriously however, I don’t imagine the guys from Rush getting into all that much trouble. After all, these are guys that are known for spending part of their downtime sampling wine from various (and probably upscale) restaurants while on tour.
The Heeb Interview is interesting since it is not so focused on the whole rock star thing and seems more about Geddy Lee the human being rather than Geddy Lee the rock star. It’s an interesting perspective, and one that Rush fans will surely want to check out. Don’t forget to click on “Heeb Web exclusive: Click here for the extended Geddy Lee interview” at the bottom of the page to see the rest of the interview.
You can check out the Heeb interview on their website.
March 25, 2009
Boatload of Rush Video From ‘Retrospective 3’ on VH1 Classic Site
This past weekend, VH1 Classic aired a special program featuring the latest release from Canadian rock trio Rush. The show, entitled Rush: Retrospective 3 Box Set Special, appropriately enough, aired on Saturday night at 10:00 PM.
For those who do not have access to the VH1 Classic channel (like myself), content from the special has been posted on the VH1 Classic website.
The bulk of the content is footage of Rush performances and accompanying commentary from Geddy Lee which fills in some interesting details on some well-known Rush favorites.
Lee provides some interesting background on some of their material and what inspired them to do it and also talks a little about some of the technical aspects of working in the studio and getting the sound that they want.
Considering all the albums they have done, Lee does an impressive job of recalling the details of the group’s experiences creating, recording and performing. After that many albums and tour dates, one might think it would all be a blur by now.
If, for whatever reason, you are a dedicated Rush fan who does not have your own copy of the new box set, it’s well worth your time to check out this special online.
Thanks to the Rush Is A Band blog for calling attention to this.
