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Rush Drops In To Visit The ‘Colbert Report’

As expected, the boys from Canadian rock trio Rush made an appearance on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report, or as the host likes to call it, “The Colber Repor.” It was the group’s first appearance on U.S. television on over 30 years.

Those that are familiar with the program will not be surprised to hear that there was no shortage of one-liners and clever comments and questions from the host, Stephen Colbert. To their credit, the guys in the band had a few clever comments and comebacks as well.

These three guys always seem a little uncomfortable under these circumstances, and that’s probably just a testament to the many reports I have heard that they think and behave like “regular guys,” and are not known to play up the rock star role that many of their contemporaries are well known for.

For those of you who may not have access to Comedy Central, check out the clip below.

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Tags: Colbert Report, interview, Rush, Tom Sawyer

Rush Will Appear on Comedy Central’s ‘Colbert Report’

In a rare U.S. television appearance, Canadian rock trio Rush will perform on the popular Comedy Central program The Colbert Report tomorrow (Wednesday, 7/16/08) at 11:30 PM EDT. The group plans to play one of their most-recognized hits, "Tom Sawyer."

Rush has not performed on U.S. television since 1975, and this appearance is most likely a big surprise for Rush fans who are more accustomed to the group being overlooked or even derided by many critics since they first appeared on the scene back in the 1970’s.

The long-enduring Canadians do seem to be attracting more attention lately, with a feature story in Rolling Stone magazine, with which the group has a stormy past. Then there’s the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that was recently approved for them. Perhaps the group, after decades of making albums and touring hard are finally being recognized for years of achievement.

Rush fans are encouraged (as if they need it) to set those VCR’s, DVD recorders and DVR’s to catch this rare television event.

The Colbert Report began life as a parody of The O’Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, but has evolved into something that is beginning to take on the look of a variety show, with more musical performances being incorporated into the show.

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One wonders why Rush, after so many years, will show up in The Colbert Report. Could Stephen Colbert be a Rush fan? Hopefully, there will be some time for Colbert to talk to the members of the group rather than just featuring the "Tom Sawyer" performance. I’d like to hear the story-behind-the-story on this one.

Tags: Colbert Report, Rush, Tom Sawyer, TV

Massachusetts Woman Helped Rush Find Their Way

I had no idea that a 61-year-old woman from my home state of Massachusetts had so much to do with the success of one of my favorite musical groups. Donna Halper was working in a Cleveland, Ohio radio station in 1974 and was looking for a track to put on the air that was long enough to allow for a bathroom break.

When Halper noticed that a track on an album by a new group called Rush was longer than seven minutes, which provided adequate time for the DJ to answer a call from nature. After hearing the track, entitled "Working Man," she then realized that the group was offering a lot more than just a song that was long enough to allow her to slip away from the microphone for a bit.

Since then, Halper has been a staunch supporter of the Canadian rockers and even organized the effort to secure Rush a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She developed a close relationship with the members of the group through the years, and can always count on a backstage pass when they are performing in the area.

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For her efforts that helped lead to the group’s recognition,  Rush dedicated their first two albums to her, and she was even hired on by the group’s record label, Mercury Records, as first female Director of Artists and Repertoire.

Recently, Halper was backstage at the Rush show at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA when she received the news that Rush was indeed going to get their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the groups is clearly appreciative of her support through the years.

"She is a fiercely passionate and highly-opinionated woman and is a tireless supporter of Rush," said Rush lead vocalist and bassist Geddy Lee.

"We have remained friends through the years, and she always makes a point of paying us a visit whenever we are near her home," Lee said.

For the whole story check out the Patriot Ledger.

Tags: Donna Halper, Rush, Walk of Fame

Rush In Line For Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame

Go figure! The rock group that has been snubbed by the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame for years is now going to he honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yes, that’s the same Walk of Fame where all the big movie stars, entertainers and other celebrities are represented with their very own star.

The star dedicated to the Canadian rock trio is set to appear next year as the group finds itself in the company of Robert Downey, Jr., Cameron Diaz, Sir Ben Kingsley, Hugh Jackman,Charles Durning, and Harry Shearer, who, among others will also be honored with their own stars.

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Who knows? Maybe things are starting to change for Rush these days? Often considered a group with a dedicated cult-like fan base and not a lot of mainstream recognition, perhaps Rush is finally beginning to get some of that recognition their fans believe they have earned through decades of  dedication to making great music.

There’s the new feature piece in Rolling Stone magazine, and now the plans for their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Could an induction to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame be in the offing?

As I ponder a group like Rush and how they might best be represented on the Walk of Fame, I wonder of there’s any chance at all, that whomever is in charge of that attraction might consider allowing for the use of the famous red star from the 2112 days. In case your wondering, that was indeed a joke. A poor one perhaps, but I never claimed this site would compete with the Comedy Channel.

Tags: Hollywood, Rush, Star, Walk of Fame

Rush And Rolling Stone Magazine Bury The Hatchet

It wasn’t too long ago that Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson said this in reference to Rolling Stone magazine: "They’ve never been much in the way of fans of ours — in fact, totally the opposite of that for the longest time. There’s been quite a bit of friction between them and us."

That was his reaction after learning that Rolling Stone wanted to send a reporter to spend some time with the group.

From that, we learned recently, that the relationship between the long-enduring Canadian rock trio and the magazine was showing signs of improvement, and now it appears official. The latest edition of Rolling Stone has a nice feature on the group which centers mostly around the group’s history, and quite a bit of talk about drummer Neil Peart in particular.

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The feature is not yet available online, but as things typically work in the age of the internet, you can still check it out courtesy of some fan with a document scanner. This post on the "Rush Is A Band" site will lead you to the scanned images. The pages may have been a bit too wide for the scanner that was used, but you can still read pretty much the whole thing.

For Rush fans it’s really kind of nice to see them get some attention from a major music publication like Rolling Stone. Maybe they are finally being accepted more as a mainstream group, and that’s something that both the band and their fans may have mixed feelings about.

Tags: Rolling Stone Magazine, Rush