Rush fans’ loyalty rewarded
Power trio inducted into rock hall of fame
LOS ANGELES Rush was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Thursday, in front of a Los Angeles crowd packed with the same ardent supporters who had campaigned for so long to see the prog-rock virtuosos recognized.
Then, the Toronto trio took the stage for a blistering performance of their hits Tom Sawyer and The Spirit of Radio that reminded everyone why their long-lasting exclusion had seemed so unthinkable in the first place.
After an uproarious speech from Foo Fighters frontman and longtime fan Dave Grohl, Rush took the stage: frontman and bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart. Splashy guests joined most performances on this night, but with Rush on stage, the core power trio was all anyone really needed.
It was a sharp contrast from their low-key acceptance speech, in which Rush’s three members seemed a little awed by the spectacle of the star-studded evening.
“We’ve been saying for a long time — years — that this wasn’t a big deal,” Peart said. “Turns out, it kind of is.”
Said Lee: “I have to say this is a little overwhelming for a nice Jewish boy from Toronto.”
“It is fitting,” Peart said, “that we receive this honour as a working band, in the middle of a tour, in our 39th year.”
The fans had waited and waited for this honour, pushing and petitioning for the perennially disrespected band to finally take its place among rock royalty, and they had to wait some more on this night: Rush’s induction was the climax to a marathon show that ran more than four and a half hours.
In a lighthearted but reverential speech, Grohl reminisced upon first receiving his vinyl copy of 2112 and marvelling at the “infamous” photo in the liner notes: “three grown men, arms crossed, standing proudly in white satin kimonos and skin-tight pants.” Later, he and Hawkins performed 2112 dressed in similar get-ups complemented by ridiculous wigs.
“From day one, the band built its following the right way. No hype, no (BS), they did it from the ground up without any help from the mainstream press,” he said, before coughing “Rolling Stone” into his sleeve.
“Their influence is undeniable and their devoted fan base is only rivalled by the Grateful Dead. Look at you people, all of you people, right here! And their legacy is that of a band that stayed true to themselves no matter how uncool they may have seemed to anyone.”
Despite all the hoopla, Rush actually gave the most concise speech of any of the evening’s honourees. In fact, guitarist Alex Lifeson didn’t see fit to say any actual words at all — instead, he just trilled the word “blah” over and over again in different tones and inflections while his bandmates chortled.
Other inductees included rappers Public Enemy, singersongwriter Randy Newman, composer-producer Quincy Jones and posthumous honouree Donna Summer.