This is a tour that I thought would never happen.  I figured that their tour that ended in 2015 was going to be their last and certainly the death of Neil Peart cemented that idea in my head.  When I heard it announced that they will be heading out on the road again, I thought it was just a cruel rumor and there is no way that it could be true.  Well, it wouldn’t be the first time that I was wrong about something (just ask my wife) because lo and behold, they are back with Anika Nilles stepping in for Peart.  I use the term “stepping in” because you can not replace the irreplaceable.  But more on that later.

Since they were not going to make a stop in Houston, I made the pilgrimage to Fort Worth to catch one of the four shows.  You could feel the excitement inside the arena and they received a hero’s welcome as soon as the lights dimmed.  They have been utilizing giant screens as a backdrop to usher in the show with a mini-movie that shows their humorous side.  This time, it was a group of kids going into an old folks home to find RUSH.  I have seen the band numerous times and this is the first time they opened the show with “Xanadu”.  I’ll be honest with you, seeing the band in full double-neck glory atop a thin layer of dry ice brought a tear to my eye.  Right off the bat, Anika Nilles made her presence felt, capturing Neil Peart’s spirit in her playing without being a complete copy.  Throughout the show, she stayed mostly within the confines set by Peart but inserted a little of her own style here and there to make it known that she was paying respect without trying to replace.

Aside from the aforementioned “Xanadu”, the only other 70s track performed in the first set was the ever present (and much appreciated) “The Trees”.  The rest of the first set was mostly fixated on the 80s and 90s except for “Headlong Flight” off their last studio effort “Clockwork Angels”.  Although they performed many of their usual setlist staples like “The Spirit of Radio”, “Limelight” and “Freewill”, they managed to surprise even me with some more overlooked classics like “Bravado”, “The Analog Kid”, and the instrumental “Leave That Thing Alone”.  Right before “Bravado”, the screens came down and the band paid homage to the late Peart with video and audio of the man himself as if he was speaking to the audience.  The tribute was tastefully done and it brought back so many memories of being an early fan of the band.

After a brief intermission, RUSH came back onto the stage to the spacey intro of 2112.  They performed the whole epic title track, even including part V. "Oracle: The Dream".  The last time I can recall them performing all the parts was on the “Test For Echo” Tour back in 1996.  I have to make special mention that Geddy Lee sounded amazing during the whole show and his voice has not sounded this good in a long time.  Not that I would ever complain about his performances but he really sounds great now.  Heading back to the 90s, the band launched into “Animate” before going back to their 70s catalogue with an energetic rendition of “Closer to the Heart”.  Alex Lifeson, ever the comedian, gave a little quick intro to “Passage to Bangkok” and the second of the tributes to Peart appeared on the screens making him a part of both sets.

Following the tribute, the band played “Time Stands Still” and then basically played a good chunk of the “Moving Pictures” album.  The band seemed energized belting out “YYZ”, ‘Red Barchetta”, “Witch Hunt”, and “Tom Sawyer”.  Snuck in between was a great version of “Anthem” where Anika showed exactly why she got the gig.

Naturally, RUSH was going to return for an encore and they went all the way back to the first record with “Finding My Way” and “Working Man”.  There was brief outro video playing while the crowd exited the arena leaving all of us satisfied with what we just witnessed.  As I mentioned earlier, I have seen the band many, many times and this show is definitely in the top three for me.  And while Neil Peart was not physically present at the show, his spirit was felt throughout every note.  As a side not, the band is performing very different setlists so it brings some extra excitement knowing you will be surprised with the songs you get at your show.