RUSH Triumphantly Kick Off Four-Night Run at Madison Square Garden

RUSH brought their “Fifty Something” reunion tour to New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, July 28th, for the first of four shows at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.” The prog-rock icons played a 24-song career-spanning set for the the sold-out crowd of adoring fans.

With the excitement surrounding the band’s first tour in 11 years, RUSH were going to sell out this tour no matter what, even if they showed up with a couple of tin cans, an acoustic guitar, and a dime-store bass.

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That said, RUSH aren’t resting on their laurels, bringing with them a magnificent production filled with incredible video imagery, moving tributes to the late Neil Peart, and comedic clips featuring Paul Rudd and Jason Segal hilariously reprising their roles as RUSH superfans from I Love You, Man, along with some fun barbs from the South Park crew.

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Yet, none of that would matter if the band didn’t sound great, and they sounded incredible at Madison Square Garden.

From the opening notes of “Xanadu” to the final moments of the set-closing “Working Man,” Geddy Lee’s voice was as strong as ever, and Alex Lifeson once again proved why he is a guitar master. But it’s drummer Anika Nilles who has the toughest task, filling the legendary Neil Peart’s shoes, and she knocked it out of the park — or rather, in the home of the NBA champion New York Knicks, delivered a thunderous slam dunk.

Whether it was tackling the complex intricacies of the instrumental “YYZ” or nailing the iconic drum fill of “Tom Sawyer,” Nilles erased any doubts that she could follow in the footsteps of one of the greatest drummers of all time.

All told, whether you’re a longtime RUSH fan or someone who never got to see them before, you’re in for a treat if you plan on catching any of the remaining dates on their North American tour, which extends all the way into December (pick up tickets here).

For a full breakdown of RUSH’s “Fifty Something” show, see our thorough review of the tour’s Los Angeles kickoff last month. The band changes the setlist each night within the same city, so expect some fun variations during the next three evenings of their Madison Square Garden stand.

See our photos, along with video footage and the setlist, from the first Madison Square Garden show below.

Setlist:

Set 1:
Xanadu
Limelight
Far Cry
Subdivisions
Freewill
Bravado
Headlong Flight
La Villa Strangiato
Vital Signs
The Spirit of Radio

Set 2:
2112 Part I: Overture
2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx
2112 Part VII: Grand Finale
Distant Early Warning
Red Barchetta
Dreamline
Natural Science
Time Stand Still
Red Sector A
YYZ
The Garden
Tom Sawyer

Encore:
By-Tor & The Snow Dog
Working Man