Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson teased something special for tonight’s Juno Awards — and they came through in a big way by opening the show with a live performance featuring their new drummer, Anika Nilles, for the first time. They chose “Finding My Way,” the first track on their very first album, 1974’s Rush, which featured John Rutsey on drums in the studio, rather than the late Neil Peart, who didn’t join the band until afterward.
Former Jeff Beck drummer Nilles, in what was likely the most pressure-filled moment of her career, simply excelled, playing a huge kit with the Rush logo on the bass drum, bashing her way through virtuosic fills. Lee and Lifeson, meanwhile, seemed energized after their long break, with Lee hitting notes at the top of his youthful range. Keyboardist Loren Gold, who will also join the band on its upcoming tour, rounded out the expanded lineup. Behind the musicians, vintage Rush footage that included Peart flickered on screen, a reminder that the evening was as much a tribute as a comeback.
