Something for Nothing: A RUSH Fancast
190 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 254 ratingsTwo lifelong friends discuss the albums of their favorite band, RUSH. A part of Pantheon Podcasts.
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Episodes
Ep. 180: Geddy Lee’s ”My Effin’ Life”
December 04, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourSlow down! We didn't talk with Geddy, but we did the next best thing: we read his best-selling memoir, "My Effin' Life." This week, we take a deep dive into the book and discuss the life and times of the one and only Geddy Lee!
Ep. 179: Terry Brown
November 20, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourThis week's guest needs no introduction: Terry Brown. Terry joined the Rush camp with the band’s debut, brought in to mix the final cut. He then co-produced with the band every release through Signals--one of the greatest album runs in rock history. What else need to be said?
Ep. 178: Leoni Jane Kennedy, ”New World Woman” Covers Album
November 13, 2023 07:00 - 58 minutesThis week we welcome back singer/songwriter Leoni Jane Kennedy. Since she last joined us back on episode 163, Leoni has been busy recording a collection of acoustic Rush covers, "New World Woman." The album is chock full of Leoni's imaginative takes on Rush classics, and we talk to her about the recording process and play a few tracks. You can find out more about Leoni's music bu heading to her website, https://www.leonijanekennedy.com/
Ep. 177: Paul Wells, Professor of Jazz Drums at The Juilliard School
November 06, 2023 07:00 - 1 hourPaul Wells is a Professor of Jazz Drums at The Juilliard School in New York City and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of Neil Peart's kits. He joins us this week to talk about Rush--obviously--and his efforts to restore Neil's original Rush kit, the famous Chromey! Paul has played with the likes of Curtis Stigers, Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, Deborah Harry, Joe Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Elvis Costello, and Diana Krall, among others. Learn more about him at https://www.paulwellsdrums.com.
Ep. 176: Danny Peart
October 30, 2023 06:00 - 1 hourDanny Peart is a poet and the brother of Neil Peart, and he joins us this week to give his unique perspective on his famous sibling. He talks about his life with Neil, his poetry, and what it was like performing at the long-postponed Night for Neil benefit concert that took place in 2022.
Ep. 175: The Point of the Journey
January 02, 2023 07:00 - 48 minutesAll things must end, and this podcast is no exception. After much thought and discussion, we've decided to make this our final episode. Listen along as we go through some of our more memorable episodes, praise everyone who came on the show, and thank everyone who made the past three years and change some of the most interesting of our lives--including you, our listeners.
Ep. 174: R40 Live
December 26, 2022 07:00 - 59 minutesThis week, were tackling Rush's final concert tour, R40. One of the most ambitious tour concepts, R40 saw the band presenting a career-spanning setlist in reverse chronological order. It was a gift to every fan who saw the tour and has listened to this live collection. What a way for the band to go out!
Ep. 173: Listener Questions (And Our Answers)
December 19, 2022 07:00 - 39 minutesThis week, we're deviating from our normal format and answering questions sent in by our listeners. Some are about thee podcast 8n general, some are about us, and some are actually related to Rush! I hope it's as interesting to listen to as it was to record.
Ep. 172: Clockwork Angels Tour
December 12, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourThis week on the podcast we're discussing the Clockwork Angels Tour live set realized in 2013. The setlist leans heavily on songs from Clockwork Angels and the 1980s--18 of the 27 songs are from either the band's last album or from 1982 to 1987. It's an eclectic group of songs that's a real treat for two guys who became diehard fans during the Power Windows tour.
Ep. 171: The Matt O’Ree Band
December 05, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourJoin us this week as members of The Matt O'Ree Band--singer/guitarist Matt O'Ree, vocalist Eryn, drummer John Hummel, and our resident bassist Lex Lehman--talk about their raucous cover of Rush's "Making Memories" and their new album, Hand In Glove! You can watch the video for "Making Memories" right now at https://youtu.be/uw2nfgLR770.
Ep. 170: Nancy Peart Burkholder
November 28, 2022 07:00 - 45 minutesNancy Peart Burkholder--Neil's younger sister--joins us this week to talk about her older brother, her first Rush concert, and the upcoming Peart Family Memorial Golf Tournament.
Ep. 169: Bob ”Starman” King
November 21, 2022 07:00 - 36 minutesBob King is literally one of the most recognizable figures in the Rush world. Not only was he the model for the world-famous Starman logo from 2112, he also posed as the man in the bowler hat on Hemispheres, a role reprised on Exit...Stage Left, and one of the movers on Moving Pictures. Bob talks to us about growing up in St. Catharines, his long-time friendship with Hugh Syme, and how he feels about being the symbol of defiance for Rush fans everywhere!
Ep. 168: Music Journalist Paul Beaulieu
November 14, 2022 07:00 - 52 minutesMusic journalist Paul Beaulieu has been covering the Canadian music scene for years and is a die-hard Rush fan. This week, we talk with Paul about his favorite band, his immersion in their world, and how he always seems to end up at the right place at the right time. Visit Paul's website at www.thecanadianmusicscene.com/
Ep. 167: Top 5 Rush Album Covers With Artist Steve Otis
November 07, 2022 07:00 - 55 minutesSteve Otis is an comic artist, illustrator, and sculptor--and a huge Rush fan. So it was a dream come true when his comment on a post by author Kevin J. Anderson turned into a job illustrating Drumbeats, Anderson's first collaboration with Neil Peart, and then Clockwork Destiny. We're glad that Steve could join us this week as we choose our favorite Rush album covers!
Ep. 166: A Night For Neil Memorial Celebration
October 31, 2022 06:00 - 37 minutesOn October 22, we attended the Night For Neil Memorial Celebration in beautiful St. Catharines, ON. We met with friends both old and new and rocked out to Rush in memory of our favorite drummer--and in this episode, we tell you all about it!
Ep. 165: The Time Machine Tour Live
October 24, 2022 06:00 - 57 minutesIn 2010, between the Snakes & Arrows and Clockwork Angels tours, Rush hit the road to play Moving Pictures in its entirety. The Time Machine tour hit 11 countries over the course of a year and was the resulting live album was the only one to be recorded in the city that broke the band outside of Canada, Cleveland, OH. This week, we talk about about this great tour and the two songs the band debuted from the then-unreleased Clockwork Angels, Caravan and BU2B.
Ep. 164: Rush Origin Stories, Pt. 3
October 17, 2022 06:00 - 54 minutesWe're back with another episode that wants to know how you got into Rush, and how did you become a fan? It's more stories from three fans just like you whose musical lives were completely changed when they first heard Rush!
Ep. 163: Leoni Jane Kennedy
October 10, 2022 06:00 - 53 minutesLeoni Jane Kennedy's acoustic version of Kid Gloves--included on Songs for Neil, Vol.3--is an ambitious take on the fan-favorite song, and she nails every second of it. We talk to Leoni about her love of Rush, being awarded the Freddie Mercury Scholarship, and seeing Geddy and Alex playing at the recent Taylor Hawkins memorial concert in London.
Ep. 162: Liza McLellan of the Devah Quartet
October 03, 2022 06:00 - 44 minutesLiza McLellan is the founder and cellist is the string ensemble the Devah Quartet. She's also the quartet's writer and arranger, who, among many musical achievements, arranged the group's cover of 2112. This week, she joins us to talk about the beginnings of the Devah Quartet, the challenges of arranging rock songs for strings, and the quartet's upcoming performance at A Night For Neil.
Ep. 161: Lance Kasten of Overtime Angels Talks About the A Night For Neil Concert
September 26, 2022 06:00 - 39 minutesAs vice president of the Overtime Angels, Lance Kasten is no stranger to organizing charity events, but the upcoming A Night For Neil concert is something else entirely. This week, Lance joins us to talk about his charity work with Overtime Angels, organizing A Night for Neil with the Peart family, and who will be appearing at the show.
Ep. 160: Bradley J. Birzer, Author of Neil Peart: Cultural Repercussions
September 19, 2022 06:00 - 52 minutesThis week we welcome Bradley J. Birzer, Professor of History at Hillsdale College, Michigan, and author of Neil Peart: Cultural Repercussions. In the recently revised edition of Cultural Repercussions, Brad examines the life and career of Neil through the lens of indivuality and philosophy and paints a portrait of an exceptional writer, a dedicated artist, and inspiration to many.
Ep. 159: Steve Brown, Songs for Neil, Vol. 3
September 12, 2022 06:00 - 51 minutesOne of our favorite guests, Steve Brown of RushFest Scotland, returns to talk about his latest for-charity tribute album, Songs for Neil, Vol. 3. It's another crop of excellent covers by some of the best artists around. You can order Songs for Neil from the RushFest Scotland website, http://www.rushfestscotland.co.uk.
Ep. 158: Filmmaker Ari Gold
September 05, 2022 06:00 - 51 minutesIn 2008, filmmaker Ari Gold released Adventures of Power, an inspirational story about a young man who finds his calling as an air drummer. The dramatic comedy has since become a cult classic and features the music of Rush and a cameo by Neil Peart. Ari joins us to talk about the movie and his friendship with Neil.
Ep. 157: Rush Pilgrimage With Vicki Flier Hudson
August 29, 2022 06:00 - 49 minutesRush superfan and lead singer of the tribute band The Spirit of Rush, Vicki Flier Hudson, recently went to Toronto and Willowdale to visit every band-related sight she could see. Call it a Rush Pilgrimage! Join us this week to hear all about it!
Ep. 156: Rush Covers, Pt. 4
August 22, 2022 06:00 - 50 minutesIt's been awhile since we've showcased covers of Rush songs, so we decided it's about time we shared some of our recent favorites. And if you have a favorite Rush cover that we haven't featured yet--which means you'll have to listen to Rush Covers parts 1 through 3--that you'd like to send us, please do! We're all ears!
Ep. 155: R30
August 15, 2022 06:00 - 55 minutesThis week, we tackle the R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour live set. Also serving as the tour in support of the covers EP Feedback, R30 finds the band in fine form as they take the stage with the the R30 Overture, a blistering sample of six early songs. Join us as we celebrate Rush's 30th anniversary 18 years too late!
Ep. 154: Top 5 Rush Lyrics
August 08, 2022 06:00 - 51 minutesThis week, philosopher Liz Swan returns to discuss our favorite Rush lyrics. You might remember Liz from episode 33, when we talked to her about a piece she wrote for Psychology Today about Neil Peart and how his words shaped her life. She was the first person we thought of to talk lyrics with, and we're thrilled to have her back on the podcast!
Ep. 153: My Favorite Rush Song With Composer Iain Carnegie
August 01, 2022 06:00 - 46 minutesThis week, composer and educator Iain Carnegie joins us to talk about his favorite Rush song, Chain Lightning. Iain dissects Chain Lightning in a manner befitting his teaching position at the Royal College of Music in London--which is to say you'll learn how the song is arranged, why chord voicings are central to the song's tone, and about something called "the devil's interval." Iain also hosts a great podcast called Politics of Sound, where he interviews Members of Parliament and other w...
Ep. 152: Bill Wallace of the Sunlight On Chrome Initiative
July 25, 2022 06:00 - 38 minutesThis week we speak with Bill Wallace, who founded the Sunlight On Chrome Initiative to raise money for the American Brain Tumor Association. Bill talks about how Neil Peart inspired his love of motorcycling, the beginnings of his fundraising efforts, and how Rush fans everywhere can take part in the Sunlight On Chrome Initiative by doing the most excellent thing you can do on Friday, July 29.
Ep. 151: Randy Jackson of Zebra
July 18, 2022 06:00 - 48 minutesRandy Jackson is the vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter for the band Zebra. He joins us this week to talk about the beginnings of Zebra, Alex Lifeson's guitar playing, and what it takes to be in a band for decades.
Ep. 150: Rush Trivia
July 11, 2022 06:00 - 49 minutesTo celebrate our 150th episode (!), we've invited back Derek Bacharach to act as quizmaster for a few rounds of Rush trivia! Who will emerge victorious--Steve or Gerry? The only way to find out is to listen!
Ep. 149: Top 5 Geddy Lee Vocal Performances
July 04, 2022 06:00 - 57 minutesWe've listed our favorite Geddy Lee basslines, Alex Lifeson guitar solos, and Neil Peart drum parts, and now we're tackling our favorite Geddy Lee vocal performances. And to help us out is New Orleans—based singer/songwriter and enormous Rush fan Beth Patterson. Join us, won't you?
Ep. 148: Live In YYZ 1981
June 27, 2022 06:00 - 53 minutesThe Moving Pictures 40th anniversary box set contained a time capsule of sorts: a full concert from the Moving Pictures tour. Recorded on March 25, 1981, Live In YYZ documents a moment in Rush history that saw the band finally breaking into the mainstream rock world. How does Live In YYZ stack up against Rush's second live album, Exit...Stage Left? Listen and find out!
Ep. 147: Hold Your Fire Redux, Pt. 5
June 20, 2022 06:00 - 51 minutesWe've reached the end of our Hold Your Fire revisit, and we have two more special guests. Jared Shofar talks about climbing Tai Shan, and Vicki Flier Hudson tells us about her love of High Water! Join us!
Ep. 146: Hold Your Fire Redux, Pt. 4
June 13, 2022 06:00 - 43 minutesIt's back to our Hold Your Fire revisit this week, and that means we have two more guests! Rush FAQ author Max Mobley helps us out with Mission, and YYNOT bassist Tim Starace gives us a hand with Turn The Page! Join us!
Ep 146: Hold Your Fire Redux, Pt. 4
June 13, 2022 06:00 - 41 minutes - 57.1 MBIt's back to our Hold Your Fire revisit this week, and that means we have two more guests! Rush FAQ author Max Mobley helps us out with Mission, and YYNOT bassist Tim Starace gives us a hand with Turn The Page! Join us!
Ep. 145: Kevin J. Anderson, Clockwork Destiny
June 06, 2022 06:00 - 40 minutesWe take one more unexpected detour from our Hold Your Fire redux to talk with writer Kevin J. Anderson about the final chapter in the Clockwork Trilogy, Clockwork Destiny! Kevin tells us about plotting the book with Neil Peart, the long road it took to write it, and how it finally came to be. Join us for this interesting conversation!
Ep. 144: Hold Your Fire Redux, Pt. 3
May 30, 2022 06:00 - 55 minutesOur revisit of Hold Your Fire continues with discussions of Prime Mover and Lock and Key. And to help us out are returning guests John Take of Rush Graphs and Steve Holmes of House of Drumming!
Ep. 143: Hold Your Fire Redux, Pt. 2
May 23, 2022 06:00 - 1 hourWe're back with the second installment of our Hold Your Fire revist! With us to discuss Open Secrets and Second Nature are musician Katie Cole and DJ Daniel Paulus. Join us for some great conversation about these two classic songs!
Ep. 142: Morgan Woolsey, Researcher/Cataloger of Alex Lifeson Sale at Julien’s Auctions
May 16, 2022 06:00 - 35 minutesWe interrupt our scheduled Hold Your Fire Redux for one week to bring you Morgan Woolsey, the specialist at Julien's Auctions who researched and catalogued the upcoming Alex Lifeson sale! Morgan tells us about the months of research that went into writing the catalog descriptions and finding photos and video stills of Alex with his guitars! It's a fascinating discussion!
Ep. 141: Hold Your Fire Redux, Pt. 1
May 09, 2022 06:00 - 1 hourThis week, it's the first in a series of episodes re-examining 1987's Hold Your Fire--with special guests! Helping us handle Force Ten is friend of the podcast and frequent guest Nathan Santos. And taking on Time Stand Still with us is US Army Band director and arranger Tim Whalen, who's rendition of the song captured the hearts of Rush fans everywhere in the weeks following Neil Peart's passing.
Ep. 140: The Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Box Set
May 02, 2022 06:00 - 54 minutesThe Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Box Set was recently released, so we thought, why not unbox the super-deluxe version on the podcast? (Follow us on Instagram and Twitter--@therushcast and @RushFanCast, respectively--to see pictures of all of the goodies inside.) Then we talk to uber Rush Fan Ray Wawrzyniak about the archival research he did for the set!
Ep. 139: Snakes & Arrows Live
April 25, 2022 06:00 - 1 hourIn 2008, Rush released Snakes & Arrows Live, with songs pulled from two concerts in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The 27-song set contains an unprecedented amount of new material: nine songs are from the Snakes & Arrows album. So join us as we dive into another great live Rush collection.
Ep. 138: Maiah Wynne on Envy Of None’s Debut Album, Pt. 2
April 18, 2022 06:00 - 56 minutesSinger/songwriter Maiah Wynne returns to guide us through the back half of Envy of None's self-titled debut, including the official favorite song of ours, "Old Strings." If you haven't already, dive into the first part of our discussion, episode 137.
Ep. 137: Maiah Wynne on Envy Of None’s Debut Album, Pt. 1
April 11, 2022 06:00 - 48 minutesThis week, singer/songwriter Maiah Wynne returns to give us track-by-track insights into the Envy Of None debut album! She is absolutely one of our--and our listeners'--favorite guests, and we go through the first five songs on the album in the first of our two-part conversation.
Ep. 136: Tim Durling, Author of Unspooled: An Adventure in 8-Tracks
April 04, 2022 06:00 - 56 minutesTim Durling is the author of a great new book on 8-track cassettes, the much-maligned but incredibly collectible short-lived music format. We talk to Tim about his book be also how the limitations of the 8 track resulted in some truly odd song rearrangements of some of your favorite Rush albums.
Ep. 135: Rush Origin Stories, Pt. 2
March 28, 2022 06:00 - 1 hourWay back in episode 114, we talked to listeners about their Rush origin stories: how they first heard about Rush and how they became fans. And this week, we're doing it again! More tales of Rush fandom from our listeners! We hope you enjoy!
Ep. 134: Victor, Pt. 2
March 21, 2022 06:00 - 49 minutesThis week, we continue our discussion of Alex Lifeson's 1996 solo album, Victor. The eclectic nature of the disk continues, with an appearance by Primus' Les Claypool and an excellent reading of a W.H. Auden poem about the album's titular character.
Ep. 133: Victor, Pt. 1
March 14, 2022 06:00 - 50 minutesIn 1996, Alex Lifeson released his first and only solo album, the eclectic Victor. Filled with great riffs, programming, and spoken word pieces, Victor is definitely as unique as Alex himself. Join us this week as we take on this unusual album!
Ep. 132: That Night At Massey Hall
March 07, 2022 07:00 - 57 minutesToronto's Massey Hall looms large in the world of Rush. Not only is playing the legendary theater an unmistakable sign that a band has made it, it's also where Rush recorded their first live release, All The World's A Stage, over a three-concert run in 1976. Massey Hall devotee David Binks joins us this week to talk about That Night At Massey Hall, his beautiful book celebrating the musical history of the hall with never-before-seen photos of artists who've played there and fan recollections ...