In August, the SFN team--Steve, Gerry, and Lex--recorded live from Henderson Brewing in Toronto for Rush Day 2024. In the first of 3 episodes from Henderson Brewing, we talk with owner Steve Himel about the event and Rush lighting director Howard Ungerleider, and hear some Rush Origin Stories from fans Phil from Hilton Head, South Carolina; Melissa from Orange County, California; Ray from Whitby, Ontario; Doug from Burlington, Ontario; and John from Seattle, Washington.

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We're rounding out our summer mini season with the incomparable Tyler Warren! Tyler is an incredible multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who tours with Queen + Adam Lambert, records with his band Flarelight, and has released full album covers of both Permanent Waves and, most recently, Grace Under Pressure on his YouTube channel. Tyler talks to us about falling in love with Rush, how he ended up touring with Queen + Adam Lambert, and the monumental task of playing every instrument on those amazing full album covers.

You can watch Tyler's Permanent Waves cover here: Tyler Warren - Rush’s Permanent Waves (full album performance) (youtube.com)

You can watch Tyler's Grace Under Pressure cover here: Tyler Warren - Rush's Grace Under Pressure (full album performance) (youtube.com)

Follow us on Bluesky: @rushfancast

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Follow us on Threads: @therushcast

Email us at: therushcast@gmail.com

Danny 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. 

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Eddie Trunk is a broadcasting legend. As host of the weekly syndicated show "Eddie Trunk Rocks," the daily "Trunk Nation" show on SiriusXM, and the "Eddie Trunk Podcast," Eddie has interviewed everyone who's anyone in the world of rock and roll. On this episode, Eddie focuses solely on his many interviews and interactions with Rush, which, considering the nature of our podcast, is a good thing.

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This week we talk to the Field Director for the documentary Rush: Time Stand Still, Miller. (Everyone calls him Miller, so that's what we're calling him too.) As Field Director, Miller interviewed fans, roamed concerts looking for the perfect shot, and was on hand to capture some of the most enduring images of the film. He's also a natural raconteur. We think you'll enjoy this episode.

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Rush fans around the world were surprised and elated when a short film called "Growth Rings," cowritten by Jeremy Bout and Neil Peart. Bout also directed the film, exploration of how music and culture affect our lives in same way climate and injury impact a tree's annular growth rings. The short film grew from a larger project, the documentary film about DW Drums called "Masters of Resonance," in which the master drum makers detail what makes their drums unique and show how Neil's beautiful R40 kit was constructed from a 1,500-year-old tree dredged from the bottom of a Romanian bog. I may be biased, but this is a good one, folks.

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Well, here we are. The final installment of our Snakes & Arrows discussion. There's a lot of meat still on the bone, from the stirring instrumental Hope to the inspiring We Hold On. We hope you like our take on these amazing songs!

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On the second part of our Snakes & Arrows discussion, we find Rush grappling with some serious topics, such as the disparity between the haves and the have-nots, the forces that shape our world view, and the need to reach consensus on subjects that affect us all. Plus, there's an instrumental with the word "monkey" in it! What more could you ask for?

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This week we return to our bread and butter as we begin our discussion of Rush's penultimate studio album, Snakes and Arrows. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz, Snakes and Arrows sees Rush exploring new sounds and an unprecedented three--three!-instrumentals So grab some bread and butter--or something you might actually want to eat--and a pariah dog and a madman, and join us!

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Of late, we've had a string of great drummers on the podcast to discuss Rush and Neil Peart in particular. This week we talk with yet another great drummer: Steve Holmes, founder of HouseOfDrumming.com, a resource for drummers the worldover. Steve has been a working musician for a long time and has a unique perspective on what made Neil Peart, well, Neil Peart! 

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Ron Lipnicki is a drumming beast, having spent a decade keeping time for thrash-metal pioneers Overkill as well as recording and touring with Hades and Whiplash--and he's a childhood friend of ours. In fact, Ron was with us when we saw Rush for the first time--a concert that changed the course of his life. We talk to Ron about that fateful show, the indelible imprint Neil Peart made on him, and our top five favorite Neil studio performances.

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Charlie Roy is fast becoming a familiar name among Rush fans for his dynamic paintings and sketches of Alex, Geddy, and Neil. Roy's artwork captures the feeling of seeing Rush live, something every fan has been missing for years. Join us as Charlie discusses how he began painting, his love of prog in general, and why Alex's face is so difficult to get right.

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Joining us this week is Dale Heslip, director of "Rush: Time Stand Still," the moving documentary chronicling the band's final tour. Dale takes us behind the scenes of the R40 tour, discusses how the tour's concept came to be, and tells us what it was like to be filming what was to be Rush's last concert.

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All 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.

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Our guest this week is Vicki Flier Hudson, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the popular Georgia-based Rush tribute band The Spirit of Rush. Vicki has also authored three books, with her most recent being "The Winter Garden," a book of poetry dedicated to Neil Peart. We talk to Vicki about some of her poems, and we learn a new term: "dialogic imagination."

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Our pal David Calcano is back for his second appearance on the podcast, and this time we're talking about Fantoons' new "Neil Peart: The Illustrated Quotes." We ask David the origins of the book, and then Steve and Gerry read our favorite quotes and discuss them with David. Join us!

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Brian Hiatt has written more than 65 cover stories during his 16-year tenure at Rolling Stone, including Rush's 2015 cover story--the band's first for magazine. Brian also wrote "The Spirit of Neil Peart," which was published on the one-year anniversary of Neil Peart's passing. We talk to Brian about the aforementioned articles, and we get the answer to the question Rush fans have been asking for decades: "What does Rolling Stone have against Rush?"

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Author Richard Houghton's new book, "Rush: The Day I Was There," is an oral history of the band from a unique perspective: that of the fans. The book contains first-person accounts of Rush concerts: the effort it took to get there, the effect the show had on those who attended, the odd circumstances that surrounded the day. Every decade of Rush's career is represented, and maybe you'll find that you were there that day too!

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After we wrapped up our episode on Rush covers,* we thought, "Why don't we talk with the man who performs some of greatest Rush covers?" An email or two later, and voila, we have Jacob Moon on the podcast! Jacob breaks down his various Rush covers and fills us in on his performance of Subdivisions at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.

*For those of you who read footnotes, it was episode 71.

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One test of a great song is how well it survives translation to another genre, and we all know that Rush has written some great songs. That's why this week we've compiled 10 of our favorite Rush covers, from the expected to the ones out of left field. This episode promises to be a fun one!

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In 1974, Donna Halper, then music director of WMMS-FM in Cleveland, OH, dropped the needle on a record by an unsigned band called Rush, and in that instant, she became the reason why we're all Rush fans. Donna has been our most-requested interview, so we asked her to be on the show and she said yes! We talk about, of course, the early days of the band, her longtime friendship with the boys, and a certain Shakespeare play she had to replace.

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This week we talk with Alexander Hellene, author of the new book Dreamers & Misfits: The Definitive Book About Rush Fans. Alexander created a survey to find out who the typical Rush fan is. What did he discover? That's what we're here to find out!

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Ryan Reed is a contributing editor at Spin Magazine and is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone and sites like Pitchfork and Ultimate Classic Rock. In an article for the latter site, Ryan put his Rush fandom to the test by ranking all 167 original Rush songs from worst to best--a Herculean task. We talk about what went into the making of the list and the insanity of attempting it in the first place.

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This week, we talk about Rush's third live album, A Show Of Hands, which chronicles songs from Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire. It's a fantastic album, one that perhaps we didn't give enough credit to when it came out. But we've made up for it in this episode, because A Show of Hands rocks! Listen to find out more!

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This 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!

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This week, we're covering some more live Rush: All the World's a Stage. This is Rush's first live album, recorded at Toronto's Massey Hall on the 2112 tour. ATWAS is loud, fierce, and brash, just like any great concert should be--but especially a great Rush show. So let's rock!

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The true test of any band is how well they perform live, and RUSH always got a perfect score. Exit...Stage Left is the band's second double-vinyl live album and captures the boys on the Moving Pictures tour. With the exception of two tracks, the album focuses on songs from A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, and Moving Pictures. So relive the majesty of seeing RUSH live by listening to this episode!

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Rob Wallis worked with Neil Peart for 30-plus years on instructional videos that brought Neil's meticulous compositions to life for aspiring and practiced drummers everywhere. Over the years, Rob became part of Neil's "inner circle" of trusted and most valued friends, and that friendship deepened their working relationship. Join us as Rob reminiscences on the life of his good friend Neil Peart--who once described their working relationship as second only to that of his bandmates in Rush.

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Our guest this week is Steven Drozd, multi-instrumentalist songwriter for the endlessly creative and innovative band The Flaming Lips. Steven first got into Rush with Caress of Steel when he was 6 years old, and the band's music helped form his artistic backbone. We talk about which Rush album The Lips might cover, favorite Rush songs, and The Flaming Lips' new album, American Head.

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This is it. The Return of the Jedi of our Grace Under Pressure episodes, wrapping up the trilogy. This time under the microscope: Kid Gloves, Red Lenses, and Between the Wheels--the last of which is to us a contender for "Best Rush Song to Cry Yourself to Sleep To." What I'm saying is, its themes are heavy.

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This week we continue our chronicle of Grace Under Pressure with discussions of Red Sector A, The Enemy Within, and The Body Electric—a trio of songs that plumb the depths of human, and android, experience. This one gets a little heavy at times.

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Grace Under Pressure falls in-between Signals and Power Windows, so it can sometimes feel that it gets lost between those two polarizing albums. But this week, we're here to say that Grace Under Pressure deserves its place among the greatest of great Rush albums! Disagree with us--if you dare! *spooky Halloween music plays*

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Author Martin Popoff previously appeared on episode 37, and he's back to talk about his latest book, Limelight: Rush in the '80s. This is the second book in Popoff's Rush trilogy, and it covers--no surprise--the albums Permanent Waves through Presto. Join us!

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Derek Bacharach was a Rush-crazed teenager when he decided he wanted to share his obsession with as many people as possible. Thus was Rushology born in March of 1986! We talk to Derek about how the zine started, why it came to an abrupt end after only 4 issues, and the stages the average Rush fan goes through as the band becomes a part of their personal identity.

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To say Ray Wawrzyniak loves Rush is the understatement of understatements. Ray has dedicated most of his life to the band, and the fruit of his labor is his staggering collection of Rush memorabilia. Ray, our first two-time guest, takes us for a tour of some of his collection and discusses the meaning behind his favorite pieces.

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This 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.

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Terrie Carr is a legend in rock radio in New Jersey, and is currently the Program Director of and midday host on 105.5 FM WDHA, in Cedar Knolls. She's a huge Rush fan, has interviewed Geddy Lee twice on air, and is chock full of cool stories--some of which she tells when we count down our top 3 Rush concert moments. Really, just Google her. She's the best!

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This week we welcome YYNOT members Billy Alexander, Tim Starace, and Rocky Kuner to the show. We talk about not only each member's love of Rush, but how a long-distance band relationship works. (Spoiler: very well!) And we also play a few songs from the band's albums of original material, the self-titled debut and Resonance. Join us!

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Steve Brown founded RushFest Scotland in 2013, and the one-day gathering has since raised over £50,000 for charity! The event moved online this year, and this Saturday, September 12, 2020 (on what would have been Neil's 68th birthday), the organization is releasing Tributes: Songs for Neil, Vol. 1. The album features covers of Rush classics by Jacob Moon, Fleesh, and others, and is available for purchase at RushFest Scotland's website, http://www.rushfestscotland.co.uk. We talk with Steve about the origins of RushFest Scotland and how Tributes came together, and we play a selection of some of the songs from the album. And please consider buying a copy of Tributes: Songs for Neil, Vol 1!

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This week we're rounding out Signals with discussions of The Weapon, New World Man, Losing It, and Countdown. One of these songs is a favorite of Gerry's and another is not. Any guesses which is which?

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We continue to make our way through Signals by discussing The Analog Kid, Chemistry, and The Digital Man. Is it possible that through the power of chemistry The Analog Kid became The Digital Man? No, but break down each song and once again marvel at Alex Lifeson's amazing guitar work.

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This week, we begin our discussion of Signals, one of the most divisive albums in Rush's discography. Many long-time Rush fans, upon hearing the keyboard-soaked Subdivisions, abandoned the band--or, more accurately, felt the band had abandoned them. So what to make of this watershed  moment in Rush's career? All we can do is give you our opinions, and you'll have to listen to find out what those are!

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This week we talk with Joe Bergamini, author of 2012's "Neil Peart: Taking Center Stage: A Lifetime of Live Performance." Joe, an accomplished drummer, teacher, and writer, tells us about his lifetime of drumming and his relationship with Neil, first as a young rabid fan, then as collaborator on the DVD series and book of the same name, and, ultimately, as friends. Joe's insights into Neil's style and how it's a reflection of who he was are a must-listen for any Rush fan.

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You probably know Jillian Maryonovich from the documentary Time Stand Still, where she talked about RushCon and working in the Obama White House. This week, we delve a little deeper into how her obsession with Rush began, the impact Rush has had on her life, and where her fandom will take her in the future.

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David Calcano melded his lifelong love of music and comics when he founded Fantoons in 2012. His Kickstarter in 2015 for a collection of Rush comics and art was 100% funded in its first day and ended up raising 10 times its original goal. Since then, Fantoons has created official Rush merchandise--including the spectacular graphic novel of the making of A Farewell to Kings--and recently released an animated video of The Spirit of Radio to coincide with the release of the 40th anniversary editions of Permanant Waves. And you can hear all about it in this week's episode!

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The week, we talk with the man who lit Rush's lighted stage for decades, Howard Ungerleider.  Howard hopped on the Rush train in 1974, when he accepted the role as tour manager to help keep life on the road running smoothly. The hats began to pile on--tour manager, lighting director, accountant--until he decided to wear just one: lighting director. Anyone who has ever witnessed a live Rush show has seen and appreciated Howard's work. We break down some of his favorite lighting tricks and find out which songs he's always wanted to see in the setlist. Join us!

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This 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.

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This week we talk with John Patuto, the man who runs one of the go-to websites for Rush fans, Cygnus-X1.net. From the germ of an idea on early fan bulliten boards to the sprawling site Cygnus-X1.net has become, we cover it all. And we try to answer the question, what's the best Rush album closer of all time?

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Well, here we are: the fourth and last episode of our Moving Pictures discussion. This time, we cover Witch Hunt and Vital Signs--two great songs that go great together! We hope you enjoy it!

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This week, we continue our tetralogy (I looked it up!) on Moving Pictures with our discussion of Limelight and The Camera Eye. Is Alex's solo on Limelight the best he ever recorded? Is The Camera Eye more cinematic that Jacob's Ladder? Tune in to see what we think!

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