On Sunday (June 7), Rush kicked off their “Fifty Something” tour at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, marking the band’s first tour in 11 years and their first since the death of legendary drummer Neil Peart in 2020.
Taking Peart’s place behind the kit is Anika Nilles, who was announced as Rush’s new drummer last year. Since then, fans have eagerly awaited the chance to see how she would fit into the band and take on the daunting task of performing material made famous by Peart.
Judging by the reaction to the tour opener, Nilles has more than won fans over.
Among those impressed by her performance is Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. Reacting to footage of Nilles playing at Rush’s opening show, Portnoy wrote on Instagram:
“So many feelings and emotions today…I wasn’t there in person last night, but like so many of us around the world, I was glued to YouTube all night long…I watched the RushCon live stream in real time for the entire show as it was happening (as well as getting play by play texts from my buddy Chris Jericho who was there in attendance last night)
“What can I say that hasn’t been written already by everybody online today…? It was magical! The setlist was absolutely PERFECT!! (and to think they still have around 3 other variations up their sleeves to come…😳) Anika absolutely KILLED IT in the best way imaginable. I was so happy for her…nailing all of the big Neil moments with a giant smile on her face the whole time! She really is the perfect choice for this! The tributes to Neil throughout the show were so tasteful and emotional. (Yes I’ll admit I cried at a few points 😢) The production was absolutely INSANE (Major props to Howard Ungerleider 🙌)
“And most importantly of all, I am so happy for Geddy and Alex to be able to do this again! Seeing this tour come to life, it is very obvious this needed to happen. As not only a proper tribute to Neil, but most importantly to honor the legacy of this band. Geddy and Alex deserve it. And the fans deserve it as well…
“I’m still trying to figure out which show I will be able to attend (likely NYC or Philly), but I will be counting the days until I can witness this in person and soak up every single moment… Welcome back Rush!”
When Rush announced their reunion plans, many fans speculated that Portnoy could be a fitting replacement for Peart. However, Portnoy previously told Metal Hammer that although he would have accepted the job if Rush had offered it to him, he was ultimately relieved that they didn’t.
“If they hypothetically ever approached me with it, of course, I would have done it with the utmost respect and honor… But frankly, I’m kind of relieved they didn’t,” he said. “First of all, filling Neil’s shoes is going to be impossible… And I [recently] came back home to Dream Theater, which is where I belong. So if, hypothetically, if they had approached me with this reunion that they’re doing, it would have put me in an incredibly awkward position because of the timing of it all.”
