Rush reunion concerts are not sold out
Rush’s announcement of their reunion tour for 2026 has been celebrated by fans, but today’s concert ticket market has been totally screwed up by Live Nation’s monopoly, inflation, and overall higher ticket prices post COVID. Rush last toured in 2015, so when fans saw the ticket prices for the comeback tour, many were rightfully upset. After initially only announcing 10 shows for 2026, the band later expanded the tour to more cities and 58 total dates.
Rush’s artist presale saw egregious prices, ranging from hundreds to even thousands of dollars for VIP tickets, but now after the general onsale there are many tickets left in major cities like Detroit, Washington DC, and Philadelphia. If ticket sales continue to be slow in many sections, prices will likely drop approaching the shows, meaning people who rushed to buy tickets in the artist presale will have grossly overpaid for tickets.
The ticket prices problem and ticket sales being affected is nothing new, as Nine Inch Nails are having slow ticket sales in certain markets for their 2026 tour, which is the second leg of their North American tour, hitting markets they missed in 2025. Despite the ticket sales issue, Rush fans are excited for the reunion tour, which will serve as a tribute to Neil Peart, with a nightly moment paying homage to Rush’s drumming and lyrical genius.
Rush fans hoped to see Mike Portnoy drum
Mike Portnoy, one of the most skilled and influential drummers who came out of progressive rock and progressive metal genres, feels like he’s a “loser” and more metal-oriented as opposed to drummers like Rush’s Neil Peart. Many thought Mike Portnoy would take over for Peart for the reunion, but the band hired Anika Nilles as their new touring drummer.
Portnoy and Peart were close before the Rush drummer passed away. Dream Theater took inspiration from traditional prog rock bands like Rush, and there are some expected similarities between the two drummers.
Mike Portnoy sat down with Ultimate Guitar, discussing how his playing compares to that of late Neil Peart.
Mike Portnoy talks about Neil Peart
When asked what his fondest memory of Neil was, he said, “Yeah, there are so many. You know, it was such an honor to have gotten to become friends with him over the last 15 years or so before he passed. I guess maybe my fondest memory would be the last time I saw him, just because it was the last time I saw him.”
“I wanted to take my son Max to see Rush before they retired. So, Neil invited us out to see the farewell tour. We spent the afternoon with Neil at his drum kit, and he let Max sit at the kit and gave Max his sticks and a drum head and everything. He opened up his dressing room to us for that night, and just being able to share that experience with my son, it was like a rite of passage.”
“I grew up with Rush and Neil was my hero. So for Max to be able to see them live and see Neil live before they retired and before he passed, and for Neil to be so generous and gracious with welcoming us and always being so hospitable, that’s probably my best memory. I had no idea it would be my last time to see him in person. So I cherish that memory.”
Neil Peart influenced Mike Portnoy
He was also asked what insipiration he took from Neil’s playing. The drummer explained that while Neil Peart was a major influence—especially through his massive drum kits and the musical, structured way he composed his parts—they’re ultimately very different players.
“Well, even though I grew up with Neil and he was one of my biggest heroes and Dream Theater’s music is very closely interwoven with Rush’s music, they were such a big, big influence on us, all of that aside, I think we’re very, very different players, to be honest.”
“The things I got from Neil were the big, giant drum kit. I used to stare at the pictures of his drum kit and just imagine all of those things on a drum set. Also, the way that he was so musical with the way he constructed his drum parts, the way that they developed from section to section to section on such a musical level. I think that was the stuff that really inspired me.”
Neil was precise, consistent, and rooted in classic prog, while he himself is more metal-oriented, spontaneous, and looser in feel, blending elements of Lars Ulrich and Vinnie Paul with Peart’s musicality.
“But like I mentioned, I think we’re very different players. I’m way more rooted in metal. I bring the Lars Ulrich and Vinnie Paul elements to Dream Theater, whereas Neil was a little bit more grounded in traditional Prog. Also, Neil was very, very methodical in terms of always playing his drum parts the same consistently every night. He was great at that, being able to play consistently. I’m horrible at that. I need to be able to just be in the moment and just jam.”
“So I bring a little bit more of a looser kind of Lars Ulrich style to my playing. You know, I’m somewhere between Lars and Neil, for better or for worse.”
Rush’s new drummer addresses reunion
New Rush drummer Anika Nilles also recently addressed the overwhelming response to her joining the legendary band. She shared her thoughts in a statement posted on Instagram.
“Hey there, the past few days have been quite overwhelming. I’m sure many of you feel the same,” Nilles said. “I want to take a moment to sincerely thank Geddy and Alex for their trust and for welcoming me on this incredible new journey with Rush.”
She also took time to welcome new supporters and thank longtime followers.
“I also don’t want to miss the chance to warmly welcome all the new faces here and to thank you for your kind and open-minded words – they truly mean a lot,” she continued. “At the same time, I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has followed and supported my journey over the years. We’re all in this together now, and I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead.”
