On the evening of Thursday the 23rd, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson reunited on stage at Massey Hall in Toronto to pay tribute to singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot . The former Rush joined the band Blue Rodeo to perform "The Way I Feel," an original song by Lightfoot.
Celebrating Gordon Lightfoot event , a tribute to the renowned Canadian musician who passed away in May 2023 at the age of 84, did not initially include Lee and Lifeson in the lineup. However, in an interview with The Canadian Press , Lee explained his reason for getting involved in the event alongside his friend. “Gordon Lightfoot was a true Canadian musical hero to musicians of my generation – and to top it off, he was a very kind person,” he stated. “Alex and I really wanted to pay tribute.”
Check out the performance below:
Lee and Lifeson's meetings
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson's recent surprise appearance marked the duo's first official public performance since September 2022. At that time, they participated in two tribute concerts for the late Foo Fighters , Taylor Hawkins . However, Lifeson revealed to UCR earlier this month that he and his friend had recently started playing Rush songs together casually.
“We started a few weeks ago. We meet one day a week at his house. We pick some Rush songs and start playing them, but we sound like a really, really bad Rush tribute band,” he reported.
Although the news may excite Rush fans, the guitarist was clear in saying that they shouldn't expect an official reunion of the band without drummer Neil Peart , who passed away in 2020. He reflected on this issue in an interview with Classic Rock History . “Many people still remember us, and there’s a sadness among our fans about the end of the band. They want more, but you can’t go back. We can’t just find another drummer, go on tour and create new material. It wouldn’t be the same. It would just be a money grab,” he stated.
READ ALSO: Geddy Lee claims his best show wasn't with Rush; check it out.